SEV Biblia, Chapter 10:28
Y les dijo: Vosotros sabis que es abominable a un varn judío juntarse o llegarse a extranjero; mas me ha mostrado Dios que a ningn hombre llame comn o inmundo;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 10:28
Verse 28. Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing, &c.] He addressed the whole company, among whom, it appears, there were persons well acquainted with Jewish customs; probably some of them were Jewish proselytes. But God hath showed me, &c.] He now began to understand the import of the vision which he saw at Joppa. A Gentile is not to be avoided because he is a Gentile; God is now taking down the partition wall which separated them from the Jews.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 28. And he said unto them , etc.] The whole company that were met together, who were chiefly, if not altogether Gentiles: ye know that it is an unlawful thing ; what is forbidden by the law of Moses, ( Deuteronomy 7:2,3) and by the traditions of the elders, which carry the matter further than the law did, and made it very criminal: for a man that is a Jew, to keep company with, or come unto one of another nation ; besides entering into covenants and marriages with them, which were forbidden by the law, though they allowed of trade and commerce with the Gentiles, yet not any familiar conversation with them; it was prohibited to eat and drink any sort of liquor with them in their houses f536 , nor might they walk with them in the streets, or on the road; says Maimonides f537 , it is forbidden a Jew to unite himself to Gentiles, because they are suspected of shedding blood, and he may not join himself with them in the way; if he meets a Gentile in the way, he causes him to turn to the right hand; if they ascend by an ascent, or descend by a descent, the Israelite may not be below, and the Gentile above: but the Israelite must be above, and the Gentile below, lest he should fall upon him and kill him; and he may not go even with (or along side by him) lest he break his skull.
It is said of some Rabbins, that they saw a certain man coming; says R. Chiyah, let us be gone, perhaps this man is an idolatrous Gentile, or one of the people of the earth, and it is forbidden to join with him in the way.
They looked upon the houses of Gentiles unclean, and therefore would not enter into them: (See Gill on John 18:28). yea they say f539 , that: the court of a stranger (or Gentile) is as the habitation of a beast.
Such an aversion was there in that people to all civil society with Gentiles: and so Apoltonius says of them f540 , that they not only departed from the Romans, but from all men, living a separate life from others; nor did they communicate at table with others; neither in things sacred, nor in any ceremonies; and this was well known to Jews and Gentiles: but God hath showed me ; partly by the vision he had seen, and partly by discourse with the men that came from Cornelius to him; and by comparing the vision and their message to him together, he saw that he was not obliged to abide by the customs and laws of the Jews: but was showed, as he says, that I should not call any man common or unclean ; that is, in a ceremonial sense; for otherwise, all by nature are morally unclean; and none are pure, but such who are washed in the blood of Christ, and are justified by his righteousness, and sanctified by his Spirit: he saw there was now no difference between Jew and Gentile; that the one was not clean because of his circumcision, nor the other unclean on account of his uncircumcision, or to be avoided for that reason; that the Gospel was to be preached to all; and that every believer of whatsoever nation, was acceptable to God, and ought to be regarded by his ministers and people.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 19-33 - When we see our call clear to any service, we should not be perplexe with doubts and scruples arising from prejudices or former ideas Cornelius had called together his friends, to partake with him of the heavenly wisdom he expected from Peter. We should not covet to eat ou spiritual morsels alone. It ought to be both given and taken a kindness and respect to our kindred and friends, to invite them to joi us in religious exercises. Cornelius declared the direction God gav him to send for Peter. We are right in our aims in attending a gospe ministry, when we do it with regard to the Divine appointment requirin us to make use of that ordinance. How seldom ministers are called to speak to such companies, however small, in which it may be said tha they are all present in the sight of God, to hear all things that ar commanded of God! But these were ready to hear what Peter was commande of God to say.
Greek Textus Receptus
εφη 5346 5713 V-IXI-3S τε 5037 PRT προς 4314 PREP αυτους 846 P-APM υμεις 5210 P-2NP επιστασθε 1987 5736 V-PNI-2P ως 5613 ADV αθεμιτον 111 A-NSN εστιν 2076 5748 V-PXI-3S ανδρι 435 N-DSM ιουδαιω 2453 A-DSM κολλασθαι 2853 5745 V-PPN η 2228 PRT προσερχεσθαι 4334 5738 V-PNN αλλοφυλω 246 A-DSM και 2532 CONJ εμοι 1698 P-1DS ο 3588 T-NSM θεος 2316 N-NSM εδειξεν 1166 5656 V-AAI-3S μηδενα 3367 A-ASM κοινον 2839 A-ASM η 2228 PRT ακαθαρτον 169 A-ASM λεγειν 3004 5721 V-PAN ανθρωπον 444 N-ASM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
28. An unlawful thing (aqemiton). The word is peculiar to Peter, being used only here and 1 Pet. iv. 3. See note there. It emphasizes the violation of established order, being from the same root as tiqhmi, to lay down or establish. The Jews professed to ground this prohibition on the law of Moses; but there is no direct command in the Mosaic law forbidding Jews to associate with those of other nations. But Peter's statement is general, referring to the general practice of the Jews to separate themselves in common life from uncircumcised persons. Juvenal says that the Jews were taught by Moses "not to show the way except to one who practices the same rites, and to guide the circumcised alone to the well which they seek " (Sat., xiv., 104, 105). Tacitus also says of the Jews that "among themselves they are inflexibly faithful, and ready with charitable aid, but hate all others as enemies. They keep separate from all strangers in eating, sleeping, and matrimonial connections" ("Histories," v., 5).Of another nation (allofulw) Only here in New Testament. Used of the Philistines, 1 Sam. xiii. 3-5 (Sept.).
Me. Emphatic, by contrast with ye. "Ye know," etc., "but God hath showed me."
Robertson's NT Word Studies
10:28 {How that it is an unlawful thing} (hws aqemiton estin). The conjunction hws is sometimes equivalent to hoti (that). The old form of aqemitos was aqemistos from qemisto (qemizw, qemis, law custom) and a privative. In the N.T. only here and #1Pe 4:3 (Peter both times). But there is no O.T. regulation forbidding such social contact with Gentiles, though the rabbis had added it and had made it binding by custom. There is nothing more binding on the average person than social custom. On coming from the market an orthodox Jew was expected to immerse to avoid defilement (Edersheim, _Jewish Social Life_, pp. 26-28; Taylor's _Sayings of the Jewish Fathers_, pp. 15, 26, 137, second edition). See also #Ac 11:3; Ga 2:12. It is that middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile (#Eph 2:14) which Jesus broke down. {One of another nation} (allofulwi). Dative case of an old adjective, but only here in the N.T. (allos, another, fulon, race). Both Juvenal (_Sat_. XIV. 104, 105) and Tacitus (_History_, V. 5) speak of the Jewish exclusiveness and separation from Gentiles. {And yet unto} (kamoi). Dative of the emphatic pronoun (note position of prominence) with kai (crasis) meaning here "and yet" or adversative "but" as often with kai which is by no means always merely the connective "and" (Robertson, _Grammar_, pp. 1182f.). Now Peter takes back both the adjectives used in his protest to the Lord (verse #14) "common and unclean." It is a long journey that Peter has made. He here refers to "no one" (medena), not to "things," but that is great progress.
