The Meaning of Acts 10:23 Explained

Acts 10:23

KJV: Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

YLT: Having called them in, therefore, he lodged them, and on the morrow Peter went forth with them, and certain of the brethren from Joppa went with him,

Darby: Having therefore invited them in, he lodged them. And on the morrow, rising up he went away with them, and certain of the brethren from Joppa went with him.

ASV: So he called them in and lodged them. And on the morrow he arose and went forth with them, and certain of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  called he  them  in,  and lodged  [them]. And  on the morrow  Peter  went away  with  them,  and  certain  brethren  from  Joppa  accompanied  him. 

What does Acts 10:23 Mean?

Verse Meaning

After learning their intent, Peter invited them inside and acted as their host. This was very unusual since Jews normally did not provide hospitality for Gentiles. Peter had apparently already begun to understand the meaning of the vision he had seen and began to apply it in his relationships with these Gentiles.
"There may also be some intended irony here, since Peter had earlier protested his scrupulousness about food, all the while staying in the house of a man whose trade made him unclean!" [1]

Context Summary

Acts 10:17-33 - Jew And Gentile Meet
It should be carefully noted that the mental impression which was produced by Peter's vision was corroborated by the fact of the knocking and inquiring group at Peter's door. This is God's invariable method. For us all, as we contemplate taking a new and important step in life, there are the urging of the Spirit, the impression or vision of duty, and the knock or appeal of outward circumstances.
Evidently Cornelius had gathered to his quarters in the barracks his kinsmen and a number of intimate friends, who were as eager as he to discover the will of God. They remained quietly waiting until the party from Joppa had completed their thirty-mile journey. Peter had taken the precaution of bringing with him six brethren, evidently with the expectation that the events of that day would not only create a new era, but would also be called into serious question.
The welcome that Cornelius gave was very significant. That a high-born Roman should prostrate himself before a Jewish evangelist was unprecedented, though it revealed the true reverence and humility of Cornelius's soul; but the noble simplicity of Peter's reply was also a revelation of the true greatness of the Apostle, and ought to have more obviously influenced his would-be successors. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 10

1  Cornelius, a devout man, being commanded by an angel, sends for Peter,
11  who by a vision is taught not to despise the Gentiles;
17  and is commanded by the Spirit to go with the messenger to Caesarea
25  Cornelius shows the occasion of his sending for him
34  As he preaches Christ to Cornelius and his company,
44  the Holy Spirit falls on them, and they are baptized

Greek Commentary for Acts 10:23

Lodged them [exenisen)]
Active voice here rather than passive as in Acts 10:6. [source]
Accompanied him [sunēlthan autōi)]
Associative instrumental case after verb. The wisdom of having these half dozen Jewish Christians from Joppa with Peter in the house of Cornelius in Caesarea becomes manifest in Jerusalem (Acts 11:12). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 10:23

