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Act_9:32. As Peter passed throughout all quarters [went through all].—This äéÝñ÷åóèáé (literally, a journey through different inhabited places) was an apostolic visitation, for the purpose of inspection. The statements which follow show that ἁãßùí is to be supplied after äéὰ ðÜíôùí [“not ôüðùí ; comp. Act_20:25; Rom_15:28” (de Wette), and also 2Co_1:16, äἰὑìῶí .—Tr.]. In the course of Peter’s journey to the west coast, he reached Lydda, a town not far distant from the Mediterranean, described by Josephus (Antiq. xx. 6. 2) as ðüëåùò ôὸìÝãåèïò ïὐê ἀðïäÝïõóá ; it lay, according to Act_9:38, in the vicinity of the city of Joppa [“just one day’s journey from Jerusalem.” (Alford). It is probably the Lod of the children of Benjamin, 1Ch_8:12; Ezr_2:33; Neh_11:35; at a later period it was called Diospolis. (von Raumer).—Tr.]
Act_9:33-35. Eneas.—No circumstance is mentioned which indicates that he was a Christian; the expressions åõ ̇͂ ñå and ἄíèñùðüí rather represent him as a stranger; his Greek name leads us to conjecture that he was of Hellenistic descent. [His name, ÁἰíÝáò . which is also found in Thuc. 4. 119; Xen. Anab. 4. 7. 13; Pind. Ol. 6. 149, is not identical with that of the Trojan Áἰòåßáò (Meyer), e. g., Il. II. 820; V. 166; the former is accented by English speakers on the first, the latter on the second syllable.—Tr.]. When Peter says to this man, whose paralyzed limbs had confined him to his bed: “Jesus, the Anointed One, healeth thee,” the mention of the Redeemer’s name no doubt implies that the man had obtained a certain amount of knowledge of Him by report (“audierat de Christo sine dubio, sanante omnes illo tempore.” Bengel), but by no means shows that he was already a member of the church of Christ. This mode of describing the Lord would not have been employed in the case of a believer. The word ἰᾶôáé itself is to be taken strictly in the present, and not in a future tense, inasmuch as the cure was instantly performed; the man was at once able to arise and make his bed. This sudden and miraculous restoration of one who had so long been paralyzed, but whom the inhabitants of that place and the surrounding region now saw in the enjoyment of health, led to the conversion of many persons; for no argument can here be needed to show that Luke does not intend to say that all without exception were converted.—The name ὁ Óáñþí does not denote a particular place (the modern village Saron), as some have supposed, since, in that case, the article would not have been prefixed; it refers to the ell known fertile region of that name [Sharon, 1Ch_27:29; Isa_33:9; Isa_35:7; Isa_65:10] which also abounded in flowers [Son_2:1]. This plain extends along the coast from Cesarea to Joppa on the south.
Act_9:36. Tabitha.—The Gazelle (Greek, äïñêÜò , [see above, note 2 appended to the text.—Tr.]) is distinguished for its slender and beautiful form, its graceful movements and its soft but brilliant eyes; it is frequently introduced by the Hebrews and other Oriental nations as an image of female loveliness, and the name was often employed as a proper name, in the case of females [2Ki_12:1; 1Ch_8:9. Rob. Hebr. Lex. p. 881.—Tr.]. It was the designation of this person, who resided in Joppa, the well known seaport of antiquity, of the middle ages, and of modern times. [It was somewhat more than 30 miles distant from Jerusalem; it is mentioned in 2Ch_2:16; Jon_1:3 (Joppa); Jos_19:46 (Japho); now called Japha, Jaffa or Yafa. A summary of its history is given by von Raumer: Palæstina, p. 204 f.—Tr.]. She is, unlike Eneas, at once introduced as a Christian, and her charitable disposition, which was demonstrated by many benevolent acts performed for others, receives special commendation. One illustration, evidently taken from real life, is furnished in Act_9:39. The widows, who weep for the loss of their faithful benefactress, approach Peter, and, in the presence of the corpse of the beloved one, exhibit all the upper and under garments ( ÷éôῶíáò êáὶ ἱìÜôéá ) [“the tunic and robe or gown, which still constitute the oriental costume of both sexes” (J. A. Alexander, ad. loc.], which Tabitha had made for them while she lived, thus, demonstrating not only the skill of her practiced hand, but also her disinterested and self-sacrificing industry. [Hackett, ad loc. well observes: “The omission of the article [before ÷éôῶíáò ] (suggestive of a wrong sense as inserted in the English version [and by Lechler above]) shows that they presented specimens only of her industry.”—Tr.], This devout female disciple [ ìáèÞôñéá , Attic ìáèçôñßò ] is a model for Christian women; although she does not appear to be endowed with extensive property, she is charitable, to the full extent of her ability, to the poorest and most neglected class of all, to widows; she acquires the means by furnishing articles usually made by females, and these she prepares with unwearied diligence and self-denial. While charity thus prompts her to provide for the needy, she proves that she is a faithful disciple of Him who himself first showed mercy to her and to all the world.
