Acts 11:9

 Acts 11:9

But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

a. ASV: But a voice answered the second time out of heaven, What God hath cleansed, make not thou common.  [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

b. YLT: And a voice did answer me a second time out of the heaven, What God did cleanse, thou -- declare not thou common.  [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:  But the voice answered a second time from heaven, What God has cleansed and pronounced clean, do not you defile and profane by regarding or calling it common or unhallowed or unclean. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Peshitta Eastern Text: But again the voice from heaven said to me, What God has cleansed, do not call unclean.  [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:  “But the voice from heaven spoke again: ‘Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.’  [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. “But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” 

a. But [Strong: 1161. de deh a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc.:--also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English).]

b. [the] voice [Strong: 5456. phone fo-nay' probably akin to 5316 through the idea of disclosure; a tone (articulate, bestial or artificial); by implication, an address (for any purpose), saying or language:--noise, sound, voice.]

c. answered [Strong: 611. apokrinomai ap-ok-ree'-nom-ahee from 575 and krino; to conclude for oneself, i.e. (by implication) to respond; by Hebraism (compare 6030) to begin to speak (where an address is expected):--answer.]

d. me [Strong: 3427. moi moy the simpler form of 1698; to me:--I, me, mine, my.]

e. again [Strong: 1537. ek ek or ex ex a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), from, out (of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative; direct or remote):--after, among, X are, at, betwixt(-yond), by (the means of), exceedingly, (+ abundantly above), for(- th), from (among, forth, up), + grudgingly, + heartily, X heavenly, X hereby, + very highly, in, ...ly, (because, by reason) of, off (from), on, out among (from, of), over, since, X thenceforth, through, X unto, X vehemently, with(-out). Often used in composition, with the same general import; often of completion.]

f. [Strong: 1208. deuteros dyoo'-ter-os as the compare of 1417; (ordinal) second (in time, place, or rank; also adverb):--afterward, again, second(-arily, time).]

g. from [Strong: 1537. ek ek or ex ex a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), from, out (of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative; direct or remote):--after, among, X are, at, betwixt(-yond), by (the means of), exceedingly, (+ abundantly above), for(- th), from (among, forth, up), + grudgingly, + heartily, X heavenly, X hereby, + very highly, in, ...ly, (because, by reason) of, off (from), on, out among (from, of), over, since, X thenceforth, through, X unto, X vehemently, with(-out). Often used in composition, with the same general import; often of completion.]

h. [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.]

i. heaven [Strong: 3772. ouranos oo-ran-os' perhaps from the same as 3735 (through the idea of elevation); the sky; by extension, heaven (as the abode of God); by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the Gospel (Christianity):--air, heaven(-ly), sky.]

j. What [Strong: 3739. hos hos, including feminine he hay, and neuter ho ho probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article 3588); the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that:--one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc. 

k. [Strong: 3588. [ho] 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: [ho] 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.]

l. 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).]

m. [hath] cleansed [Strong: 2511. katharizo kath-ar-id'-zo from 2513; to cleanse (literally or figuratively):--(make) clean(-se), purge, purify.]

n. [that call] not [Strong: 3361. me may a primary particle of qualified negation (whereas 3756 expresses an absolute denial); (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas 3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether:--any but (that), X forbear, + God forbid, + lack, lest, neither, never, no (X wise in), none, nor, (can-)not, nothing, that not, un(-taken), without.]

o. thou [Strong: 4771. su soo the person pronoun of the second person singular; thou:-- thou.]

p. common [Strong: 2840. koinoo koy-no'-o from 2839; to make (or consider) profane (ceremonially):--call common, defile, pollute, unclean.]

1). The Perry Stone Hebraic Prophetic Study Bible: What God cleanses (the Gentiles) is no longer unclean (Acts 10:15). Peter saw the sheet ascend and descend three times (Acts 10:16), most likely representing the three Gentiles men who were coming to his house to request him to visit Cornelius (Acts 11:11).

a). Acts 11:5-12  I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me:

11:6 Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.

11:7 And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat.

11:8 But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.

11:9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

11:10 And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven.

11:11 And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.

11:12 And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house:

1). The reason Peter should not call any man common or unclean is because God has cleansed them (Acts 10:15  And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common). This is the legal side of redemption. In the mind of God the sin debt of the whole world has been paid for by Christ. Their redemption is a finished work, but until they believe that Jesus died for their sin and rose from the dead they will die and go to hell. The legal side is what Christ did, the vital side is our believing what he did and getting born again. What the Spirit of God told Peter is that the entire world Jew and Gentile has been cleansed.Our sin was laid on Jesus while he was on the cross.

a). Isaiah 53:5, 6 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

b). 2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

c). Romans 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

2). Many Christians erroneously think they were justified when they believe, they think the peace between them and God started when they accepted Christ. The act of faith, the believing and speaking that accomplished our justification was done by God when Jesus came out of the ground. When we were justified Jesus came out of the ground.

 

a). Romans 4:25 [New American Standard Version]: He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.

b). Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

 

3). Romans 5:1 cannot be studied without looking at it with Romans 4:25, the preceding verse. “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” The resurrection of Jesus from the grave proved that the human race was justified and forgiven by the sacrifice of Christ. Our part of faith in this is revealed in the next verse, Romans 5:2, “By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”