Acts 9:40

Syriac Peshitta (NT Only)

ܫܶܡܥܽܘܢ ܕ݁ܶܝܢ ܐܰܦ݁ܶܩ ܠܟ݂ܽܠܗܽܘܢ ܐ݈ܢܳܫܳܐ ܠܒ݂ܰܪ ܘܰܩܥܶܕ݂ ܥܰܠ ܒ݁ܽܘܪܟ݁ܰܘܗ݈ܝ ܘܨܰܠܺܝ ܘܶܐܬ݂ܦ݁ܢܺܝ ܠܘܳܬ݂ ܫܠܰܕ݁ܳܐ ܘܶܐܡܰܪ ܛܒ݂ܺܝܬ݂ܳܐ ܩܽܘܡܝ ܗܺܝ ܕ݁ܶܝܢ ܦ݁ܶܬ݂ܚܰܬ݂ ܥܰܝܢܶܝܗ ܘܟ݂ܰܕ݂ ܚܙܳܬ݂ܶܗ ܠܫܶܡܥܽܘܢ ܝܶܬ݂ܒ݁ܰܬ݂ ܀

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

put: Mark 5:40, Mark 9:25, Luke 8:54

and kneeled: Acts 7:60, Acts 20:36, Acts 21:5

and prayed: 1 Kings 17:19-23, 2 Kings 4:32-36, Matthew 9:25

she opened: Mark 5:41, Mark 5:42, John 11:43, John 11:44

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 17:21 - O Lord my God 2 Kings 4:4 - thou shalt shut 2 Kings 4:33 - prayed 2 Kings 4:35 - and the child opened 2 Kings 20:11 - cried unto Proverbs 31:13 - worketh Daniel 6:10 - he kneeled Matthew 6:6 - enter Matthew 9:24 - Give Mark 5:37 - he suffered Mark 7:34 - Be opened Mark 9:29 - by prayer Mark 16:18 - they shall lay Luke 5:24 - I say Luke 7:14 - Young Luke 8:51 - he suffered John 14:12 - the Acts 2:43 - many Acts 4:30 - and that Acts 5:12 - by Acts 28:8 - prayed Ephesians 3:14 - I James 5:14 - pray

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But Peter put them all forth,.... As he had seen his Lord and Master do, when he raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead, Luke 8:54

and kneeled down and prayed; it may be, as yet, he had not the mind of God in this matter, and therefore betook himself to prayer, in which he chose to be private and alone:

and turning him to the body; the corpse of Dorcas, after he had prayed, and was well assured that the power of Christ would be exerted in raising of it:

said, Tabitha, arise; which words were spoken in the name and faith of Christ, and were all one as, if Christ himself had spoken them; for to his power, and not to the apostles, is the following miracle to be ascribed: and she opened her eyes; which, upon her death, had been closed by her friends; and perhaps the napkin was not yet bound about her face: or if it was, she must remove it ere she could open her eyes and see Peter:

and when she saw Peter; whom she might know:

she sat up; upon the bed or bier on which she lay.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

But Peter put them all forth - From the room. See a similar case in Matthew 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 2 Kings 4:33.

Tabitha, arise - Compare Mark 5:41-42.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Acts 9:40. 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.

Said, Tabitha, arose. — During his wrestling with God, he had, undoubtedly, received confidence that she would be raised at his word.

And when she saw Peter, she sat up. — As Dorcas was a woman so eminently holy, her happy soul had doubtless gone to the paradise of God. Must she not therefore be filled with regret to find herself thus called back to earth again? And must not the remembrance of the glories she had now lost fill her with dislike to all the goods of earth? No: for,

1. As a saint of God, her Maker's will must be hers; because she knew that this will must be ever best.

2. It is very likely that, in the case of the revivescence of saint or sinner, God mercifully draws a veil over all they have seen or known, so that they have no recollection of what they have either seen or heard. Even St. Paul found it impossible to tell what he had heard in the third heaven, though he was probably not in the state of the dead. Of the economy of the invisible world God will reveal nothing. We walk here by faith, and not by sight.