Act_9:37-38. She was sick, and died.—Tabitha had, without doubt, served Christ for years in pauperibus, and exercised her faith by performing works of love. It was during the period in which Peter abode in the vicinity ( ἐí ôáῖò ἡìÝñáéò ἐêåßíáéò ), that she became sick and died. After the body had been washed and laid in a retired upper chamber [ ëïýóáôåò masc. as Luke “speaks in the most general terms and impersonally: they washed and laid, etc.” Winer: Gram. N. T. § 27. 6], the disciples in Joppa sent a message to Peter, who was then in Lydda [distant about 10 Roman miles], and urged him to come to them without delay. All the members of the Christian congregation at Joppa ( ïἱ ìáèçôáß Act_9:38) appear to have been deeply moved by the loss which they had sustained, and to have entertained the wish in their hearts, although they did not venture to express it, that, if it were possible, Tabitha might be recalled to life. Thus they bear witness to that intimate communion which subsists among Christians, by virtue of which even one who, viewed externally, seems to stand alone in society, may be connected with others by closer ties than those of kindred.
Act_9:39-43. a. Then Peter arose and went.—As soon as the apostle, who had made no delay, had arrived, the Christians conducted him to that upper chamber in which the corpse lay (for ïἰ ìáèçôáß must doubtless be taken as the nominative to ἀíÞãáãïí ). Then the widows on whom the deceased had conferred such benefits also approached, so that the two classes of persons with whom Tabitha had been connected during her life, were now assembled: 1. the Christian congregation, to which she herself belonged, and, 2. the widows whose benefactress she had been, and who, in part at least, did not belong to the congregation [“saints and widows.”]. But Peter directed them all to withdraw, so that he might devote himself to prayer in entire seclusion. After having offered fervent prayer on his knees, he turned towards the body and called to Tabitha, saying: “Arise.” Luke gives a graphic description of the scene: at first she opened her eyes, then, on seeing Peter, rose up on the bed, and, at length, when Peter had given her his hand, stood up. The apostle now invited the Christians [the saints, Act_9:41, see above, Exeg. and Crit. Act_9:13-14.—Tr.] and the widows to enter, in order that he might present to them the woman alive, who had been raised up by the power of God. Such an event naturally became known to the whole city, and conducted many to faith in Christ.—Peter did not immediately leave Joppa, but remained there during a considerable period, and lodged with a tanner named Simon, who was, without doubt, a Christian. The apostle, accordingly, cannot have regarded the tanner as an unclean person, on account of his trade, although such was, according to rabbinic views, the case.
b. The restoration of Tabitha to life, has, as we might have expected, been explained by some as a natural occurrence, by others as an unhistorical legend. The former (for instance, Heinrichs) imagine that the whole was a case of apparent death, from which the subject was awakened. The latter (for instance, Baur) regard the narrative as simply a legendary transfer of events in the life of Jesus to the apostles, for the purpose of glorifying the latter, and that the whole has been embellished by tradition. The case of the restoration to life of the daughter of Jairus is specially adduced, and here Baur lays considerable stress on the similarity of sounds in the two words ÔáëéèÜ (Mar_5:41) and ÔáâéèÜ , and attempts to show that the latter name agrees in sense with the former word. If any analogy exists between the procedure of Peter on the present occasion and that of the Lord, (e. g., the removal of the spectators, the call to the deceased, the act of reaching the hand to her), it may be the more readily understood, when we remember that Peter himself was one of the three disciples, who, with the exception of the parents of the maiden [Luk_8:51], were the sole witnesses of the restoration of the latter; the apostle naturally regarded the course adopted by his Lord and Master as a model when he performed a similar miracle.
2. The Church was edified.—What is edification?—The believing Christian is built by regeneration and conversion on the foundation which is laid, on Jesus Christ, as the corner-stone, and is joined to him. But even as our birth is only the beginning, while growth and development constitute the progress of bodily life, so, too, regeneration is only the beginning, but continued renewal and sanctification constitute the progress of spiritual life; the laying of the foundation must be succeeded by unceasing building. And as regeneration is a divine-human work in man, wrought by the grace of God, but dependent on man’s reception of, and capacity for it, so, too, edification or renewal is a divine-human work, in which human action from below, and the operation of grace from above, combine; the only difference is found in the circumstance that, in the latter case, the element of moral power and independent action assumes far more prominence than in the former. Luke, indeed, states this point in so far as he first remarks that the Church walked in the fear of God, that is, was earnest and diligent, with respect to any act of a moral character, in avoiding every sin (for by it they would offend God,) and, on the contrary, in pleasing him by obedience. He afterwards remarks, that, as a result of the exhortation of the Holy Ghost, the Church was multiplied, that is, increased in the number of members through the operations of the grace of the Spirit. For even when he refers only to the influence of the Holy Ghost on the external growth of the Church, he still testifies that that influence was an essential, animating and moving power, in the life of the Church.
