Acts 10:28

“And he said unto them, etc.] The whole company that were met together, who were chiefly, if not altogether Gentiles: ye know that it is an unlawful thing; what is forbidden by the law of Moses, (<050702>Deuteronomy 7:2,3) and by the traditions of the elders, which carry the matter further than the law did, and made it very criminal: for a man that is a Jew, to keep company with, or come unto one of another nation; besides entering into covenants and marriages with them, which were forbidden by the law, though they allowed of trade and commerce with the Gentiles, yet not any familiar conversation with them; it was prohibited to eat and drink any sort of liquor with them in their houses f536 ,…”

“Ye know it is . . . unlawful . . . for . . . a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation, &c.--There was no express prohibition to this effect, and to a Certain extent intercourse was certainly kept up. (See the Gospel history, towards the end). But intimate social fellowship was not practiced, as being adverse to the spirit of the law.”

“It is an unlawful thing - This was not explicitly enjoined by Moses, but it seemed to be implied in his institutions, and was, at any rate, the common understanding of the Jews. The design was to keep them a separate people. To do this, Moses forbade alliances by contract, or marriage, with the surrounding nations, which were idolatrous. See Leviticus 18:24-30; Deuteronomy 7:3-12; compare Ezra 9:11-12. This command the Jews perverted, and explained it as referring to contact of all kinds, even to the exercise of friendly offices and commercial transactions. Compare John 4:9. Of another nation - Greek: another tribe. It refers here to all who were not Jews. God hath showed me - Compare Acts…”

“But God hath showed me - He speaks sparingly to them of his former doubt, and his late vision. Acts 10:29”

“that it: Act 11:2, Act 11:3, Act 22:21, Act 22:22; Joh 4:9, Joh 4:27, Joh 18:28; Gal 2:12-14 but: Act 10:15, Act 10:34, Act 11:9, Act 15:8, Act 15:9; Isa 65:5; Luk 18:11; Eph 3:6, Eph 3:7 Acts 10:29”