SEV Biblia, Chapter 10:9
¶ Y al día siguiente, yendo ellos su camino, y llegando cerca de la ciudad, Pedro subi a la azotea a orar, cerca de la hora sexta;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 10:9
Verse 9. On the morrow, as they went on their journey] From Joppa to Caesarea was about twelve or fifteen leagues; the messengers could not have left the house of Cornelius till about two hours before sunset; therefore, they must have traveled a part of the night, in order to arrive at Joppa the next day, towards noon.-Calmet. Cornelius sent two of his household servants, by way of respect to Peter; probably the soldier was intended for their defense, as the roads in Judea were by no means safe. Peter went up upon the house-top to pray] It has often been remarked that the houses in Judea were builded with flat roofs, on which people walked, conversed, meditated, prayed, &c. The house-top was the place of retirement; and thither Peter went for the purpose of praying to God. In Bengal, some of the rich Hindoos have a room on the top of the house, in which they perform worship daily.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 9. On the morrow, as they went on their journey , etc.] From Caesarea to Joppa; Joppa is said to be six and thirty miles distant from Caesarea; so far Caesarea was from Lydda, but it seems to be further from Joppa; for according to Josephus f530 , from Joppa to Antipatris were a hundred and fifty furlongs, which are almost nineteen miles, and from thence to Caesarea were twenty six miles; unless there was a nearer way by the sea shore, as there was a way by that from Caesarea to Joppa, of which the above author makes mention f531 ; wherefore they must either have set out the evening before, or early that morning, to get to Joppa by the sixth hour, or twelve oclock at noon; as it seems they did, by what follows: and drew nigh unto the city ; that is, of Joppa, were but a little way distant from it: Peter went up upon the housetop to pray ; the roofs of houses in Judea were flat, and persons might walk upon them, and hither they often retired for devotion and recreation; (see Gill on Matthew 10:27), (see Gill on Matthew 24:17), it was on the former count, namely for prayer, that Peter went up thither, and that he might, be private and alone, and undisturbed in the discharge of that duty. This being at a tanners house, though not in his shop, brings to mind a canon of the Jews f532 , a man may not enter into a bath, nor into a tanners shop, near the Minchah, or time of prayer. Now this was about the sixth hour or twelve oclock at noon, when Peter went up to pray; at which time the messengers from Cornelius were near the city of Joppa; this was another time of prayer used by the Jews, and is what they call the great Minchah, which began at the sixth hour and an half, and so was as is here said, about the sixth hour (See Gill on Acts 3:1) Ver. 10. And he became very hungry , etc.] It being in the middle of the day, when it was usual to eat; and perhaps he had ate nothing that day, for those were reckoned the most religious persons, who eat nothing before the Minchah: and would have eaten ; though the Jews say f533 , a man ought not to eat near the Minchah, not even the least, lest he should continue at it, and so neglect his prayers: but while they made ready , while Simons family were getting dinner ready, preparing the food for it: he fell into a trance ; or an ecstasy, or an ecstasy fell upon him; it was what was supernatural, and came from above, and did not arise from any natural cause in him; he was as it were out of the body, and entirely in the spirit; all the bodily organs and senses were shut up, and all sensible objects removed from him; and he was wholly intent on what was proposed to him in the vision, which filled him with wonder and astonishment.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 9-18 - The prejudices of Peter against the Gentiles, would have prevented his going to Cornelius, unless the Lord had prepared him for this service To tell a Jew that God had directed those animals to be reckoned clea which were hitherto deemed unclean, was in effect saying, that the la of Moses was done away. Peter was soon made to know the meaning of it God knows what services are before us, and how to prepare us; and we know the meaning of what he has taught us, when we find what occasio we have to make use of it.
Greek Textus Receptus
τη 3588 T-DSF δε 1161 CONJ επαυριον 1887 ADV οδοιπορουντων 3596 5723 V-PAP-GPM εκεινων 1565 D-GPM και 2532 CONJ τη 3588 T-DSF πολει 4172 N-DSF εγγιζοντων 1448 5723 V-PAP-GPM ανεβη 305 5627 V-2AAI-3S πετρος 4074 N-NSM επι 1909 PREP το 3588 T-ASN δωμα 1430 N-ASN προσευξασθαι 4336 5664 V-ADN περι 4012 PREP ωραν 5610 N-ASF εκτην 1623 A-ASF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
9. They (ekeinwn). Those messengers, the servants and the soldier. The pronoun has a more specific reference than the English they.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
10:9 {On the morrow} (tei epaurion). Locative case of article with the compound adverb (hemerai day being understood), the second day after leaving Caesarea, 28 miles from Joppa. The third day (the next morrow, verse #23) they start back home and the fourth day (on the morrow again, verse #24) they reach Caesarea. {As they} (ekeinwn). The party of three from Caesarea. Genitive absolute with present participle hodoiporountwn (journeying) and eggizontwn (drew nigh). {The housetop} (to dwma). Old word and in Gospels (#Lu 3:19, etc.), but only here in Acts. From demw, to build, and so any part of the building (hall, dining room, and qen roof). The roof was nearly flat with walls around and so was a good place for meditation and prayer and naps.
