Acts 9:31-42

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 9:36

Now there was at Joppa ,.... The same with Japho, Joshua 19:46 a sea port town in the tribe of Dan, said by some historians F23 Mela, l. 1. Solin. Polyhistor. c. 47. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 13. to be a very ancient one, even before the flood. It is now called Jaffa, and its name, in the Hebrew tongue, signifies beauty: some say it had its name from Jope, the daughter of Aeolus, the wife of Cepheus, the founder of it; and others derive it from the name of Japhet, because it looks... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 9:37

And it came to pass in those days ,.... While Peter was in those parts, and particularly at Lydda, which was near: that she was sick and died ; fell ill with some disorder, and died of it: whom, when they had washed ; as was the manner of the Jews; and this they did, even though it was on a sabbath day: for so their canon runs F6 Misn. Sabbat, c. 23. sect. 5. , "they do all the necessaries for the dead (on the sabbath), they anoint him, ומדיחין , "and they wash him";' yet... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 9:38

And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa ,.... Some say it was six miles distant, but it must be eight; since from Jerusalem to Joppa were forty miles, and from Jerusalem to Lydda thirty two, and therefore it must be eight miles from thence to Joppa: and the disciples had heard that Peter was there ; and also no doubt that he had healed Aeneas of his palsy, and which might induce them to do as follows: they sent unto him two men ; very likely of their own company or church; for it is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 9:39

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 9:40

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,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 9:41

And he gave her his hand, and lift her up ,.... Off of the bed or bier where she was: and when he had called the saints and widows ; the disciples, brethren and sisters, who were come together on this occasion, as well as the poor widows she had been kind to; the Ethiopic version reads without a copulative, "the holy widows"; and so might these widows be, even such as are described in 1 Timothy 5:10 presented her alive ; as Christ did the widow's son of Naam to her, Luke 7:15 and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Acts 9:42

And it was known throughout all Joppa ,.... The report of such a miracle, and wrought upon a person of note, was soon spread all over the place, which was very large, for it was a city, as it is called, Acts 11:5 , and it had, as Josephus F17 De Bello Jud. l. 3. c. 8. sect. 4. says, villages and little towns or cities round about it; all which might go by the name of Joppa, and throughout which the fame of this miracle might pass: and many believed in the Lord ; in the Lord Jesus... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 9:31

Then had the Churches rest - Instead of ἱα εκκλησιαι , the Churches, ABC, several others, the Syriac, Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, and Vulgate, have ἡεκκλησια , the Church. Every assembly of God's people was a Church; the aggregate of these assemblies was The Church. The word ειρηνην , which we translate rest, and which literally signifies peace, evidently means, in this place, prosperity; and in this sense both it and the Hebrew שלום shalom are repeatedly used. But what was the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 9:32

As Peter passed throughout all quarters - Δια παντων , Bp. Pearce thinks, should be translated, not through all quarters, but through all the saints. The Churches having rest, the apostles made use of this interval of quiet to visit the different congregations, in order to build them up on their most holy faith. Of Saul we hear no more till Acts 11:30 , which is supposed to be about five years after this time; eight in all from his conversion. Peter, it seems, had continued in Jerusalem... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 9:33

A certain man named Eneas - This name has been celebrated in the annals of heathen poetry, in that beautiful work of the poet Virgil, called the Aeneid; which gives an account of the misfortunes, travels, wars, etc., of a Trojan prince of this name, after the destruction of his native city, Troy. On the difference of names which so frequently occurs in some pasts of the Scriptures, Calmet makes the following judicious remarks: As both Greek and Hebrew, or Syriac, were commonly spoken in... read more

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