Acts 10:21
New International Version
Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”

New Living Translation
So Peter went down and said, “I’m the man you are looking for. Why have you come?”

English Standard Version
And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?”

Berean Standard Bible
So Peter went down to the men and said, “Here am I, the one you are looking for. Why have you come?”

Berean Literal Bible
And Peter, having gone down to the men, said, "Behold, I am whom you seek; what is the cause for which you are here?"

King James Bible
Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?

New King James Version
Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, “Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?”

New American Standard Bible
Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?”

NASB 1995
Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?”

NASB 1977
And Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?”

Legacy Standard Bible
And Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?”

Amplified Bible
Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. For what reason have you come?”

Christian Standard Bible
Then Peter went down to the men and said, “Here I am, the one you’re looking for. What is the reason you’re here? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Peter went down to the men and said, “Here I am, the one you’re looking for. What is the reason you’re here?”

American Standard Version
And Peter went down to the men, and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?

Contemporary English Version
Peter went down and said to the men, "I am the one you are looking for. Why have you come?"

English Revised Version
And Peter went down to the men, and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So Peter went to the men. He said, "I'm the man you're looking for. Why are you here?"

Good News Translation
So Peter went down and said to the men, "I am the man you are looking for. Why have you come?"

International Standard Version
So Peter went to the men and said, "I'm the man you're looking for. Why are you here?"

Majority Standard Bible
So Peter went down to the men and said, ?Here am I, the one you are looking for. Why have you come??

NET Bible
So Peter went down to the men and said, "Here I am, the person you're looking for. Why have you come?"

New Heart English Bible
And Peter went down to the men, and said, "Look, I am the one whom you seek. Why have you come?"

Webster's Bible Translation
Then Peter went down to the men who were sent to him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause for which ye have come?

Weymouth New Testament
So Peter went down and said to the men, "I am the Simon you are inquiring for. What is the reason of your coming?"

World English Bible
Peter went down to the men, and said, “Behold, I am he whom you seek. Why have you come?”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and Peter having come down to the men who have been sent from Cornelius to him, said, “Behold, I am he whom you seek, what [is] the cause for which you are present?”

Berean Literal Bible
And Peter, having gone down to the men, said, "Behold, I am whom you seek; what is the cause for which you are here?"

Young's Literal Translation
and Peter having come down unto the men who have been sent from Cornelius unto him, said, 'Lo, I am he whom ye seek, what is the cause for which ye are present?'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Peter having come down to the men sent from Cornelius to him, said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what the cause for which ye are present?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Then Peter, going down to the men, said: Behold, I am he whom you seek; what is the cause for which you are come?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then Peter, descending to the men, said: “Behold, I am the one whom you seek. What is the reason for which you have arrived?”

New American Bible
Then Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your being here?”

New Revised Standard Version
So Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for your coming?”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then Simon Peter went down to the men and said, I am the man you seek. What is the purpose of your mission?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Then Shimeon went down to those men and said to them, “I am he whom you seek. What is the reason for which you have come?”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And Peter came down to the men, and said: Behold, I am he whom you seek; what is the cause of your coming?

Godbey New Testament
And Peter having come down to the men, said, Behold, I am he whom you are seeking: what is the cause on account of which you are present?

Haweis New Testament
Then Peter went down to the men who were sent by Cornelius to him; and said, Lo! I am the person that ye ask for: what is the business on which ye are come hither?

Mace New Testament
then Peter went down to the messengers; and said, I am the person you look for: what occasion brought you hither?

Weymouth New Testament
So Peter went down and said to the men, "I am the Simon you are inquiring for. What is the reason of your coming?"

Worrell New Testament
And Peter, going down to the men, said, "Behold, I am he whom ye are seeking; what is the cause for which ye are present?"

Worsley New Testament
Then Peter went down to the men that were sent to him from Cornelius, and said, Behold I am the person whom ye seek: what is the cause for which ye are come?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Peter Called to Caesarea
20So get up! Go downstairs and accompany them without hesitation, because I have sent them.” 21So Peter went down to the men and said, “Here am I, the one you are looking for. Why have you come?” 22“Cornelius the centurion has sent us,” they said. “He is a righteous and God-fearing man with a good reputation among the whole Jewish nation. A holy angel instructed him to request your presence in his home so he could hear a message from you.”…

Cross References
Acts 11:12
The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s home.

Acts 15:7-9
After much discussion, Peter got up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you that the Gentiles would hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. / And God, who knows the heart, showed His approval by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us. / He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith.

Acts 9:10-17
In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Here I am, Lord,” he answered. / “Get up!” the Lord told him. “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. / In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” ...

