9 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 . 10 But he became hungry and was desiring to eat ; but while they were making preparations , he fell into a trance ; 11 and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down , lowered by four corners to the ground , 12 and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air . 13 A voice came to him, "Get up, Peter , kill and eat !" 14 But Peter said , "By no means , Lord , for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean ." 15 Again a voice came to him a second time , " What God has cleansed , no longer consider unholy ." 16 This happened three times , and immediately the object was taken up into the sky . 17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold , the men who had been sent by Cornelius , having asked directions for Simon's house , appeared at the gate ;
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Acts 10:9-17
Commentary on Acts 10:9-18
(Read Acts 10:9-18)
The prejudices of Peter against the Gentiles, would have prevented his going to Cornelius, unless the Lord had prepared him for this service. To tell a Jew that God had directed those animals to be reckoned clean which were hitherto deemed unclean, was in effect saying, that the law of Moses was done away. Peter was soon made to know the meaning of it. God knows what services are before us, and how to prepare us; and we know the meaning of what he has taught us, when we find what occasion we have to make use of it.