Acts 9:39

It is not said that they sent for St. Peter to work a miracle, but his near presence at Lydda would naturally make them turn to him in a time of sorrow. παραγενόμενον : a characteristic Lucan expression (Weiss), see above Acts 5:21. τὸ ὑπερ.: here the article would naturally be used on referring to the chamber, cf. Acts 9:37, in which the body lay. αἱχῆραι : they may have been the poor of the Church, Acts 6:1, whom Dorcas had befriended, or those who had been associated with her in good works (see also Plumptre's suggestive note). In connection with St. Luke's marked sympathy with women, we may note that the word χήρα is used by him no less than nine times in his Gospel, three in Acts. κλαίουσαι, cf. Luke 7:13; Luke 8:52, Hamburger, u. s. (Acts 9:37). ἐπιδεικ.: only here in middle voice, perhaps as pointing to the garments which they were themselves wearing (so Blass, Wendt, Felten, Grimm-Thayer), which Dorcas had given them. χιτῶνας : “coats,” close-fitting undergarments; the word was used in classical Greek of men and women, more perhaps like a dressing-gown or cassock; “Coat,” “Dress,” Hastings' B.D. ἱμάτια, the long flowing outer robes. ὅσα : “all which,” i.e., so many (Blass, Page, Hackett, Knabenbauer); see reading in [233] (Blass), critical notes. ἐποίει : imperfect as denoting her customary mode of action.

[233] R(omana), in Blass, a first rough copy of St. Luke.