Acts 9:40
in Acts 9Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down and prayed, and turning toward her body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning to the body, he said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes; and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
KJV
But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
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This verse in Acts 9
Commentary
16 notes on this verseNeither, beloved brethren, are we so bringing forward these things, as that we should not prove what Raphael the angel said, by the testimony of the truth. In the Acts of the Apostles the faith of the fact is established; and that souls are delivered by almsgiving not only from the second, but from the first death, is discovered by the evidence of a matter accomplished and completed.
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 Fathers5 voices
If we are rightly inspired, the renewed day of her soul is clearly suitable for allegory, [a soul,] turned back to the voice of Peter, which the darkness of exceedingly ancient peril had pressed down: the life burdened previously in the bosom of the dark …
"But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up." Why does he put them all out? That he may not be confused nor disturbed by their weeping. "And having knelt down, he prayed." Observe the intentness of his prayer.
This is the first dead person that he raises. Observe how he, as it were, awakes her out of sleep: first she opened her eyes: then upon seeing Peter she sat up: then from his hand she received strength.
Observe how he puts them all out, imitating his Master in this also. For where tears are - or rather, where miracles are, there tears ought not to be; not where such a mystery is celebrating.
Say, if as we sit together, the Emperor were to send and invite some one of us to the palace, would it be right, I ask, to weep and mourn? Angels are present, commissioned from heaven and come from thence, sent from the King Himself to call their fellow servant, and say, dost thou weep? Knowest thou not what a mystery it is that is taking place, how awful, how dread, and worthy indeed of hymns and lauds? Wouldest thou learn, that thou mayest know, that this is no time for tears? For it is a very great mystery of the Wisdom of God. As if leaving her dwelling, the soul goes forth, speeding on her way to her own Lord, and dost thou mourn? Why then, thou shouldst do this on the birth of a child: for this in fact is also a birth, and a better than that. For here she goes forth to a very different light, is loosed as from a prison-house, comes off as from a contest.
9 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
What then did Peter do? He put them all out, so that they might not be disturbed by tears nor be agitated. And having knelt down he prayed. For not always did the miracles follow immediately upon his prayer. [CHRYSOSTOM]
The Medieval Church2 voices
He said: Tabitha, rise. She opened her eyes, and upon seeing Peter, she sat up. The most just order of the one arising is that she first opens the eyes of the mind, and then, upon hearing Peter's voice, she sits up, reclaiming the light …
"Peter sent them all out and, kneeling down, prayed." Why does he send them all out? So that he would not be moved by tears and lose his peace of spirit. "Kneeling down," he offers an earnest prayer. Then he supports the revived woman; then …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
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
Or of her friends, when they saw her alive? For the sake of themselves, and of the poor, there was cause of rejoicing, and much more, for such a confirmation of the Gospel. Yet to herself it was matter of resignation, not joy, to be called back to these scenes of vanity: but doubtless, her remaining days were still more zealously spent in the service of her saviour and her God.
But Peter put them all forth,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down and prayed - It was not even known to Peter that God would work this miracle: therefore he put all the people out, that he might seek the will of God by fervent prayer, and during his supplications be liable neither to distraction nor interruption, which he must have experienced had he permitted this company of weeping widows to remain in the chamber. And turning - to the body - Σωμα, The lifeless body, for the spirit had already departed.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The kneeling became the lowly servant, but not the Lord Himself, of whom it is never once recorded that he knelt in the performance of a miracle. opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up--The graphic minuteness of detail here imparts to the narrative an air of charming reality.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
But Peter put them all forth - From the room. See a similar case in Mat 9:25. Why this was done is not said. Perhaps it was because he did not wish to appear as if seeking publicity. If done in the presence of many persons, it might seem like ostentation. Others suppose it was that he might offer more fervent prayer to God than he would be willing they should witness Compare 2Ki 4:33. Tabitha, arise - Compare Mar 5:41-42.
The words behind it
30 Greek wordsEvery 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.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐκβαλὼν | ekbalon | Having put | G1544 → | 79 times |
| δὲ | de | then | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἔξω | exo | outside | G1854 → | 63 times |
| πάντας | pantas | all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Πέτρος | petros | Peter | G4074 → | 155 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| θεὶς | theis | having bowed | G5087 → | 100 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γόνατα | gonata | knees | G1119 → | 12 times |
| προσηύξατο· | proseuxato | he prayed; | G4336 → | 85 times |
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐπιστρέψας | epistrepsas | having turned | G1994 → | 36 times |
| πρὸς | pros | to | G4314 → | 700 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σῶμα | soma | body | G4983 → | |
| εἶπεν· | eipen | he said; | G2036 → | 925 times |
| Ταβιθά, | tabitha | Tabitha, | G5000 → | |
| ἀνάστηθι. | anastethi | do arise. | G450 → | 107 times |
| ἡ | he | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | And | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἤνοιξεν | enoixen | she opened | G455 → | 77 times |
| τοὺς | tous | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὀφθαλμοὺς | ophthalmous | eyes | G3788 → | 100 times |
| αὐτῆς | autes | of her | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἰδοῦσα | idousa | having seen | G1492 → | 374 times |
| τὸν | ton | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Πέτρον | petron | Peter | G4074 → | 155 times |
| ἀνεκάθισεν. | anekathisen | she sat up. | G339 → |
ἐκβαλὼνHaving put
ekbalonG1544 →79 times
δὲthen
deG1161 →2765 times
ἔξωoutside
exoG1854 →63 times
πάνταςall
pantasG3956 →1235 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
ΠέτροςPeter
petrosG4074 →155 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
θεὶςhaving bowed
theisG5087 →100 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
γόναταknees
gonataG1119 →12 times
προσηύξατο·he prayed;
proseuxatoG4336 →85 times
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐπιστρέψαςhaving turned
epistrepsasG1994 →36 times
πρὸςto
prosG4314 →700 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
σῶμαbody
somaG4983 →
εἶπεν·he said;
eipenG2036 →925 times
Ταβιθά,Tabitha,
tabithaG5000 →
ἀνάστηθι.do arise.
anastethiG450 →107 times
ἡ<the>
heG3588 →19766 times
δὲAnd
deG1161 →2765 times
ἤνοιξενshe opened
enoixenG455 →77 times
τοὺςthe
tousG3588 →19766 times
ὀφθαλμοὺςeyes
ophthalmousG3788 →100 times
αὐτῆςof her
autesG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἰδοῦσαhaving seen
idousaG1492 →374 times
τὸν<the>
tonG3588 →19766 times
ΠέτρονPeter
petronG4074 →155 times
ἀνεκάθισεν.she sat up.
anekathisenG339 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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 7:60Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
it leads to
- Matthew 5:44
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
- Luke 23:34
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.
- 1 Corinthians 15:20
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13–14
Brothers, 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.
- Romans 12:14–21
Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.
- Matthew 5:44
Through
Matthew 9:25After the crowd had been put outside, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.
it leads to
Through
Luke 8:54But Jesus took her by the hand and called out, “Child, get up!”
it leads to
- Jeremiah 31:32
It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant they broke, though I was…
- Jeremiah 31:32
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Acts
This page draws on 13 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); Arator, ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 1; Bede, Commentary on Acts; Cyprian, Treatise VIII. On Works and Alms 6; 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); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on Acts and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.