In brief
Simon the Tanner is a resident of Joppa whose house is by the seaside. After Tabitha is raised, the apostle Peter stays with him for some time. It is on the roof, during that stay, that Peter receives the vision of the great sheet, and it is at Simon’s door that Cornelius’s messengers knock. We remember that an ordinary house, open to a servant of God, became the starting point of the gospel to the Gentiles.
What does the name Simon the Tanner mean?
Simon is the Greek form of Simeon, a Hebrew name generally linked to the verb “to hear.” His trade as a tanner, preparing leather, distinguishes him from Simon Peter, whom he hosts. The Bible says nothing more about his family.
The story of Simon the Tanner
Peter stays with him
Acts 9:36-43At Joppa, Peter raises Tabitha, a disciple full of good works. The news spreads and many believe in the Lord. Luke adds: “He stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.” In this city where God has just acted, the apostle finds lodging with a craftsman.
An address given by an angel
Acts 10:1-8At Caesarea, the centurion Cornelius is visited by an angel who tells him to send for Peter at Joppa. The angel specifies where: “He is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the seaside.” God knows Simon’s house and uses it to bring together the apostle and the Gentile.
The vision on the roof
Acts 10:9-16The next day, about the sixth hour, Peter goes up on the housetop to pray. While food is being prepared, he falls into a trance and sees a great sheet full of animals. A voice says, “What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean.” The scene happens three times.
The messengers at the gate
Acts 10:17-23The men sent by Cornelius ask for Simon’s house and stand at the gate. The Spirit tells Peter to go with them without hesitating. Peter invites them in and lodges them, then leaves the next day for Caesarea with some brothers from Joppa. Simon’s house thus welcomes the messengers of a Gentile.
The gospel at Cornelius’s house
Acts 10:30-44At Cornelius’s house, the centurion tells of the angel who pointed to the house of Simon the tanner by the sea. Peter then recognizes that God shows no favoritism. He proclaims Jesus Christ to these Gentiles, and the Holy Spirit falls on all who hear the word.
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What Simon the Tanner teaches us
- Opening your home to a servant of God can serve divine plans far greater than we imagine.
- God knows our addresses and our trades: nothing in our ordinary life escapes him.
- Prayer in a simple place can become the occasion of a revelation that changes the church.
- The gospel crosses the barriers people build between one another.
Key verses
After a great miracle, Peter settles with a craftsman. This quiet verse prepares the meeting with Cornelius, which will take shape from this house in Joppa.
The angel gives Simon’s exact address. God guides his work down to the details and uses the hospitality of an ordinary man.
The vision received at Joppa leads Peter to this confession. God welcomes in every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.
Bible verses to meditate on
Sermons about Simon the Tanner
Frequently asked questions
Why did Peter stay with Simon the tanner?
The Bible does not give the reason. It says only that Peter stayed many days in Joppa with him after Tabitha was raised (Acts 9:43). Many commentators note that working with hides was little respected, but the text makes no comment on this.
What does the word tanner mean?
A tanner is a craftsman who prepares and softens leather, a trade close to that of a currier. The name Simon, the Greek form of Simeon, is generally linked to the Hebrew verb “to hear.” The trade serves here to tell this man apart from Simon Peter.
Where is Simon the tanner’s story found in the Bible?
He is mentioned in Acts 9:43, then in Acts 10:6, 10:17 and 10:32, in the account of the meeting between Peter and Cornelius, which marks the opening of the gospel to the Gentiles. Peter later retells the vision received at Joppa in Acts 11:5-10.