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One day at about the ninth hour, he had a clear vision of an angel of God who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
Acts 10:3 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB At about the ninth hour of the day, he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God coming to him, and saying to him, “Cornelius!”
  • KJV He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
  • NKJV About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!”
  • NASB About the ninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, “Cornelius!”
  • NLT One afternoon about three o’clock, he had a vision in which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. “Cornelius!” the angel said.

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

In a vision an angel appeared to Cornelius, calling him by name. God takes the initiative to reach this seeking Gentile.

Overview

At the hour of prayer, Cornelius received a clear, personal visitation from God's messenger. That the angel addressed him by name shows the Lord's intimate care for him. This divine initiative parallels the vision given to Peter, as God orchestrates their meeting.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 21

  • Dan 9:20–21While I was speaking, praying, confessing my sin and that of my people Israel, and presenting my petition before the LORD my God concerning His holy mountain—
  • Acts 3:1One afternoon Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.
  • Acts 5:19But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out, saying,
  • Acts 9:10In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Here I am, Lord,” he answered.
  • Acts 10:17While Peter was puzzling over the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house and approached the gate.
  • Acts 10:30Cornelius answered: “Four days ago I was in my house praying at this, the ninth hour. Suddenly a man in radiant clothing stood before me
  • Acts 10:19As Peter continued to reflect on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.
  • Acts 9:4He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”
  • Luke 23:44–46It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour.
  • Acts 27:23For just last night an angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, stood beside me
  • Acts 11:13He told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter.
  • Luke 2:10–11But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:
  • Luke 1:11Just then an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
  • Luke 2:13And suddenly there appeared with the angel a great multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying:
  • Job 4:15–16Then a spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body bristled.
  • Acts 12:7–11Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists.
  • Isa 45:4For the sake of Jacob My servant and Israel My chosen one, I call you by name; I have given you a title of honor, though you have not known Me.
  • Heb 1:4So He became as far superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is excellent beyond theirs.
  • Exod 33:17So the LORD said to Moses, “I will do this very thing you have asked, for you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name.”
  • Heb 1:14Are not the angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
  • Matt 27:46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (6)

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 10:3YouTube · 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 10:3 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.