Acts 10:31

 Acts 10:31

And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.

a. ASV: And saith, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT:  And he said, Cornelius, thy prayer was heard, and thy kind acts were remembered before God;  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. Classic Amplified:  And he said, Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and harkened to, and your donations to the poor have been known and [c]preserved before God [so that He heeds and is about to help you].  [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Peshitta Eastern Text:  And said to me, Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are a memorial before God.  [HOLY BIBLE FROM THE ANCIENT EASTERN TEXT. Copyright  Ⓒ 1933 by A.J. Holmon Co.; copyright  Ⓒ renewed 1968 by A.J. Holmon Co.; All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. HarperCollins Publishers, 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007.]

e. NLT:  He told me, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been noticed by God! [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

1. “And said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God.”

a. And [Strong: 2532. kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. said [Strong: 5346. phemi fay-mee' properly, the same as the base of 5457 and 5316; to show or make known one's thoughts, i.e. speak or say:--affirm, say.]

c. Cornelius [Strong: 2883. Kornelios kor-nay'-lee-os of Latin origin; Cornelius, a Roman:--Cornelius.]

d. thy [Strong: 4675. sou soo genitive case of 4771; of thee, thy:--X home, thee, thine (own), thou, thy.]

e. [Strong: 3588. [hē] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [hē] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé  hē, hai, tas.]

f. prayer [Strong: 4335. proseuche pros-yoo-khay' from 4336; prayer (worship); by implication, an oratory (chapel):--X pray earnestly, prayer.]

f. [is] heard [Strong: 1522. eisakouo ice-ak-oo'-o from 1519 and 191; to listen to:--hear.]

g. and [Strong: 2532. kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

h. thine [Strong: 4675. sou soo genitive case of 4771; of thee, thy:--X home, thee, thine (own), thou, thy.]

i. [Strong: 3588. [hai] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [hai] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé  hē, hai, tas.]

j. alms [Strong: 1654. eleemosune el-eh-ay-mos-oo'-nay from 1656; compassionateness, i.e. (as exercised towards the poor) beneficence, or (concretely) a benefaction:--alms(-deeds).]

j. [are had in] remembrance [Strong: 3415. mnaomai mnah'-om-ahee middle voice of a derivative of 3306 or perhaps of the base of 3145 (through the idea of fixture in the mind or of mental grasp); to bear in mind, i.e. recollect; by implication, to reward or punish:--be mindful, remember, come (have) in remembrance.]

1). This word is only used three times in the New Testament, here in Acts 10:4, Mark 14:9 and Matthew 26:13.

a). Matthew 26:6-13  Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,

26:7 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.

26:8 But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?

26:9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.

26:10 When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.

26:11 For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.

26:12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.

26:13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.

  

2). This same Greek word is used also in the Septuagint in Malachi.

a). Malachi 3:16, 17 [Septuagint] Thus spoke they that feared the Lord, every one to his neighbour: and the Lord gave heed, and hearkened, and he wrote a book of remembrance before him for them that feared the Lord and reverenced his name. 

3:17 And they shall be mine, saith the Lord Almighty, in the day which I appoint for a peculiar possession; and I will make choice of them, as a man makes choice of his son that serves him.

b) Malachi 3:16, 17 [King James] Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.

3:17 And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

3). The point to be made especially from Acts 10:4 and Malachi 3:16, 17 is that God reacts to our holy behavior. In Cornelius’s case, his giving and prayers were brought up in remembrance to God and God responded by making sure not only Cornelius but his whole family heard the words of life and got saved.    

k. in [the] sight [Strong: 1799. enopion en-o'-pee-on neuter of a compound of 1722 and a derivative of 3700; in the face of (literally or figuratively):--before, in the presence (sight) of, to.]

l. [Strong: 3588. [tou] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tou] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé  hē, hai, tas.]

m. [of] God [Strong: 2316. theos theh'-os of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with 3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:--X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).]