Acts 9:36-43

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; Acts 5:10). The object of the urgent message (Acts 9:38) is not stated; contrast Mark 5:23. As in Jairus-' house a great mourning is going on in the upper room where the body lay. The widows are here carrying out the rites; or was it their connexion with Dorcas that brought them? The widows of Acts 6:1 have no connexion with this scene; the Church order of widows (1 Timothy 5:9 f.) may already have been present in germ. They are wearing clothes that Dorcas had given them; this is more likely than that the garments were hanging or lying about the room; they pointed to them and said, She made us this garment; she abounded in such kind deeds. Peter puts them all out (cf. Mark 5:40) and addresses the motionless figure in words strangely similar to those of his Master, reported in Mk. not in Lk. He must have used the Name (Acts 2:38; Acts 3:6 *) also; his words are not given fully, and would resemble those of Jesus less closely than now appears. Peter gives the patient his hand after she has sat up of herself. The widows are mentioned along with the saints to whom the revived person is presented. Conversions naturally follow. Simon the tanner (Acts 9:43) is a person known to the church.