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The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Acts 10:11

He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Animals;   Catholicity;   Dream;   Joppa;   Missions;   Parables;   Peter;   Sheet;   Vision;   Thompson Chain Reference - Heaven;   Mysteries-Revelations;   Revelation;   Visions;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Defilement;   Reptiles;   Visions;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Caesarea;   Centurion;   Clean and Unclean;   Cornelius;   Peter;   Prophets;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Guidance;   Peter;   Simon;   Vision;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Animals;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Clean;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Army;   Peter;   Prophet;   Unclean and Clean;   Zacchaeus;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acts;   Church;   Clean, Cleanness;   Joppa;   Leprosy;   Prophecy, Prophets;   Sheet;   Simon;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Caesarea;   Chronology of the New Testament;   Joppa;   Linen;   Mark, Gospel According to;   Proselyte;   Vision;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Abstinence;   Cosmopolitanism;   Holiness Purity;   Hypocrisy ;   Joppa ;   Law;   Numbers;   Restoration;   Ship ;   Trade and Commerce;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Cornelius ;   Joppa ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Caesarea;   Proselyte;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Clean and unclean;   Peter;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Trance;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom or Church of Christ, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Baptism of the Holy Spirit;   Corner;   Sheet;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Simon Cephas;  

Devotionals:

- Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life - Devotion for July 19;  

Parallel Translations

Simplified Cowboy Version
They sky was folded back and something like a large tarp was being lowered by the four corners.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground,
Legacy Standard Bible
and *saw heaven opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground,
Bible in Basic English
And he saw the heavens opening, and a vessel coming down, like a great cloth let down on the earth,
Darby Translation
and he beholds the heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending, as a great sheet, [bound] by [the] four corners [and] let down to the earth;
New King James Version
and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth.
Christian Standard Bible®
He saw heaven opened and an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners to the earth.
World English Bible
He saw heaven opened and a certain container descending to him, like a great sheet let down by four corners on the earth,
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel like a great sheet, tied at the four corners, descending to him, and let down on the earth:
Weymouth's New Testament
The sky had opened to his view, and what seemed to be an enormous sail was descending, being let down to the earth by ropes at the four corners.
King James Version (1611)
And saw heauen opened, and a certaine vessell descending vnto him, as it had beene a great sheete, knit at the foure corners, and let downe to the earth:
Literal Translation
And he saw the heaven being opened and a certain vessel like a great sheet coming down on him, being bound by four corners, and let down onto the earth;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and sawe heaue open, and a vessell comynge downe vnto him, as it had bene a greate lynne clothe, knytt at the foure corners, and was let downe to ye earth,
Mace New Testament (1729)
when he saw the heaven open, and something descending in the form of a great sheet, ty'd at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
Amplified Bible
and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet descending, lowered by its four corners to the earth,
American Standard Version
and he beholdeth the heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending, as it were a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth:
Revised Standard Version
and saw the heaven opened, and something descending, like a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
and sawe heven opened and a certayne vessell come doune vnto him as it had bene a greate shete knyt at the .iiii. corners and was let doune to the erth
Update Bible Version
and he looks at heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending, as it were a great sheet, let down by four corners on the earth:
Webster's Bible Translation
And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending to him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
Young's Literal Translation
and he doth behold the heaven opened, and descending unto him a certain vessel, as a great sheet, bound at the four corners, and let down upon the earth,
New Century Version
He saw heaven opened and something coming down that looked like a big sheet being lowered to earth by its four corners.
New English Translation
He saw heaven opened and an object something like a large sheet descending, being let down to earth by its four corners.
Contemporary English Version
He saw heaven open, and something came down like a huge sheet held up by its four corners.
Complete Jewish Bible
in which he saw heaven opened, and something that looked like a large sheet being lowered to the ground by its four corners.
English Standard Version
and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And hee sawe heauen opened, and a certaine vessell come downe vnto him, as it had bene a great sheete, knit at the foure corners, & was let downe to the earth.
George Lamsa Translation
And he saw the sky open and something fastened at the four corners, resembling a large linen cloth, was let down from heaven to the earth:
Hebrew Names Version
He saw heaven opened and a certain container descending to him, like a great sheet let down by four corners on the eretz,
International Standard Version
and saw heaven open and something like a large linen sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners to the ground.Acts 7:56; Revelation 19:11;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
and he saw the heavens opened, and a certain vessel bound at the four corners, and like to a great sheet, and it was let down from heaven upon the earth:
Murdock Translation
And he saw the heavens opened, and a certain vessel fastened at the four corners, and it was like a great sheet; and it descended from heaven to the a earth.
New Living Translation
He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners.
New Life Bible
He saw heaven open up and something like a large linen cloth being let down to earth by the four corners.
English Revised Version
and he beholdeth the heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending, as it were a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth:
New Revised Standard
He saw the heaven opened and something like a large sheet coming down, being lowered to the ground by its four corners.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he beholdeth heaven opened, and, corning down, a kind of vessel, like a large linen cloth, by its four corners, being let down upon the earth,
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he saw the heaven opened and a certain vessel descending, as it were a great linen sheet let down by the four corners from heaven to the earth:
King James Version
And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
Lexham English Bible
And he saw heaven opened and an object something like a large sheet coming down, being let down to the earth by its four corners,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And saw heauen opened, and a certaine vessell come downe vnto him, as it had ben a great sheete, knyt at the foure corners, & was let downe to the earth.
Easy-to-Read Version
He saw something coming down through the open sky. It looked like a big sheet being lowered to the ground by its four corners.
New American Standard Bible
and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground,
Good News Translation
He saw heaven opened and something coming down that looked like a large sheet being lowered by its four corners to the earth.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and he say heuene openyd, and a vessel comynge doun, as a greet scheet with foure corneris, to be lette doun fro heuene in to erthe,

