Acts 10:14 - Clarke's commentary and critical notes on the Bible

But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. Common or unclean - By common, κοινον, whatever was in general use among the Gentiles is to be understood; by ακαθαρτον, unclean, every thing that was forbidden by the Mosaic law. However, the one word may be considered as explanatory of the other. The rabbins themselves, and many of the primitive fathers, believed that by the unclean animals forbidden by the law the Gentiles were meant.