Acts 9:43 · Bible study
Acts 9:43 Commentary: Peter with Simon the Tanner
Greek · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why Peter's stay with a tanner challenged Jewish purity laws and prepared the way for the Gentile mission in Acts 10. A close reading of Acts 9:43.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Peter's extended stay with a tanner signals his growing freedom from Jewish purity scruples and sets the stage for the Gentile mission.
- Key words: βυρσεύς (burseus), 'tanner'; ἱκανὰς ἡμέρας, 'many days'; παρὰ τινι Σίμωνι, 'with a certain Simon'.
- Main debate: Minimal; commentators universally see the tanner's trade as contemptible and the lodging as preparatory for Acts 10.
- Theological theme: God's inclusion of the ritually unclean and the gradual revelation of the universal scope of the gospel.
- Best use: Sermon or small-group study on Acts 9:32, 10:48, focusing on God's impartiality and the breaking of human barriers.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
And Peter stayed for several days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.
WEB World English Bible 2000
He stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.
KJV King James Version 1769
And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And it came to pass, that he abode many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and it came to pass, that he remained many days in Joppa, with a certain one, Simon a tanner.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And it came to pass that he remained many days in Joppa with a certain Simon, a tanner.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And it cane to pass that he abode many days in Joppe, with one Simon a tanner.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y aconteció que se quedó muchos días en Joppe en casa de un cierto Simón, curtidor.
E aconteceu que ele ficou muitos dias em Jope, com um certo Simão curtidor.
Pierre demeura quelque temps à Joppé, chez un corroyeur nommé Simon.
Und es geschah, daß er lange Zeit zu Joppe blieb bei einem Simon, der ein Gerber war.
En het geschiedde, dat hij vele dagen te Joppe bleef, bij een zekeren Simon, een lederbereider.
E Pietro dimorò molti giorni in Ioppe, da un certo Simone coiaio.
I stało się, że przez wiele dni został Piotr w Joppie u niejakiego Szymona, garbarza.
И довольно дней пробыл он в Иоппии у некоторого Симона кожевника.
此後，彼得在 約帕 一個 硝皮匠 西門 的家裡住了 多 日。
And he was living in Joppa for some time with Simon, a leather-worker.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Acts 9:43
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Peter's lodging with Simon the tanner was a striking act, both culturally and theologically. The Greek term βυρσεύς (burseus) identifies a trade involving dead animal hides, which Jews regarded as ritually defiling. The Cambridge Bible records that the Mishnah permitted a wife to divorce a husband who became a tanner. Gill cites the Talmud's saying, 'Woe to him whose trade is a tanner.' Calvin observes that if the city's elite had converted, they would have housed Peter; his stay with a tanner shows the church in Joppa consisted of common people, humbling fleshly pride. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown and Clarke agree that Peter's lodging demonstrates his rising above Jewish prejudice, preparing him to receive the vision that leads to Cornelius's household in Acts 10. The verse marks a quiet but decisive step toward the inclusion of the Gentiles.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Peter lodged with Simon, a tanner, an act that defied Jewish sensibilities and positioned him for the Cornelius episode that follows.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Significance of the tanner's trade | All commentators agree that tanner was a despised, ritually unclean occupation in Jewish society. | Calvin sees the possibility Simon was a merchant of some standing; most others stress the stigma. |
| Peter's motive in lodging with Simon | Peter's choice shows a growing disregard for Jewish prejudices and a humble spirit. | Some see it as a practical necessity (no wealthier believers), others as a conscious step toward Gentile inclusion. |
| Length of stay | 'Many days' indicates an extended period, not a short visit. | No meaningful debate; the phrase is understood as an indefinite but significant duration. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Joppa (modern Jaffa) was a Mediterranean port city, historically linked to Jonah's flight to Tarshish (Matthew Henry notes this). Luke's mention that Peter stayed 'many days' indicates a sustained ministry of preaching and encouragement after the miracle of Tabitha's resurrection (Clarke). The tanner's trade required proximity to water for processing hides, so Simon's house was 'by the seaside' (Acts 10:6). Within Jewish society, tanners were held in deep contempt because their work involved the skins of both clean and unclean animals, rendering them perpetually susceptible to ritual impurity. The Mishnah records that a tanner was considered unfit for the priesthood, and a wife could seek divorce if her husband took up the trade (Cambridge).
Peter's decision to stay in such a home would not have been lost on Luke's readers. It shows the apostle distant from Pharisaic scruples even before the vision of the unclean animals in Acts 10. Clarke marks this verse as the end of the first period of the church, eight years of witness exclusively among Jews. The lodging with Simon the tanner, on the border between Jewish and Gentile worlds, becomes a geographical and spiritual threshold. From this house, Peter will be summoned to Caesarea to enter a Gentile home for the first time. The detail is not decorative; it is a pivot point in salvation history.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Acts 9:43. The verse is stable across manuscripts, with only minor differences in word order (e.g., 'with one Simon a tanner' vs. 'with a tanner named Simon').
