Charles Ellicott Commentary Acts 10:5-6

"And now send men to Joppa, and fetch one Simon, who is surnamed Peter: he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side." — Acts 10:5-6 (ASV)

Call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter.—The circumstances of the communication, it is obvious, present a striking parallelism with those accompanying the revelation to Ananias in Acts 9:10-17. To those who regard both narratives as fictitious, the resemblance will appear as characteristic of St. Luke’s style as a writer. Admitting, however, the possibility of divine guidance being given by a supernatural message, it will not seem strange to us, as has already been said, that it should in each case take the form that made it most effective, giving directions about names and places, and yet leaving something open as a test of faith.