Acts 9:38

Act 9:38. Οἱ μαθηταἰ, the disciples) Therefore these had not the gift of miracles.—δύο, two) on a weighty business. [They were hoping that there would happen that which actually did ensue.—V. g.]—μὴ ὀκνῆσαι, that he would not he loath [think it irksome]) Faith does not set aside courtesy in words, such as they here used: LXX., Num 22:16, ἀξιῶ σε, μὴ ὀκνήσῃς ἐλθεῖν πρός με, “I pray thee, think it not irksome to come to me.”—διελθεῖν, to come over to them) They by this word intimate, that the journey of Peter will be profitable even to others on the road [διὰ referring to the country through which he has to pass in coming],—ἕως, even to) An argument from the ease with which he can come.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 9:38 . Λύδδης , on the form see above on Act 9:35 ; nine miles from Joppa. παρακαλοῦντες ; the only passage in which the oratio recta follows if we read μὴ ὀκνήσῃς , see critical notes; this also best represents the urgency of the message ( cf. Joh 11:3 ), as in R.V. μἠ ὀκν .: “fides non tollit civilitatem verborum,” Bengel. Verb only here in N.T., cf. LXX, Num 22:16 , of Balak to Balaam, a phrase almost identically similar. διελθεῖν , cf. Luk 2:15 , and Act 9:32 above, and below Act 11:19 . Like other compounds of ἔρχομαι very frequent in Luke, as compared with other writers (Friedrich, p. 7). ἕως αὐτῶν : use of ἕως locally, common in St. Luke (Friedrich, p. 20); ἕως with genitive of the person as here, cf. Luk 4:42 , 1Ma 3:26 ; not so used in classical writers (Plummer).

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

the disciples sent unto Peter--showing that the disciples generally did not possess miraculous gifts [BENGEL].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

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.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(38) Desiring him that he would not delay.—The better MSS. give the message somewhat more dramatically, “Delay not,” and “Be not reluctant to come.” It was, of course, necessary that he should come at once, as interment would have come, as a matter of course, on the following day.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

38. desiring him that he would not delay to come to them] The best MSS. give a more graphic form to the sentence by the use of the direct entreaty. Read, “intreating him, Delay not to come on to us.” It is as though their supplication were “We have heard of the mighty works which Jesus has wrought by thy hands; extend thy journey to us, for we are in great need.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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 apostle lamenting the death of their benefactress, and by their tears expressing their desire of her return to life, if it could be:

and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made while she was with them; the Vulgate, Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read, "which Dorcas made for them"; and the Syriac version renders it, "which Tabitha gave unto them, while she was alive"; which last clause aptly explains, "while she was with them"; for now she was not, with respect to her better part, her immortal soul: the coats and garments were the inner and upper ones, wore in these countries; and it seems that she did not buy these garments, and give them unto them, but that she made them up herself for them, or at least wrought with them in making of them; which shows her diligence and industry, as also her humility, as well as her beneficence: and these the widows produced, and are shown as proofs of the same; which was expressive of gratitude in them, and was done with a design to move Peter to be concerned for restoring so useful a life.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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.

Ver. 38. They sent unto him] As loth to lose so useful a member, so dearly missed among them. Some when they die are no more missed than the sweepings of a house or the parings of the nails. But when good people die, there is a general loss and lamentation.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Was neigh to Joppa - See the notes on Act 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.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

They sent for Peter, that he might come to comfort those that were concerned in the great loss of so good a woman, and, it may be, not without some hopes of her recovery by a miracle from St. Peter; which is the likelier, because they so much hasten his coming to them, she being already dead, and they preparing for her burial.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

38. Disciples… sent… two men—The Christian love of all for the departed Gazelle is unanimous in the prayer that she may return to life. There is a blessed faith in the existence of a truly present resurrection power. The chiefest of apostles, the wonderful first disciple of Jesus, is but nine miles distant. Perhaps he can restore to us even our beloved dead.

Would not delay—They do not expressly utter the request for a miracle. Only they hope he will not delay; just as if the soul might soon go too far to hear and return.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

As for forasmuch as, A.V.; unto for to, A.V.; the disciples, hearing sent for and the disciples had heard they sent, A.V.; two men unto him for unto him two men, A.V.; entreating for desiring, A.V.; delay not to come on unto us for that he would not delay to come to them, A.V. and T.R. It is impossible to say whether any vague hope that Dorcas might be restored to life by.Peter"s prayers animated those who sent for Peter, and who had either seen or heard of the miracles wrought by him at Jerusalem before the persecution, (Act_5:15) or whether it only was that they felt the need of comfort and support in so great a sorrow. Two men; so Act_10:7. Cornelius sends two of his household servants. (Act_13:2 Act_15:22) In unsafe times and by dangerous roads, it was customary to send two messengers, both for mutual protection and that, if anything happened to one, the other might still deliver the message. It was also a security against fraud.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The disciples sent to him - Probably none of those at Joppa had the gift of miracles. Nor is it certain that they expected a miracle from him.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

See notes on verse 36

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

38, 39. They sent unto him two men. The fame of his miracles was so well known that they probably hoped that he might restore her to life.

The widows stood by him weeping. They had been the objects of her benevolence.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

they sent two men to him

"the disciples sent two men to Peter"

to the upper room

"to the upstairs room where Dorcas' body was lying"

all the widows

It is possible that all the widows of the town were there since it was not a large town.

widows

women whose husbands had died and therefore needed help

while she had been with them

"while she was still alive with the disciples"

translationWords

Peter

beg

raise

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

38. Μὴ ὀκνήσῃς with אABCE. Vulg. ‘Ne pigriteris.’

ἡμῶν for αὐτῶν with אABCE. Vulg. ‘nos.’

38. παρακαλοῦντες, Μὴ ὀκνήσῃς διελθεῖν ἕως ἡμῶν, entreating him, Delay not to come on to us. Thus διελθεῖν has its full force, which is lost in A.V. It is as though their supplication were, ‘We have heard of the mighty works which Jesus has wrought by thy hands; extend thy journey to us, for we are in great need.’

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That he would not delay [μη οκνησαι] . The best texts read ojknhshv, putting the request in the form of a direct address, Delay not. To come [διελθειν] . Lit., to come through. Rev., come on.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.