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On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray.
Acts 10:9 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB Now on the next day as they were on their journey, and got close to the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray at about noon.
  • KJV On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
  • BSB The next day at about the sixth hour, as the men were approaching the city on their journey, Peter went up on the roof to pray.
  • NKJV The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour.
  • NLT The next day as Cornelius’s messengers were nearing the town, Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon,

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 the men approached, Peter went up to pray at noon. God prepares Peter through prayer for what is coming.

Overview

While Cornelius's messengers near the city, Peter seeks the Lord on the rooftop. This habit of prayer positions him to receive the vision God is about to give. The careful timing shows the Lord coordinating both men for their appointed meeting.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 17

  • Zeph 1:5those who worship the army of the sky on the housetops, those who worship and swear by Yahweh and also swear by Malcam,
  • Ps 55:17Evening, morning, and at noon, I will cry out in distress. He will hear my voice.
  • Dan 6:10When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his room toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before.
  • Jer 19:13and the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses of the kings of Judah, which are defiled, shall be as the place of Topheth, even all the houses on whose roofs they have burned incense to all the army of the sky, and have poured out drink offerings to other gods.”’”
  • Mark 6:46After he had taken leave of them, he went up the mountain to pray.
  • Matt 27:45Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.
  • Acts 10:8–32Having explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
  • 1 Sam 9:25When they had come down from the high place into the city, he talked with Saul on the housetop.
  • Jer 32:29and the Chaldeans, who fight against this city, shall come and set this city on fire, and burn it, with the houses, on whose roofs they have offered incense to Baal, and poured out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger.
  • Matt 24:17Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house.
  • Acts 6:4But we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word.”
  • Acts 11:5–14“I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision: a certain container descending, like it was a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners. It came as far as me.
  • Mark 1:35Early in the morning, while it was still dark, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there.
  • Matt 6:6But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
  • Matt 20:5Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.
  • Eph 6:18with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints:
  • 1 Tim 2:8I desire therefore that the men in every place pray, lifting up holy hands without anger and doubting.

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 10:9YouTube · 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 10:9 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.