Acts 9:38

And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them. AND FORASMUCH AS LYDDA WAS NIGH TO JOPPA (SEE THE NOTE AT ACTS 9:32 ), AND THE DISCIPLES HAD HEARD THAT PETER WAS THERE, THEY SENT UNTO HIM TWO MEN, DESIRING HIM THAT HE WOULD NOT DELAY TO COME TO THEM. The direct form, 'Delay not to come to us' [ okneesees (G3635) ... heemoon (G2257)], is decidedly better supported. This request shows that miraculous gifts were not possessed by the disciples generally (as Bengel notes)....

38._The disciples, which had heard, _The washing of the corpse showeth that the disciples knew not what would come to pass, for by this means they make the corpse ready to be buried. Yet this is some token of hope, that they lay her in an upper chamber, and send to Peter. Furthermore, they murmur not against God, neither do they cry out that it is an unmeet thing; but they humbly crave God’s help, not that they will make Tabitha immortal, but their only desire is to have her life prolonged for a time, that she may yet profit the Church....

36-43 Many are full of good words, who are empty and barren in good works; but Tabitha was a great doer, no great talker. Christians who have not property to give in charity, may yet be able to do acts of charity, working with their hands, or walking with their feet, for the good of others. Those are certainly best praised whose own works praise them, whether the words of others do so or not. But such are ungrateful indeed, who have kindness shown them, and will not acknowledge it, by showing the kindness that is done them. While we live upon the fulness of Christ for our whole salvation, we should desire to be full of good works, for the honour of his name, and for the benefit of his saints. Such characters as Dorcas are useful where they dwell, as showing the excellency of the word of truth by their lives. How mean then the cares of the numerous females who seek no distinction but out...

Verse 38. _SENT UNTO HIM - DESIRING - THAT HE WOULD NOT DELAY TO_ _come_] Tabitha died at Joppa, and Peter was at Lydda, about four leagues distant. But why did they send for Peter? We cannot tell. It is not likely that they had any expectation that he should raise her from the _dead_; for none of the apostles had as yet raised any; and if God did not choose to restore _Stephen_ to life, this favour could not be reasonably expected in behalf of _inferior_ persons. However, they might hope that he who cured Eneas at Lydda might cure Dorcas; for it is probable that they had sent for Peter _before_ she died; and in this sense we might understand the απεστειλαν of the text....

WAS NEIGH TO JOPPA - See the notes on Acts 9:32. THEY SENT UNTO HIM ... - Why they sent is not affirmed. It is probable that they desired his presence to comfort and sustain them in their affliction. It is certainly possible that they expected he would restore her to life; but as this is not mentioned; as the apostles had as yet raised up no one from the dead; as even Stephen had not been restored to life, we have no authority for assuming, or supposing, that they had formed any such expectation....

EXPOSITION ACTS 9:1 _But _for _and, _A.V.; _breathing _for _breathing out, _A.V.; _threatening _for _threatenings, _A.V. THREATENING AND SLAUGHTER. The phrase ἐμπνέων ἀπειλῆς κ.τ.λ., is rather a difficult one, and is variously explained. Schleusner takes the genitives in "threatening and slaughter" as genitives of the thing desired, "punting after threatening and slaughter" (comp. Amos 2:7). Meyer explains it "out of the threatenings and murder [in his heart] breathing hard at the disciples"—an expression indicating passion. Alford, taking nearly the sense of the A.V., makes "threatenings and slaughter" to be as it were the very material of his breath, whether breathed out or breathed in. Considering that ἐμπνέω means "to br

AND FORASMUCH AS LYDDA WAS NIGH TO JOPPA,.... Some say it was six miles distant, but it must be eight; since from Jerusalem to Joppa were forty miles, and from Jerusalem to Lydda thirty two, and therefore it must be eight miles from thence to Joppa: AND THE DISCIPLES HAD HEARD THAT PETER WAS THERE; and also no doubt that he had healed Aeneas of his palsy, and which might induce them to do as follows: THEY SENT UNTO HIM TWO MEN; very likely of their own company or church; for it is certain here were disciples or believers in Christ, and very likely were formed into a church state; these seem to be converts under Philip's ministry, who when he went from Azotus, preached in all the cities, and so in Joppa, till he came to Caesarea, Acts 8:40 though we read nothing in ecclesiastical history of this church at Joppa, until the fifth century, when it appears there w

ACTS 9:38 du,o a;ndraj The sending of two messengers (du,o a;ndraj, read by î45, 74 a A B C E and most minuscules) is in accord with Near Eastern customs. 190 The omission of the words in some witnesses (H L P Y 104 326 383 440 536 920 _al_) may be due to influence from Acts 10:19 (see the comment there). ------------------------- 190 See J. Jeremias, “Paarweise Sendung im Neuen Testament,” New Testament Essays: Studies in Memory of Thomas Walter Manson...

CHAPTER 9 __ 1. The vision of Glory on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1). 2. Instructions given to Ananias (Acts 9:10). 3. Saul filled with the Spirit, is baptized and preaches that Jesus is the Son of God (Acts 9:17). 4. Saul persecuted and back in Jerusalem (Acts 9:23). 5. Further Acts of Peter (Acts 9:32). The previous chapter must be looked upon in its main part as a parenthesis. The record now leads us back to the close of the seventh, and the person who was connected with the great tragedy enacted there is prominently brought n

DORCAS. This story is like that of the raising of Jairus-' daughter (Mark 5:22; Mark 5:35; Luke 8:41 f., Luke 8:49). Tabitha (in Gr. _Dorcas,_ Eng. _Gazelle;_ though the Gr. equivalent for the name is given, the woman was called Tabitha by Peter (Acts 9:40) and was a disciple); the nature of some of her good deeds and alms appears in the sequel. Her burial does not follow hard on her death as with Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:6;...