Acts 9:39

Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them. THEN PETER AROSE AND WENT WITH THEM. WHEN HE WAS COME, THEY BROUGHT HIM INTO THE UPPER CHAMBER: AND ALL THE WIDOWS - whom she had clad or fed, STOOD BY HIM WEEPING, AND SHOWING THE COATS AND GARMENTS WHICH DORCAS MADE, [ epoiei (G4160)] - that is (as the tense implies), 'had been in the habit of making.' WHILE SHE WAS WITH THEM....

39._And Peter arose. _It is doubtful whether the messengers declared to Peter the (matter and) cause why they fet [sent for] him; yet it is more like to be true, that they requested him absolutely that he would come to work a miracle. But there ariseth another question, whether he knew God’s purpose or not? First, if he should mistrust the success, he should go with them unadvisedly? I answer, although he did not yet know what the Lord would do, yet can he not be blamed for yielding to the request of the brethren. Also, there were other reasons why he should come; to wit, to mitigate their sorrow; to strengthen them with godly exhortations, lest they should faint, being discouraged with the death of one woman; to establish the Church, which was as yet tender, and but as it were an infant. Lastly, this one thing ought to have been sufficient for him, because in refusing he should have bee...

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 39. _SHOWING THE COATS AND GARMENTS_] χιτωνας και ιματια, the _outer_ and _inner_ garments. These, it appears, she had made for the poor, and more particularly for _poor widows_, in whose behalf she had incessantly laboured....

THEN PETER AROSE - See the notes on Luke 15:18. AND ALL THE WIDOWS - Whom Dorcas had benefited by her kindness. They had lost a benefactress; and it was natural that they should recall her kindness, and express their gratitude, by enumerating the proofs of her beneficence. Each one would therefore naturally dwell on the kindness which had been shown to herself....

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

THEN PETER AROSE AND WENT WITH THEM,.... After the messengers had delivered their message, and made their request to Peter in the name of the brethren, he at once agreed to go with them, and accordingly did; whether he went to restore Dorcas to life, whose death the messengers had informed him of, and whether this was the view of the brethren with respect to that, is not certain. However, he might go with them on other accounts, as to comfort them under the loss of so valuable and useful a person, and to strengthen and establish them in the faith, and to exhort and animate them to the discharge of their duty. WHEN HE WAS COME; that is, to Joppa, and to Dorcas's house there: THEY BROUGHT HIM INTO THE UPPER CHAMBER; where the corpse of Dorcas lay: AND ALL THE WIDOWS STOOD BY HIM WEEPING; these were poor widows, to whom Dorcas had been very liberal and beneficent, who stood about the apo...

WIDOWS Contra, (Acts 6:1)....

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;...