Acts 11:5-12

11:5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision,¹ an object something like a large sheet descending,² being let down from heaven³ by its four corners, and it came to me. 11:6 As I stared⁴ I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles,⁵ and wild birds.⁶ 11:7 I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; slaughter⁷ and eat!’ 11:8 But I said, ‘Certainly not, Lord, for nothing defiled or ritually unclean⁸ has ever entered my mouth!’ 11:9 But the voice replied a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not consider⁹ ritually unclean!’ 11:10 This happened three times, and then everything was pulled up to heaven again. 11:11 At that very moment,¹⁰ three men sent to me from Caesarea¹¹ approached¹² the house where we were staying.¹³ 11:12 The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers¹⁴ also went with me, and we entered the man’s house.

¹tn This term describes a supernatural vision and reflects a clear distinction from something imagined (BDAG 718 s.v. ὅραμα 1). Peter repeated the story virtually word for word through v. 13. The repetition with this degree of detail shows the event’s importance.

²tn Or “coming down.”

³tn Or “the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

⁴tn Grk “Staring I looked into it.” The participle ἀτενίσας (atenisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

⁵tn Or “snakes.” Grk “creeping things.” According to L&N 4.51, in most biblical contexts the term (due to the influence of Hebrew classifications such as Gen 1:25-26, 30) included small four-footed animals like rats, mice, frogs, toads, salamanders, and lizards. In this context, however, where “creeping things” are contrasted with “four-footed animals,” the English word “reptiles,” which primarily but not exclusively designates snakes, is probably more appropriate.

⁶tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).

⁷tn Or “kill.” Traditionally θῦσον (quson) is translated “kill,” but in the case of animals intended for food, “slaughter” is more appropriate.

⁸tn Possibly there is a subtle distinction in meaning between κοινός (koinos) and ἀκάθαρτος (akaqartos) here, but according to L&N 53.39 it is difficult to determine precise differences in meaning based on existing contexts. The sentiment Peter expressed is like Ezek 4:14.

⁹tn Or “declare.” The wording matches Acts 10:15.

¹⁰tn Grk “And behold.”

¹¹sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1.

map For location see Map2-C1; Map4-B3; Map5-F2; Map7-A1; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

¹²tn See BDAG 418 s.v. ἐφίστημι 1 for this meaning for ἐπέστησαν (epesthsan) here.

¹³tn The word “staying” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

¹⁴sn Six witnesses is three times more than what would normally be required. They could confirm the events were not misrepresented by Peter.