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And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
Acts 10:15 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB A voice came to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean.”
  • BSB The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
  • NKJV And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.”
  • NASB Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.”
  • NLT But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The voice declared that what God has cleansed must not be called unclean. God himself removes the old barriers.

Overview

This pivotal word announces that God has made clean what was once forbidden. Its deeper meaning, soon made plain, is that Gentiles are now welcomed into the people of God through Christ. In him the dividing wall is broken down, and the gospel goes out to all nations.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 16

  • 1 Cor 10:25Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake:
  • Matt 15:11Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
  • Titus 1:15Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
  • Mark 7:19Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
  • 1 Tim 4:3–5Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
  • Rom 14:14I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
  • Acts 10:28And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
  • Acts 11:9But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
  • Acts 15:9And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
  • Rom 14:20For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
  • Acts 15:20But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
  • Gal 2:12–13For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
  • Acts 15:29That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
  • Rev 14:14–17And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
  • Heb 9:9–10Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
  • Rev 14:20And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (7)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Acts videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Acts 10:15YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on ActsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.

How Acts 10:15 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.