Acts 10:20

Act 10:20. Μηδὲν διακρινόμενος, nothing doubting) A requisite in the highest decree necessary in the case of a good action. Often long-continued doubt is suddenly, when need requires, taken away in life or at death.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 10:20 . μηδὲν διακ .: “nothing doubting,” i.e. , without hesitation as to its lawfulness, cf. Mat 21:21 , Rom 14:23 , Mar 11:23 , Jas 1:6 ; the verb is not so used in classical Greek. See Mayor’s note on Jas 1:6 , apparently confined in this sense to N.T. and later Christian writings. For the active voice see Act 11:12 , Act 15:9 . If we read a stop after διακ . and διότι or ὅτι immediately following, we may translate, “nothing doubting; for I have sent them,” R.V.; but if no punctuation (so Rendall, Weiss) translate, “nothing doubting that I have sent them,” i.e. , the fact that I have sent them. In either case ἐγώ emphatic. Nothing had been spoken to him of his journey, but in the path of unhesitating obedience he was led to the meaning of the revelation ( cf. Joh 13:7 ).

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

20. Go, doubting nothing. The Scripture useth this word often, when it will express of what sort the obedience of faith ought to be. So Paul, in the fourth chapter to the Romans, (Romans 4:19,) when as he commendeth the faith of Abraham, saith, That he doubted not when as the Lord promised him seed, being now aged and past hope of children. And in the fourteenth, (Romans 14:23,) in treating of meats, he condemneth doubting consciences. And it is properly to reason on both sides, (as they say,) when as we are carried hither and thither by course, by gathering contrary reasons. But we must not follow God with a doubtful and wavering, but with a quiet and constant mind. In sum, the Lord will have us to attribute so much to him, that when we hear him we dispute no longer what we have need to do, but that we set down for a certainty, that that must be done which he commandeth. And surely it is meet that his will should show us the way, when all clouds are driven away, and that it should subdue all our senses unto it, unto willing obedience, all reasoning [disputation] being broken off; which is also better gathered by the next text. For the reason is added, why it is not lawful for Peter to suspend his judgment in an uncertain matter, because God is the author of the business; because it is as much as if it should be said, that we ought to be content with the beck of God alone, that we may obey his commandment. And hereby are we also admonished that men’s consciences shall by no other means be quiet, that they safely do that which they do, than when being taught by the Word of God, they determine that they do nothing without his commandment and conduct.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(20) Go with them, doubting nothing.—The command was specially addressed to the perplexed questionings of the disciple. For a time he was to walk, as it were, blindfold, but trusting in the full assurance of faith in the Hand that was guiding him. As once before (Joh_13:7), he knew not yet what his Lord was doing, but was to know hereafter. He and the messengers from Cornelius were alike acting on the promptings of the Divine Spirit.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

20. get thee down] Peter was still on the housetop.

doubting nothing] The oldest texts give the verb here in the middle voice, as in Jas_1:6, “nothing wavering,” but in the parallel passage, Act_11:12, it is active, and signifies “making no distinction,” i.e. between Jew and Gentile. The latter was used by the Apostle when events had taught him precisely what the vision and the spiritual exhortation meant. The Spirit’s teaching is given little by little as Christ had told His disciples that it should be, “He shall guide you (lit. lead you on the way) unto all truth” (Joh_16:13). The vision had given no hint of a journey to be taken; now Peter is informed of it, and so too when the end of the journey is reached the “nothing wavering” is shewn to mean “putting no distinction between Jews and other men,” and thus the vision was made intelligible little by little and the perplexity removed.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Arise, therefore, and get thee down,.... From the top of the house where he was:

and go with them; the three men, to Caesarea

doubting nothing; whether it is right or wrong, lawful or unlawful, to go with them, because not Jews, but uncircumcised Gentiles, laying aside all such Jewish scruples:

for I have sent them: the Spirit of God is said to do what Cornelius did at his instigation and direction, signified by an angel he sent to him, Act 10:5.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.

Ver. 20. Doubting nothing] Or, not arguing the case, μηδεν διακρινομενος, but readily yielding the obedience of faith.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Arise therefore; immediately put thyself upon the journey.

Doubting nothing; spend no time in disputing within thyself, because that they, unto whom thou art sent, are not Jews.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

20. Get thee down—By the outer stairs. (See notes on Mat_9:2; Mat_26:68.)

Doubting nothing—On account of their being Gentiles. So Act_11:12. I have sent them—The double active, says Grotius: I have caused that they should be caused to come.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But arise for arise therefore, A.V.; nothing doubting for doubting nothing, A.V. But arise. The but answers the unexpressed idea Do not hesitate, do not delay, but go at once. For I have sent them. This is one of the many passages which distinctly mark the personality of the Holy Spirit. (comp. Act_8:29 Act_13:2 Act_20:28, etc.) Here, too, we may notice the working of God"s providence, under whose direction Peter"s thoughts and Cornelius"s message meet at the same point, like men working from opposite ends of a tunnel and meeting at the same spot.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

See notes on verse 17

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

20. κατάβηθι, get thee down. Peter was still on the housetop.

μηδὲν διακρινόμενος, doubting nothing. The same words are rendered Jas 1:6 ‘nothing wavering’ (A.V.). There is a difference in the best MSS. between the reading here and in Act 11:12, where instead of the middle voice we have the active, μηδὲν διακρίναντα. This latter signifies ‘making no distinction,’ i.e. between Jew and Gentile. We must bear in mind that this phrase was used by the Apostle when events had taught him precisely what the vision and the spiritual exhortation meant. The Spirit’s teaching is given little by little as Christ had told His disciples that it should be, ‘He shall guide you (lit., lead you on the way) unto all truth’ (Joh 16:13). The vision had given no hint of a journey to be taken; now Peter is informed of it, and so too when the end of the journey is reached the ‘nothing wavering’ is shewn to mean ‘putting no distinction between Jews and other men,’ and thus the vision was made intelligible little by little and the perplexity removed.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

20. ἀλλά] ‘make no question as to who or what they are,—but:’—so also ch. 9:6.

ἐγώ] The Holy Spirit, shed down upon the Church to lead it into all the truth, had in His divine arrangements brought about, by the angel sent to Cornelius, their coming.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.