Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 10:1
Verse 1. There was a certain man in Caesarea] This was Caesarea of Palestine, called also Strato's Tower, as has been already noted, and the residence of the Roman procurator. A centurion] ekatontarchv, The chief or captain of 100 men, as both the Greek and Latin words imply. How the Roman armies were formed, divided, and marshalled, see in the notes on Matt. xx. 16. A centurion among the Romans was about the same rank as a captain among us.
The band called the Italian band] The word speira, which we translate band, signifies the same as cohort or regiment, which sometimes consisted of 555 infantry, and 66 cavalry; but the cohors prima, or first cohort, consisted of 1105 infantry, and l32 cavalry, in the time of Vegetius.
But the cavalry are not to be considered as part of the cohort, but rather a company joined to it. A Roman legion consisted of ten cohorts; the first of which surpassed all the others, both in numbers and in dignity. When in former times the Roman legion contained 6000, each cohort consisted of 600, and was divided into three manipuli; but both the legions and cohorts were afterwards various in the numbers they contained. As there were doubtless many Syrian auxiliaries, the regiment in question was distinguished from them as consisting of Italian, i.e. Roman, soldiers. The Italian cohort is not unknown among the Roman writers: Gruter gives an inscription, which was found in the Forum Sempronii, on a fine table of marble, nine feet long, four feet broad, and four inches thick; on which are the following words: - L. MAESIO. L. F. POL. RVFO. PROC. AVG. TRIB. MIL. LEG. X. APPOLLINARIS. TRIB. COH. MIL. ITALIC. VOLUNT. QVAE. EST. IN. SYRIA. PRAEF. FABRVM. BIS. See Gruter's Inscriptions, p. ccccxxxiii-iv.
This was probably the same cohort as that mentioned here by St. Luke; for the tenth legion mentioned in the above inscription was certainly in Judea, A.D. 69. Tacitus also mentions the Italica legio, the Italic legion, lib. i. c.
59, which Junius Blaesus had under his command in the province of Lyons. We learn, from the Roman historians, that the fifth, tenth, and fifteenth legions were stationed in Judea; and the third, fourth, sixth, and twelfth in Syria. The Italic legion was in the battle of Bedriacum, fought, A.D. 69, between the troops of Vitellius and Otho; and performed essential services to the Vitellian army. See Tacitus, Hist. lib. ii. cap. 41.
The issue of this battle was the defeat of the Othonians, on which Otho slew himself, and the empire was confirmed to Vitellius.
Wherever he sees it necessary, St. Luke carefully gives dates and facts, to which any might have recourse who might be disposed to doubt his statements: we have had several proofs of this in his Gospel. See especially Luke i. 1, &c., and Luke iii. 1, &c., and the notes there.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. There was a certain man in Caesarea , etc.] This was the Caesarea formerly called Stratos tower, not Caesarea Philippi; for the former, and not the latter, lay near Joppa: called Cornelius ; which was a Roman name, and he himself was a Roman or an Italian: a centurion of the band called the Italian band ; which consisted of soldiers collected out of Italy, from whence the band took its name, in which Cornelius was a centurion, having a hundred men under him, as the name of his office signifies.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-8 - Hitherto none had been baptized into the Christian church but Jews Samaritans, and those converts who had been circumcised and observe the ceremonial law; but now the Gentiles were to be called to partak all the privileges of God's people, without first becoming Jews. Pur and undefiled religion is sometimes found where we least expect it Wherever the fear of God rules in the heart, it will appear both i works of charity and of piety, neither will excuse from the other Doubtless Cornelius had true faith in God's word, as far as he understood it, though not as yet clear faith in Christ. This was the work of the Spirit of God, through the mediation of Jesus, even befor Cornelius knew him, as is the case with us all when we, who before wer dead in sin, are made alive. Through Christ also his prayers and alm were accepted, which otherwise would have been rejected. Withou dispute or delay Cornelius was obedient to the heavenly vision. In the affairs of our souls, let us not lose time.
Greek Textus Receptus
ανηρ 435 N-NSM δε 1161 CONJ τις 5100 X-NSM ην 2258 5713 V-IXI-3S εν 1722 PREP καισαρεια 2542 N-DSF ονοματι 3686 N-DSN κορνηλιος 2883 N-NSM εκατονταρχης 1543 N-NSM εκ 1537 PREP σπειρης 4686 N-GSF της 3588 T-GSF καλουμενης 2564 5746 V-PPP-GSF ιταλικης 2483 A-GSF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. Centurion. See on Luke vii. 2.Band (speirhv). See on Mark xv. 16.
Italian. Probably because consisting of Roman soldiers, and not of natives of the country.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
10:1 {Cornelius} (kornelios). The great Cornelian family of Rome may have had a freedman or descendant who is {centurion} (hekaton-tarces, leader of a hundred, Latin _centurio_). See on Mt 8:5. These Roman centurions always appear in a favorable light in the N.T. (#Mt 8:5; Lu 7:2; 23:47; Ac 10:1; 22:25; 27:3). Furneaux notes the contrasts between Joppa, the oldest town in Palestine, and Caesarea, built by Herod; the Galilean fisherman lodging with a tanner and the Roman officer in the seat of governmental authority. {Of the band called the Italian} (ek speires tes kaloumenes italikes). A legion had ten cohorts or "bands" and sixty centuries. The word speires (note genitive in -es like the Ionic instead of -as) is here equal to the Latin _cohors_. In the provinces were stationed cohorts of Italic citizens (volunteers) as an inscription at Carnuntum on the Danube (Ramsay) has shown (epitaph of an officer in the second Italic cohort). Once more Luke has been vindicated. The soldiers could, of course, be Roman citizens who lived in Caesarea. But the Italian cohorts were sent to any part of the empire as needed. The procurator at Caesarea would need a cohort whose loyalty he could trust, for the Jews were restless.
