The Meaning of Acts 10:24 Explained

Acts 10:24

KJV: And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends.

YLT: and on the morrow they did enter into Caesarea; and Cornelius was waiting for them, having called together his kindred and near friends,

Darby: And on the morrow they came to Caesarea. But Cornelius was looking for them, having called together his kinsmen and his intimate friends.

ASV: And on the morrow they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius was waiting for them, having called together his kinsmen and his near friends.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  the morrow  after they entered  into  Caesarea.  And  Cornelius  waited for  them,  and had called together  his  kinsmen  and  near  friends. 

What does Acts 10:24 Mean?

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 10:24

Was waiting [ēn prosdokōn)]
Periphrastic imperfect active, in eager expectation and hope, directing the mind (dokaō) towards (pros) anything. Old and common verb. [source]
Near [anagkaious)]
Only instance in the N.T. of this sense of anagkaios from anagkē necessity, what one cannot do without, necessary (1 Corinthians 12:22), duty (Acts 13:46), or blood relations as here. The ancient Greek writers combined these two words (suggeneis kinsmen, anagkaious necessary friends) as here. It was a homogeneous group of Gentiles close to Cornelius and predisposed to hear Peter favourably. [source]
Near [ἀναγκαίους]
The word originally means necessary; hence of those who are bound by necessary or natural ties; blood-relations. But as relatives or kinsmen is expressed by συγγενεῖς , this must be taken in the sense of intimate friends, a meaning which it has in later Greek writers. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 10:24

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]
2 Peter 3:12 Looking for [προσδοκῶντας]
The same verb as in Luke 1:21, of waiting for Zacharias. Cornelius waited (Acts 10:24); the cripple expecting to receive something (Acts 3:5). [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 10:24 mean?

On the now next day he entered into - Caesarea - and Cornelius was expecting them having called together the relatives of him and - close friends
Τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὴν Καισάρειαν δὲ Κορνήλιος ἦν προσδοκῶν αὐτοὺς συνκαλεσάμενος τοὺς συγγενεῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἀναγκαίους φίλους

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.
εἰσῆλθεν  he  entered 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰσέρχομαι  
Sense: to go out or come in: to enter.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
τὴν  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Καισάρειαν  Caesarea 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: Καισάρεια  
Sense: Caesarea of Philippi was situated at the foot of Lebanon near the sources of the Jordan in Gaulanitis, and formerly called Paneas; but afterward being rebuilt by Philip the tetrarch, it was called by him Caesarea, in honour of Tiberias Caesar; subsequently called Neronias by Agrippa II, in honour of Nero.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Κορνήλιος  Cornelius 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Κορνήλιος  
Sense: a Roman centurion of the Italian cohort stationed in Caesarea who converted to Christianity.
προσδοκῶν  expecting 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: προσδοκάω  
Sense: to expect (whether in thought, in hope, or in fear).
συνκαλεσάμενος  having  called  together 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Middle, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: συγκαλέω  
Sense: to call together, assemble.
συγγενεῖς  relatives 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: συγγενής 
Sense: of the same kin, akin to, related by blood.
αὐτοῦ  of  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
τοὺς  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀναγκαίους  close 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀναγκαῖος  
Sense: necessary.
φίλους  friends 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: φίλος  
Sense: friend, to be friendly to one, wish him well.