Bible Strands
Acts 11:9
But the voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The voice from heaven addresses Peter a second time during his vision of a lowered sheet, immediately following his verbal refusal to eat what he considers unclean.
The words — The supplied term δευτέρου (deuterou) literally means "second," marking the repetition of the command, while φωνή (phōnē) identifies the speaker as the voice from heaven.
The thread — This declaration directly repeats the command in Acts 10:15 and later parallels Acts 15:9, where God removes ceremonial distinctions by cleansing hearts through faith.
Why it lands — The text commands Peter to cease labeling as impure what God has explicitly cleansed, requiring the reader to submit to divine declaration rather than personal religious standards.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
Cross-references
- Acts 15:9 He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith.
- Hebrews 9:13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that their bodies are clean,
- Acts 10:15 The voice spoke to him a second time: “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
- Acts 10:28 He said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with a foreigner or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.
- Acts 10:34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism,
- 1 Timothy 4:5 because it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.