Reception History
This verse has received relatively little standalone attention in church history, but it has been valued for its role in the unfolding drama of the Gentile mission. Reformation commentators such as Calvin highlighted Peter's humility and the lowly character of the early church. Anglican scholars of the 19th century, as represented by the Cambridge Bible, used the verse to illustrate the gospel's challenge to social and ritual boundaries. It has also been cited in discussions of Christian hospitality and the inclusion of those in stigmatized trades. In Eastern tradition, Simon the tanner is occasionally commemorated as a saint, reflecting the high honor given to his household for hosting the apostle.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- An Unlikely Host. Simon the tanner belonged to a despised trade. Peter's choice to lodge with him reveals that the gospel breaks down walls of social and ritual division.
- A Patient Stay. Peter remained 'many days', not a quick visit. He invested time in a community still raw from persecution, teaching and strengthening the believers (Clarke).
- A Prepared Apostle. This lodging brings Peter to the very house from which he will be called to Cornelius. God positions his servants before they know the next assignment.
Five-point outline
- Joppa: The Setting. A commercial port with a mixed population, already touched by the resurrection miracle.
- Simon's Trade: The Stigma. Tanner = unclean in Jewish eyes. Peter's lodging shows he is already distancing himself from such caste distinctions.
- Many Days: The Pace of Grace. Evangelism is not a sprint. Peter stays to disciple, not merely to campaign.
- The House by the Sea: A Threshold. Literally on the edge of town, symbolically on the edge of Jew-Gentile boundaries.
- The Next Chapter: Cornelius. The tanner’s house becomes the staging ground for the Gentile mission. What looks like a footnote is a setup.
Illustration hooks
- The uncomfortable guest room. Staying in a home that smells of chemicals and hides, in a neighborhood others avoid. What would it cost you to accept hospitality from someone your circle looks down on?
- The extended business trip. Peter kept no travel itinerary. He stayed 'many days' where the Spirit led. How often do we rush past the places God wants us to abide?
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why did Luke include such a small detail about where Peter stayed?
- Does this verse mean Christians should disregard all Old Testament purity laws?
- How does this story prepare me for God’s next step in my own life?
Leading a Discussion
Acts 9:43 seems a quiet closing note after the dramatic raising of Tabitha. But Luke was a careful writer; he placed this detail here for a reason. As you read the verse, consider why the host’s occupation mattered and how this lodging shaped the events of Acts 10.
Discussion questions
- What do we learn about Peter from the fact that he stayed with a tanner? (See also Acts 10:6, 32.)
- How would first-century Jewish readers have reacted to the mention of a tanner’s home?
- Why does Luke note that Peter stayed 'many days'? What might that imply about his ministry in Joppa?
- How does this verse connect to the story of Cornelius in the next chapter? What is the hinge?
- What social or religious 'tanners' exist in your community, people or places that polite Christians avoid?
- Peter was willing to stay. What might God ask you to stay in, or stay with, for longer than feels comfortable?
- How does this detail reshape your understanding of who belongs in God’s house?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Acts 10:6 | He is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the seaside. |
| Acts 10:32 | Send therefore to Joppa and summon Simon, who is also called Peter. He is staying in the house of a tanner named Simon, by the seaside. When he comes, he will speak to you.’ |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that a tanner's trade was considered unclean among Jews, which is why Simon lived by the sea outside town. He then marks this verse as the close of the church's first period, when the Gospel was preached only to Jews, and warns readers not to presume on God's goodness.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin observes that Peter stayed with a tanner because the church in Joppa was made up of ordinary people, not the city's elite. God chose the lowly to humble human pride. Peter's willingness to lodge with a man of that trade also shows his own humility.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible note highlights that tanning was despised by Jews, so much so that a wife could divorce a husband who took it up. By lodging with Simon the tanner, Peter was already setting aside Jewish prejudices, preparing him for the even greater step of preaching to the Gentile Cornelius.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And it came to passe that he taried many dayes in Ioppa with one Simon a Tanner.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that among Jews, a tanner's trade was considered contemptible and disqualified a man from high office. He notes that Peter chose to lodge with Simon the tanner rather than with the more respectable Dorcas, underscoring Peter's disregard for social prejudice and his humble association with the lowly.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB observes that Jewish society regarded tanning as a disreputable trade because it involved contact with dead animals and blood, so tanners typically lived outside town. Peter lodging with such a man shows he was already rising above Jewish prejudice.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes that the church is one body even across different regions, bound together by shared life and faith. He also notes that Peter's raising of Tabitha, unlike Jesus raising Jairus's daughter, was performed through prayer, highlighting that the miracle was Christ's answer and not Peter's own power.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Tabitha's name means "doe" or "hind," a gentle and pleasant creature, and sees her character matching that name. Her good works and almsdeeds were the natural fruit of a sweet and gracious spirit, like the loving hind described in Proverbs.