He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse subtly highlights the spiritual disconnect within Jewish society by placing Peter, an apostle of Jesus, in the home of a tanner. A tanner’s work was considered ritually unclean by many Jews, meaning Peter’s willingness to lodge with one and the angel’s direction to this specific location signaled a radical departure from conventional religious barriers. This seemingly ordinary detail was a crucial signpost, preparing both Peter and Cornelius for God's groundbreaking plan to unite people of all backgrounds in faith.
He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
An angel has just appeared to Cornelius, a devout Roman centurion, telling him his prayers and alms have been noticed by God and directing him to send for Peter. This verse tells Cornelius where Peter is staying: with a tanner named Simon by the sea in Joppa, a detail that highlights the tension between Jewish purity laws and God's expanding kingdom. Cornelius's obedience in immediately sending messengers sets the stage for Peter's own divinely orchestrated vision, which will break down ethnic barriers and open the gospel to the Gentiles.
Why would God choose a tanner's home to reveal His next big move? This wasn't just a random address; it was a deliberate choice that challenged expectations.
Cornelius, a devout Roman centurion, was seeking God. An angel appeared, not to send him to a prominent religious leader in a temple, but to a specific, humble home in Joppa. Simon the tanner, whose profession was considered ritually unclean by many Jews, was God's chosen host for Peter.
This highlights a crucial truth: God often works through unexpected people and places. He isn't limited by human social norms or religious prejudices. The location of Simon's house by the sea also served a practical purpose for his trade, but more importantly, it positioned him as a point of contact for divine intervention.
The tanner's trade was 'unclean' to Jewish eyes. Yet, God sends His chief apostle to lodge there. What does this tell us about God's heart for the world?
The Jewish Law considered tanners and their workplaces unclean because of their contact with dead animal hides. Strict adherence meant tanners lived apart from the community. For Peter, a devout Jew, lodging with a tanner would have been a significant step outside his cultural and religious comfort zone.
God deliberately orchestrated this encounter to dismantle barriers. This wasn't just about Peter lodging with Simon; it was about preparing Peter to accept Gentiles into God's family without requiring them to become Jews first. The location by the sea, away from the main city, was practical for a tanner but also symbolically placed this encounter on the 'edge' of conventional society, where God was preparing to expand His kingdom.
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The occupation of Simon the tanner was considered ritually unclean by strict Jews, forcing tanners to live outside city walls. Peter lodging with him, despite his own Jewish background and the Jewish purity laws, signifies a radical shift in understanding God's inclusive message, directly challenging the ethnic and religious barriers of the time.
c. 6 BC
Cornelius Born in Italy
Cornelius, a Roman citizen, is born likely in Italy. As a centurion in the Italian cohort, his military service would eventually bring him to Caesarea.
c. AD 30s
Cornelius Stationed in Caesarea
Cornelius serves as a centurion in the Italian cohort stationed in Caesarea Maritima, the Roman administrative capital of Judea. He is known for his devout character and generosity.
c. AD 30s— this verse
Cornelius' Vision
Cornelius experiences a divine vision where an angel instructs him to send for Peter in Joppa, who will tell him words that will lead to salvation for him and his household.
c. AD 30s
Peter's Vision in Joppa
While Peter is praying and waiting for food at the house of Simon the tanner, he receives a vision of a sheet descending from heaven, containing all kinds of animals, teaching him not to call anything impure that God has cleansed.
c. AD 30s
Peter Travels to Caesarea
Immediately after his vision, Peter is summoned by Cornelius' messengers and travels with them to Caesarea, where he meets Cornelius and preaches the gospel, leading to the conversion of Cornelius and his household.
c. AD 40s
Growth of the Early Church
The inclusion of Cornelius and his household marks a pivotal moment, signifying the expansion of the gospel to the Gentiles and accelerating the growth and diversification of the early Christian church.
This passage records Peter recounting the angel's message to Cornelius, directly referencing the instruction given in Acts 10:6 about the words that would bring salvation.
John 14:6Jesus declares Himself to be 'the way, and the truth, and the life.' This echoes the idea that Peter, by pointing to Christ, would tell Cornelius 'what thou oughtest to do' for salvation.
Romans 10:14This verse asks how people can call on someone they haven't heard of, and how they can hear without a preacher. It highlights why Cornelius needed to send for Peter to understand God's will.
Isaiah 58:7This passage speaks about opening one's bread to the hungry and bringing the homeless poor into one's house. It connects to Cornelius's devout character as described by his almsgiving, which made his prayers acceptable.
Acts 9:43This verse directly mentions Peter staying with Simon the tanner in Joppa. It provides the immediate context for why Peter was located at that specific house when Cornelius's messengers arrived.
calvinActs 10:1-6: "There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,"
- And there was a certain man of Cesarea named Cornelius, a captain [centurion] of the band which was called the Italian band; 2. A devout man, and one that feared God with his household, and one which gave alms to all the people, and which prayed to God continually. 3. He saw plainly in a vision, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in unto him, and saying t…
barnesActs 10:6: "He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do."
He lodgeth - He remains as a guest at his house. See Acts 9:43 . By the sea-side - Joppa was a seaport on the Mediterranean. Tanneries are erected on the margin of streams or of any body of water to convey away the filth produced in the operation of dressing skins.
This verse subtly highlights the spiritual disconnect within Jewish society by placing Peter, an apostle of Jesus, in the home of a tanner. A tanner’s work was considered ritually unclean by many Jews, meaning Peter’s willingness to lodge with one and the angel’s direction to this specific location signaled a radical departure from conventional religious barriers. This seemingly ordinary detail was a crucial signpost, preparing both Peter and Cornelius for God's groundbreaking plan to unite people of all backgrounds in faith.
An angel has just appeared to Cornelius, a devout Roman centurion, telling him his prayers and alms have been noticed by God and directing him to send for Peter. This verse tells Cornelius where Peter is staying: with a tanner named Simon by the sea in Joppa, a detail that highlights the tension between Jewish purity laws and God's expanding kingdom. Cornelius's obedience in immediately sending messengers sets the stage for Peter's own divinely orchestrated vision, which will break down ethnic barriers and open the gospel to the Gentiles.
An angel has just appeared to Cornelius, a devout Roman centurion, telling him his prayers and alms have been noticed by God and directing him to send for Peter. This verse tells Cornelius where Peter is staying: with a tanner named Simon by the sea in Joppa, a detail that highlights the tension between Jewish purity laws and God's expanding kingdom. Cornelius's obedience in immediately sending messengers sets the stage for Peter's own divinely orchestrated vision, which will break down ethnic barriers and open the gospel to the Gentiles.
"He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.”" — This verse subtly highlights the spiritual disconnect within Jewish society by placing Peter, an apostle of Jesus, in the home of a tanner. A tanner’s work was considered ritually unclean by many Jew…
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Last reviewed October 2026