Acts 10:9Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

See how the Spirit joins the times together and orders that this happened neither earlier nor later. "Peter went up on the housetop to pray about the sixth hour," that is, in solitude and stillness, in an upper place.

See how the Spirit brings the times together and causes this to take place neither earlier nor later. "Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour," that is, in a separate place and in stillness, as on a roof.

At the hot noon hour Peter goes up to the housetop to pray. The view from a high place teaches Peter always to strive toward heavenly things, not earthly things.

The mention of the sixth hour recalls the time when Christ comes into the world to reveal His power that grants salvation. It also recalls the number of days in which He creates the world.

At this same hour He frees the world from the power of sin. Again, as they say, at this same hour the Teacher, weary from His journey, sat by the well and asked the Samaritan woman for a cup of water (Jn 4:6-14).

He did this so that everywhere He might pour out rest from the fountain of His Church. At that very hour Peter felt hunger, when his divine Teacher had thirsted.

Since He always grants ever greater mercy through His love, let the earth rejoice, for this hunger will be satisfied. It abounds most of all in sweetness, and participation in the heavenly table leaves no one unfed.

This signifies the Church, which, having forsaken earthly desires, will have her dwelling in heaven. At the sixth hour Peter became hungry in the midst of prayers, and he hungered for the salvation of the world, which the Lord came in the sixth age of the world to seek and save. He Himself wished to show this when, at the same hour of the day, He felt thirst at the Samaritan woman's well, Jn 4:5-7.

From Caesarea to Joppa is about forty to forty-five versts. Those sent by Cornelius after the ninth hour, three in the afternoon, probably set out at once. Therefore they arrived in Joppa the next day around midday, about the sixth hour. This was the usual hour of prayer among the Jews. Just before those sent by Cornelius came to him, the Apostle Peter went up onto the flat roof of the house to pray.

"On the next day," "about the sixth hour." From Caesarea to Joppa was about forty or forty-five versts. Those sent by Cornelius after the ninth hour, after three o'clock in the evening, verse 3, probably set out that same evening.

They could have come to Joppa by noon the next day, about the sixth hour.

"He went up on the housetop to pray." The sixth hour, noon by our reckoning, was a customary hour of prayer among the Jews; cf. the note on Acts 3:1.

The flat roofs of houses, with parapets, sometimes served among the Jews as a place for prayer, religious reflection, and religious exercises.

The vision granted to the apostle Peter in Joppa came during prayer, about twelve o'clock in the day. In those lands many take food then, after six hours of various labor from the first hour of the day.

It was natural that the apostle also wished to satisfy his hunger. His hunger was so strong that Peter seemed, as it were, to have fallen into ecstasy because of it.

Yet this was a special, sacred, and mysterious ecstasy. It depended on the fact that those sent by Cornelius were then approaching the city. Peter had to be prepared to meet them properly.

This was accomplished by the Lord at the opportune time for the giving of food. Through bodily food, which is so plainly necessary for all, He raised Peter's mind and heart to spiritual food.