Acts 9:36 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity.

NIV: In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor.

NASB: Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which when translated means Dorcas); this woman was excelling in acts of kindness and charity which she did habitually.

CSB: In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which is translated Dorcas). She was always doing good works and acts of charity.

NLT: There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas ). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor.

KJV: Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.

NKJV: At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did.

After Stephen's death (Acts 7:54–60), the Sanhedrin commissioned a passionate young Pharisee-trained Jew named Saul to track down Jesus-followers and bring them to trial. In Saul's zeal, he hunted the Jesus-followers and beat them. If they didn't blaspheme against Jesus, he voted for their execution (Acts 22:19; 26:10–11). In the wake of his fury the Jesus-followers scattered (Acts 8:1–3).

One of these Jesus-followers was Philip. After spending some time in Samaria, Philip preached about Jesus from the town of Azotus, up the coast to Caesarea Maritima (Acts 8:40). Today, Joppa is Jaffa, the seaport of Tel Aviv. In Peter's time, Joppa is a short detour off the coastal highway. It's possible that Philip established the church in Joppa, but it's equally possible that Tabitha learned about Jesus in Jerusalem and was, herself, a refugee.

"Tabitha" is the Greek transliteration of the Aramaic tabhyetha, which means "gazelle." "Dorcas" means "gazelle" in Greek. Tabitha's good works included making clothing for the local widows (Acts 9:39). The responsibility to take care of widows is firmly established in the Mosaic law (Deuteronomy 24:19; 27:19). Before Philip escaped Jerusalem and started his life as an evangelist, he was one of the first deacons, designated to make sure the Greek-speaking widows received enough food (Acts 6:1–6).

Acts 9:36–43 describes Peter raising a disciple named Tabitha—or Dorcas in Greek—to life. He has been in Lydda, about 15 miles southeast, where he healed Aeneas from paralysis and taught the people of the city about Jesus (Acts 9:32–35). Soon, he will receive a request to travel 40 miles north to Caesarea Maritima where he will meet a Roman centurion. Peter will share the story of Jesus, and a houseful of Gentiles will receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 10). Given his upbringing, Peter might think of Gentiles being saved as a greater miracle than Tabitha coming back to life!

Acts 9 sets the stage for the spread of the gospel to the Gentiles. Saul continues the persecution of the church by traveling to Damascus to arrest Jesus-followers. Before he reaches the city, Jesus confronts him. Saul realizes Jesus is the Messiah and immediately starts spreading the news, first in Damascus and later in Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Peter travels to modern-day Tel Aviv to heal a paralyzed man and bring a dead woman back to life. The miracles aren't unusual, but the story leaves him in Joppa, poised to take the next step in Jesus' mandate to be His witness (Acts 1:8).

The murder of the Jesus-follower Stephen has ignited a fierce persecution against the church, led by a young Pharisee-trained man named Saul (Acts 7:54—8:3; 9:1–2). When he realizes Jesus truly is the Messiah, that fervor fuels his own evangelism (Acts 9:3–30). Meanwhile, Peter travels to the coast of Judea. Soon, he will teach a prominent Gentile household about Jesus and discover that Gentiles can be saved (Acts 10). The stage will be set for Saul to spread the saving news of Jesus to ''the end of the earth'' (Acts 1:8) under the Greek version of his name: Paul.

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.