Acts 8:26-29
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go south to the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” / So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official in charge of the entire treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship, / and on his return was sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet. ...

Acts 16:9-10
During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” / As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Acts 22:10
Then I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ ‘Get up and go into Damascus,’ He told me. ‘There you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.’

Acts 13:2-4
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” / And after they had fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them off. / So Barnabas and Saul, sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.

Acts 18:9-11
One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking; do not be silent. / For I am with you and no one will lay a hand on you, because I have many people in this city.” / So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching the word of God among the Corinthians.

Acts 23:11
The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome.”

Acts 26:16-18
‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you. / I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them / to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those sanctified by faith in Me.’

Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 2:17-18
‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. / Even on My menservants and maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

Acts 19:21
After these things had happened, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. “After I have been there,” he said, “I must see Rome as well.”

Acts 20:22-23
And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. / I only know that in town after town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions await me.

Acts 21:4
We sought out the disciples in Tyre and stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they kept telling Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.


Treasury of Scripture

Then Peter went down to the men which were sent to him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom you seek: what is the cause why you are come?

Behold.

John 1:38,39
Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? …

John 18:4-8
Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? …

what.

Acts 10:29
Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?

Mark 10:51
And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.

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Acts 10
1. Cornelius, a devout man, being commanded by an angel, sends for Peter,
11. who by a vision is taught not to despise the Gentiles;
17. and is commanded by the Spirit to go with the messenger to Caesarea.
25. Cornelius shows the occasion of his sending for him.
34. As he preaches Christ to Cornelius and his company,
44. the Holy Spirit falls on them, and they are baptized.














So Peter went down to the men
This phrase marks a pivotal moment in the narrative of Acts 10, where Peter, a devout Jew, is about to encounter Gentiles in a significant way. The Greek word for "went down" (καταβὰς, katabas) suggests a physical descent, but it also symbolizes Peter's willingness to step down from his cultural and religious barriers. Historically, Jews and Gentiles maintained strict separations, and Peter's action here is a precursor to the breaking down of these barriers through the Gospel.

and said
The act of speaking here is crucial. Peter's willingness to engage in conversation with the men sent by Cornelius demonstrates a shift in his understanding of God's plan. The Greek word for "said" (εἶπεν, eipen) is often used in the New Testament to denote not just speaking, but conveying important messages or revelations. This moment is a divine appointment, orchestrated by God to expand Peter's understanding of the Gospel's reach.

“I am the one you are looking for
Peter's declaration of identity is significant. The phrase "I am" (ἐγώ εἰμι, ego eimi) echoes the divine self-identification found throughout Scripture, notably in God's revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:14. While Peter is not claiming divinity, his use of this phrase underscores the authority and purpose given to him by God. It also reflects his readiness to fulfill God's mission, recognizing that he is part of a larger divine plan.

Why have you come?”
This question is not merely a request for information but an invitation for dialogue and understanding. The Greek word for "come" (παρεγένεσθε, paregenesthe) implies arrival or presence, suggesting that these men are not just physically present but are part of a divine encounter. Peter's question opens the door for the men to share their purpose, which is rooted in God's revelation to Cornelius. This moment highlights the importance of seeking understanding and being open to God's unfolding plan, even when it challenges existing beliefs or traditions.

Verse 21. - And for then, A.V.; the men for the men which were sent unto him from Coffins, A.V. and T.R.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[So]
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

Peter
Πέτρος (Petros)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4074: Peter, a Greek name meaning rock. Apparently a primary word; a rock; as a name, Petrus, an apostle.

went down
Καταβὰς (Katabas)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2597: To go down, come down, either from the sky or from higher land, descend. From kata and the base of basis; to descend.

to
πρὸς (pros)
Preposition
Strong's 4314: To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.

the
τοὺς (tous)
Article - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

men
ἄνδρας (andras)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 435: A male human being; a man, husband. A primary word; a man.

[and] said,
εἶπεν (eipen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

“Here
Ἰδοὺ (Idou)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 2400: See! Lo! Behold! Look! Second person singular imperative middle voice of eido; used as imperative lo!

am
εἰμι (eimi)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

I,
ἐγώ (egō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

the one
ὃν (hon)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

you are looking for.
ζητεῖτε (zēteite)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2212: To seek, search for, desire, require, demand. Of uncertain affinity; to seek; specially, to worship, or to plot.

Why
τίς (tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

have you come?”
πάρεστε (pareste)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 3918: From para and eimi; to be near, i.e. At hand; neuter present participle time being, or property.


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NT Apostles: Acts 10:21 Peter went down to the men (Acts of the Apostles Ac)
Acts 10:20
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