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While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.
Acts 10:19 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB While Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men seek you.
  • KJV While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.
  • BSB As Peter continued to reflect on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.
  • NKJV While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are seeking you.
  • NLT Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, “Three men have come looking for you.

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

As Peter still ponders the vision, the Holy Spirit speaks, telling him three men are seeking him. The Spirit personally directs Peter to the Gentile mission.

Overview

The Spirit's direct address marks this as a decisive moment in redemptive history. Just as the Spirit directed the early church's expansion at every turn (Acts 8:29; 13:2), here He prepares Peter to cross the boundary between Jew and Gentile. The risen Christ governs His church's mission through the Spirit He has poured out.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 8

  • Acts 8:29The Spirit said to Philip, “Go near, and join yourself to this chariot.”
  • Acts 11:12The Spirit told me to go with them, without discriminating. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house.
  • Acts 21:4Having found disciples, we stayed there seven days. These said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.
  • Acts 13:2As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.”
  • 1 Tim 4:1But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons,
  • John 16:13However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming.
  • 1 Cor 12:11But the one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing to each one separately as he desires.
  • Acts 16:6–7When they had gone through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

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 10:19YouTube · 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 10:19 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.