Contextual Overview

9The 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. 10He became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.12It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air. 13Then a voice said to him: "Get up, Peter, kill and eat!" 14"No, Lord!" Peter answered. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean." 15The voice spoke to him a second time: "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." 16This happened three times, and all at once the sheet was taken back up into heaven. 17While Peter was puzzling over the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found Simon's house and approached the gate. 18They called out to ask if Simon called Peter was staying there.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

saw: Acts 7:56, Ezekiel 1:1, Luke 3:21, John 1:51, Revelation 4:1, Revelation 11:19, Revelation 19:11

and a: Genesis 49:10, Isaiah 11:6-14, Isaiah 19:23-25, Isaiah 43:6, Isaiah 56:8, Matthew 8:11, Matthew 13:47, Matthew 13:48, John 11:52, John 12:32, Romans 1:16, Romans 3:29-31, Romans 9:4, Romans 15:9-12, Romans 16:25, Romans 16:26, Galatians 2:15, Galatians 3:28, Ephesians 1:10, Ephesians 3:6, Colossians 3:11

vessel: The word ףךוץןע [Strong's G4632], which corresponds to the Hebrew kelee, denotes every kind of vessel or utensil, anything which may be considered as a receptacle; and is therefore applicable to a sheet ןטןםח [Strong's G3607], or anything woven from flax, tied up at the four corners, which our word vessel is not.

Reciprocal: Genesis 6:20 - fowls Genesis 7:2 - every clean Genesis 7:9 - General Leviticus 20:25 - put difference Numbers 12:6 - in a vision 1 Kings 22:17 - I saw Ezekiel 17:23 - under

Cross-References

Genesis 10:1
This is the account of Noah's sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, who also had sons after the flood.
Genesis 10:10
His kingdom began in Babylon, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
Numbers 24:22
Yet Kain will be destroyed when Asshur takes you captive."
Numbers 24:24
Ships will come from the coast of Kittim; they will subdue Asshur and Eber, but they too will perish forever."
2 Kings 19:36
So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.
Ezra 4:2
they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families, saying, "Let us build with you because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to Him since the time of King Esar-haddon of Assyria, who brought us here."
Psalms 83:8
Even Assyria has joined them, lending strength to the sons of Lot. Selah
Isaiah 37:37
So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned home to Nineveh and stayed there.
Ezekiel 27:23
Haran, Canneh, and Eden, and the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad traded with you.
Ezekiel 32:22
Assyria is there with her whole company; her graves are all around her. All of them are slain, fallen by the sword.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And saw heaven opened,.... Not literally, as at the baptism of Christ, and the stoning of Stephen; but in a visionary way, and which was an emblem of the opening and revealing the mystery of the calling of the Gentiles, which in other ages was not made known, as it now and afterwards was:

and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet: which seems to represent the church of God, whose original is from heaven, and consists of persons born from above, who have their conversation in heaven, and were designed for it; and especially as under the Gospel dispensation, which Peter had a vision of in this emblematic way; the doctrines and ordinances of which are from heaven: and which may be compared to a linen sheet for its purity and holiness; through the blood and righteousness of Christ, and the grace of his Spirit, and with respect to its discipline and conversation; and so to a great one for its largeness; for though the number of its members, when compared with the world, are few, yet in themselves are a number which no man can number; and though it was but small at first, yet the Gospel being carried among the Gentiles it increased, and in the last times will be large:

knit at the four corners; which may denote the preaching of the Gospel, and the spread of it, and the planting of churches by it in the four parts of the world; and also the church being knit to Christ, and the members of it one to another:

and let down to the earth; for Peter to see it, and where it was to continue for a while, even to the second coming of Christ, and when the whole church of the firstborn will be let down to earth again; see Revelation 21:2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And saw heaven opened - Acts 7:56. See the notes on Matthew 3:16. This language is derived from a common mode of speaking in the Hebrew Scriptures, as if the sky above us was a solid, vast expanse, and as if it were opened to present an opportunity for anything to descend. It is language that is highly figurative.

And a certain vessel - See the notes on Acts 9:15.

As it had been - It is important to mark this expression. The sacred writer does not say that Peter literally saw such an object descending; but he uses this as an imperfect description of the vision. It was not a literal descent of a vessel, but it was such a kind of representation to him, producing the same impression, and the same effect, as if such a vessel had descended.

Knit at the four corners - Bound, united, or tied. The corners were collected, as would be natural in putting anything into a great sheet.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 10:11. And saw heaven opened — His mind now entirely spiritualized, and absorbed in heavenly contemplation, was capable of discoveries of the spiritual world; a world which, with its πληρωμα, or plenitude of inhabitants, surrounds us at all times; but which we are incapable of seeing through the dense medium of flesh and blood, and their necessarily concomitant earthly passions. Much, however, of such a world and its economy may be apprehended by him who is purified from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and who has perfected holiness in the fear of God. But this is a subject to which the enthusiast in vain attempts to ascend. The turbulent working of his imagination, and the gross earthly crudities which he wishes to obtrude on the world as revelations from God, afford a sufficient refutation of their own blasphemous pretensions.

A great sheet, knit at the four corners — Perhaps intended to be an emblem of the universe, and its various nations, to the four corners of which the Gospel was to extend, and to offer its blessings to all the inhabitants, without distinction of nation, &c.


 
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