What does Acts 9:38 mean?
Peter is in the town of Lydda, modern-day Lod near Tel Aviv. He is traveling, checking in on the Jesus-followers who fled Jerusalem when Saul persecuted the church. In Lydda, Peter healed a paralyzed man, but in nearby Joppa, a respected Christian woman, Tabitha—Dorcas in Greek—has died, so disciples from her church have gone to ask Peter to come (Acts 9:32–37).Although Jews believed the soul stayed for three days, they typically buried their dead before sundown on the day the person died. One reason is that the climate is generally warm, and the Jews didn't embalm their dead. However, they did wrap them with fragrant plants (John 19:38–40), so the smell would be less horrible (John 11:39). Also, the Mosaic law states that "Whoever touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean seven days" (Numbers 19:11). That means anything they touch is unclean and every time they touch the body, the clock resets to seven days. They need to get Peter quickly, before Tabitha is buried.
The mention of two men is consistent with the Mosaic law. Two or three witnesses are required for conviction (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15), except for the case of rape outside the city where no one can hear, the expectation being a woman who was being attacked would always cry for help (Deuteronomy 22:25–27). Jesus sent disciples out in twos (Luke 10:1). He also spoke of bringing one or two others along when confronting an unrepentant brother who has sinned against you (Matthew 18:15–20). Saul affirms that accusations against a church member or leader must be brought forward by two or three witnesses (2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19). In the end-times tribulation, God will send two witnesses to Jerusalem (Revelation 11:1–13). Even when Philip was preaching in Samaria, Peter and John came to validate his ministry together (Acts 8:14).
It's unclear why Peter seems to be alone here, but it's possible he is accompanied by someone Luke didn't feel was relevant enough to explicitly mention. He will be accompanied by others, presumably from Joppa, when he goes to Caesarea (Acts 10:45).
