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Acts 9:39

in Acts 9

So Peter got up and went with them. On his arrival, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood around him, weeping and showing him the tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And Peter arose and went with them. And when he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.

KJV

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.

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This verse in Acts 9

Commentary

13 notes on this verse

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Acts · Written before 1107.

"Widows stood before him with tears, showing the tunics and garments that Gazelle had made while living with them." The expression "living with them" shows her great humility, because she was with them and lived with them and treated everyone as one of them, and …

This site's exposition

all the widows stood by him weeping

on Acts 9:39-41

The widows stand by Peter weeping and showing the coats and garments Dorcas made while she was with them, the clearest picture in the book of ordinary charity mourned by the people it had clothed. Peter puts them all forth, as his Lord had done at Jairus's daughter's bedside, kneels and prays before he ever speaks to the body, prayer preceding the miracle rather than being replaced by it. Tabitha, arise, echoes Talitha cumi in Mark's gospel almost word for word, and Peter gives her his hand exactly as Jesus had done, the apostle acting throughout in his master's own pattern rather than any power of his own.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers3 voices

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 21 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

See what a cheering inducement to alms is here! "And all the widows," it says, "stood round him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them." Peter went into the apartment, as one who took it calmly, but see what an accession came of it!

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Acts 21 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

"Having washed her," it says, "they laid her in an upper chamber:" that is, they did all that was right for the dead body. Then Peter having come, "knelt down, and prayed; and turning him to the body, said, Tabitha, arise." They did not perform all their miracles with the same ease. But this was profitable for them: for truly God took thought not only for the salvation of others, but for their own. He that healed so many by his very shadow, how is it that he now has to do so much first? There are cases also in which the faith of the applicants cooperated.

A commentator

Oecumenius

Commentary on Acts · Written before 550.

proposed

The phrase "with them" shows her humility, that she was present with them and ate with them as one among many. [CHRYSOSTOM]

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Acts · Written before 735.

proposed

And all the widows stood around him weeping. Widows are the pious thoughts of the penitent soul, which for a time had abandoned the strength of their previous senses, as a wife's governance, and who must most humbly intercede for the sinning soul.

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Acts · Written before 735.

proposed

And showing him the tunics and garments, which Dorcas used to make for them. They did not entreat for the deceased with their voices, but by her own works, for almsgiving delivers not only from the second, but also from the first death.
6 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

In other respects he was well enough, as touching the righteousness which is of the law, blameless, a man of no ill morals, but a blasphemer of Christ, a persecutor of Christians, and injurious to both, 1 Tim. i. And so ill informed was his conscience that he thought he ought to do what he did against the name of Christ ( ch. xxvi.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

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.

The Nineteenth Century4 voices

Then Peter arose - See the notes on Luk 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.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Doubtless the interpretation, as here given, is but an echo of the remarks made by the Christians regarding her--how well her character answered to her name. full of good works and alms-deeds--eminent for the activities and generosities of the Christian character.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

all the widows--whom she had clad or fed. stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas had made--that is, (as the tense implies), showing these as specimens only of what she was in the habit of making.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Showing the coats and garments - Χιτωνας και ἱματια, 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 labored.

The words behind it

30 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

18 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Proverbs 31:31Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her at the gates.7 worksActs 6:1In those days when the disciples were increasing in number, the Grecian Jews among them began to grumble against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.6 works1 Thessalonians 1:3and continually recalling before our God and Father your work of faith, your labor of love, and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.3 worksProverbs 10:7The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.3 worksProverbs 31:30–31Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.3 worksEphesians 4:28He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.3 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Proverbs 11:16A gracious woman attains honor, but ruthless men gain only wealth.3 works1 Timothy 5:3Honor the widows who are truly widows.3 worksExodus 35:25Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun: blue, purple, or scarlet yarn, or fine linen.3 worksTitus 2:5to be self-controlled, pure, managers of their households, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be discredited.3 worksActs 20:35In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”2 worksEcclesiastes 9:10Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.2 worksJohn 17:12While I was with them, I protected and preserved them by Your name, the name You gave Me. Not one of them has been lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.2 works1 Thessalonians 4:13Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope.2 worksMatthew 17:17“O unbelieving and perverse generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to Me.”2 worksJames 2:15–17Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.2 worksMatthew 26:11The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me.2 works1 John 3:18Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Acts 20:35

    In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

    it leads to

    • Hebrews 13:16

      And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

    • Proverbs 19:17

      Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.

    • 2 Corinthians 9:6–12

      Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

    • Luke 14:12–14

      Then Jesus said to the man who had invited Him, “When you host a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or brothers or relatives or rich neighbors. Otherwise, they may invite…

    • Matthew 10:8

      Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

  • Through

    1 Thessalonians 1:3

    and continually recalling before our God and Father your work of faith, your labor of love, and your enduring hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

    it leads to

    • 1 Corinthians 13:13

      And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.

    • Revelation 2:19

      I know your deeds—your love, your faith, your service, your perseverance—and your latter deeds are greater than your first.

  • Through

    Proverbs 10:7

    The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.

    it leads to

    • Psalms 112:6

      Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous man will be remembered forever.

Where this verse is studied

About Acts

The Ascension, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Ascension, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Acts: the study guide →Read Acts 9 →
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Acts; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 21; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.

Read on in Acts 9 →