Acts 10:9 On the morrow [tēi epaurion)]
Locative case of article with the compound adverb (hēmerāi day being understood), the second day after leaving Caesarea, 28 miles from Joppa. The third day (the next morrow, Acts 10:23) they start back home and the fourth day (on the morrow again, Acts 10:24) they reach Caesarea. [source]
Acts 21:16 Bringing [αγοντες]
Nominative plural participle agreeing with τινες — tines understood, not with case of ματητων — mathētōn One Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge (παρ ωι χενιστωμεν Μνασωνι τινι Κυπριωι αρχαιωι ματητηι — par hōi xenisthōmen Mnasnōi tini Kupriōi archaiōi mathētēi). A thoroughly idiomatic Greek idiom, incorporation and attraction of the antecedent into the relative clause (Robertson, Grammar, p. 718). Μνασωνι — Mnasōni is really the object of αγοντες — agontes or the accusative with παρα — para or προς — pros understood and should be accusative, but it is placed in the clause after the relative and in the same locative case with the relative ωι — hōi (due to παρ — par' beside, with). Then the rest agrees in case with Μνασωνι — Mnasōni He was originally from Cyprus, but now in Caesarea. The Codex Bezae adds εις τινα κωμην — eis tina kōmēn (to a certain village) and makes it mean that they were to lodge with Mnason at his home there about halfway to Jerusalem. This may be true. The use of the subjunctive χενιστωμεν — xenisthōmen (first aorist passive of χενιζω — xenizō to entertain strangers as in Acts 10:6, Acts 10:23, Acts 10:32 already) may be volitive of purpose with the relative (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 955, 989). The use of αρχαιωι — archaiōi for “early” may refer to the fact that he was one of the original disciples at Pentecost as Peter in Acts 15:7 uses ημερων αρχαιων — hēmerōn archaiōn (early days) to refer to his experience at Ceasarea in Acts 10. “As the number of the first disciples lessened, the next generation accorded a sort of honour to the survivors” (Furneaux). [source]
Acts 28:7 Publius [Ποπλιωι]
This Greek name Entertained us Paul and his companions (Luke and Aristarchus). Was Julius included? On χενιζω — xenizō see note on Acts 10:23. Courteously (πιλοπρονως — philophronōs). This old adverb from πιλοπρων — philophrōn (πιλοσ πρεν — philos phren friendly mind) occurs here alone in the N.T. In a kindly or friendly manner, all the more so because of the original suspicion of Paul as a criminal. [source]
Acts 21:16 One Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge [παρ ωι χενιστωμεν Μνασωνι τινι Κυπριωι αρχαιωι ματητηι]
A thoroughly idiomatic Greek idiom, incorporation and attraction of the antecedent into the relative clause (Robertson, Grammar, p. 718). Μνασωνι — Mnasōni is really the object of αγοντες — agontes or the accusative with παρα — para or προς — pros understood and should be accusative, but it is placed in the clause after the relative and in the same locative case with the relative ωι — hōi (due to παρ — par' beside, with). Then the rest agrees in case with Μνασωνι — Mnasōni He was originally from Cyprus, but now in Caesarea. The Codex Bezae adds εις τινα κωμην — eis tina kōmēn (to a certain village) and makes it mean that they were to lodge with Mnason at his home there about halfway to Jerusalem. This may be true. The use of the subjunctive χενιστωμεν — xenisthōmen (first aorist passive of χενιζω — xenizō to entertain strangers as in Acts 10:6, Acts 10:23, Acts 10:32 already) may be volitive of purpose with the relative (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 955, 989). The use of αρχαιωι — archaiōi for “early” may refer to the fact that he was one of the original disciples at Pentecost as Peter in Acts 15:7 uses ημερων αρχαιων — hēmerōn archaiōn (early days) to refer to his experience at Ceasarea in Acts 10. “As the number of the first disciples lessened, the next generation accorded a sort of honour to the survivors” (Furneaux). [source]
1 Peter 4:4 They think it strange [χενιζονται]
Present passive indicative of χενιζω — xenizō old verb (from χενος — xenos stranger), to entertain a guest (Acts 10:23), to astonish (Acts 17:20). See also 1 Peter 4:12. “They are surprised or astonished.”That ye run not with them (μη συντρεχοντων υμων — mē suntrechontōn humōn). Genitive absolute (negative μη — mē) with present active participle of συντρεχω — suntrechō old compound, to run together like a crowd or a mob as here (just like our phrase, “running with certain folks”).Into the same excess of riot Αναχυσιν — Anachusin (from αναχεω — anacheō to pour forth) is a late and rare word, our overflowing, here only in N.T. Ασωτιας — Asōtias is the character of an abandoned man Present active participle of βλασπημεω — blasphēmeō as in Luke 22:65. “The Christians were compelled to stand aloof from all the social pleasures of the world, and the Gentiles bitterly resented their puritanism, regarding them as the enemies of all joy, and therefore of the human race” (Bigg). [source]
1 John 2:9 His brother [τὸν ἀδελφόν]
His fellow-Christian. The singular, brother, is characteristic of this Epistle. See 1 John 2:10, 1 John 2:11; 1 John 3:10, 1 John 3:15, 1 John 3:17; 1 John 4:20, 1 John 4:21; 1 John 5:16. Christians are called in the New Testament, Christians (Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16), mainly by those outside of the Christian circle. Disciples, applied to all followers of Christ (John 2:11; John 6:61) and strictly to the twelve (John 13:5sqq.). In Acts 19:1, to those who had received only John's baptism. Not found in John's Epistles nor in Revelation. Brethren. The first title given to the body of believers after the Ascension (Acts 1:15, where the true reading is ἀδελφῶν brethrenfor μαθητῶν disciples). See Acts 9:30; Acts 10:23; Acts 11:29; 1 Thessalonians 4:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; 1 John 3:14; 3 John 1:5, 3 John 1:10; John 21:23. Peter has ἡ ἀδελφότης thebrotherhood (1 Peter 2:17; 1 Peter 5:9). The believers. Under three forms: The believers ( οἱ πιστοί ; Acts 10:45; 1 Timothy 4:12); they that believe ( οἱ πιστεύοντες ; 1 Peter 2:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:7; Ephesians 1:19); they that believed ( οἱ πιστεύσαντες ; Acts 2:44; Acts 4:32; Hebrews 4:3). The saints ( οἱ ἅγιοι ); characteristic of Paul and Revelation. Four times in the Acts (Acts 9:13, Acts 9:32, Acts 9:41; Acts 26:10), and once in Jude (Judges 1:3). Also Hebrews 6:10; Hebrews 13:24. In Paul, 1 Corinthians 6:1; 1 Corinthians 14:33; Ephesians 1:1, Ephesians 1:15, etc. In Revelation 5:8; Revelation 8:3, Revelation 8:4; Revelation 11:18, etc.|Until now ( ἕως ἄρτι )|Though the light has been increasing, and though he may claim that he has been in the light from the first. The phrase occurs in John 2:10; John 5:17; John 16:24; and is used by Paul, 1 Corinthians 4:13; 1 Corinthians 8:7; 1 Corinthians 15:6.| [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 10:23 mean?

Having called in therefore them he lodged [them] On the now next day having risen up he went forth with them and some of the brothers those from Joppa went with him
Εἰσκαλεσάμενος οὖν αὐτοὺς ἐξένισεν Τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον ἀναστὰς ἐξῆλθεν σὺν αὐτοῖς καί τινες τῶν ἀδελφῶν τῶν ἀπὸ Ἰόππης συνῆλθον αὐτῷ

Εἰσκαλεσάμενος  Having  called  in 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Middle, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: εἰσκαλέομαι  
Sense: to call into one’s self, to invite in to one’s house.
ἐξένισεν  he  lodged  [them] 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ξενίζω  
Sense: to receive as a guest, to entertain, hospitably.
Τῇ  On  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ἐπαύριον  next  day 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ἐπαύριον  
Sense: on the morrow, the next day.
ἀναστὰς  having  risen  up 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀναπηδάω 
Sense: to cause to rise up, raise up.
ἐξῆλθεν  he  went  forth 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐξέρχομαι 
Sense: to go or come forth of.
τινες  some 
Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: τὶς  
Sense: a certain, a certain one.
τῶν  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀδελφῶν  brothers 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ἀδελφός  
Sense: a brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother.
τῶν  those 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰόππης  Joppa 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: Ἰόππη  
Sense: a city of Palestine on the Mediterranean, lying on the border of the tribes of Dan and Ephraim.
συνῆλθον  went  with 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: συνέρχομαι  
Sense: to come together.