3. The words of Peter: ἰᾶôáß óå Ἰçóï ͂ õò ὁ ×ñ . bear witness to the actual presence and the divine power of Jesus Christ, particularly as the deed accompanies the words. It is not the apostle, but Jesus himself, who heals the sick man, and renews his prostrated strength. This miracle is a striking proof that Christ operates in his exaltation, and continues the work which he performed in his humiliation (comp. Act_1:1; ù ̇͂ í ἤñîáôï ὁ Ἰçóïῦò ðïéåῖí ).—Peter’s words, at the same time, supplied a firm foundation for the sick man’s faith in the Person and the power of Christ. No reference is made by Luke to this man’s faith; Peter makes no inquiry respecting it—but it is unquestionably assumed as already existing in his soul.
4. The “conversion to the Lord,” namely, to Jesus Christ, Act_9:35, is a testimony offered for the Deity of Christ. In Act_15:19, Luke employs the expression: ἐðéóôñÝöåí ἐðὶ ôὸí èåüí , in reference to heathens who became Christians; comp. ìåôÜíïéá åἰò ôὸí èåüí , Act_20:21. If faith in Jesus Christ is a conversion to the Lord, then his divine dignity and nature are thereby presupposed. For ἐðéóôñÝöåéí , in the Scriptural sense, is certainly such a turning of the heart and the will, that all the trust of the individual is placed in him, and his most humble obedience is rendered to him, to whom he turns; and here it is taken for granted that Christ is equal to God, for otherwise conversion to his Person would be nothing else than a lapse into idolatry.
5. Tabitha was full of good works and almsdeeds [mercy].—Here we fully assent to the remark of Baumgarten as well established, that these terms describe the good works and merciful deeds by which this Christian woman was distinguished, as being really of an internal nature, permanently abiding in her soul and indeed attached to it [“full of, etc.”], whereas good works, as soon as they are actually performed, acquire an external, positive nature of their own. But, in truth, good works can be justly regarded as genuine and Christian in their nature, only when the whole soul of the individual who performs them, is infused into them, so that it is not the hand alone, but the soul also, that gives and performs—the external acts proceed from the heart. When such is the case, the work is not an opus operatum, in which the soul does not participate, and which, (as most of all important,) the Spirit of God does not recognize; it partakes, on the contrary, of the nature of the soul; it is wrought in the soul, abides in it, and follows it even in death (Rev_14:13, ôὰ äὲ ἔñãá áὐôῶí ἀêïëïõèåῖ ìåô ̓ áὐôῶí .).
6. The restoration of Tabitha to life, and the healing of Eneas, were not independent acts of Peter as a Christian and an apostle, but were acts of Christ, for they were essentially answers to prayer. The apostle first bends the knee, when he is alone with his God and Lord in the chamber of the dead. It is only after this exercise that he turns towards the corpse and says: Arise, speaking in the power of the Lord—of that Saviour, who is ὁ ἀñ÷çãὸò ôῆò æùῆò (comp. Peter’s address, Act_3:15.). This prayer is the essential or most important feature in which the raising up of Tabitha differs from that of the daughter of Jairus. For Jesus himself took the dead child by the hand, without having previously offered prayer, when he called her back to life, whereas Peter does not restore life to the dead, until he has first besought the Lord to grant this miracle. Thus the name of Jesus, and not that of his apostle, is glorified, and, as a consequence of it, many persons in Joppa are converted to Christ, and not to Peter.
Act_9:32. And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all.—Congregations as much need a regular Church-visitation, as a garden needs the oversight of the gardener. We cannot safely yield to a feeling of security, even when the church enjoys peace, but should diligently watch, for Satan is never idle, Luk_11:24. (Starke).—He came down also to the saints.—It is an evidence of a serious decline that the word “saint” has become a term of derision in the bosom of Christendom, and that those who would claim it, would be accused of commending themselves. It may, according to the Scriptures, be assumed in a truly humble spirit. The sinner who repents, is a saint, when he devotes himself to God and Christ as a a peculiar servant. (Rieger).
Act_9:33. There he found a certain man … which had kept his bed eight years.—Sick persons may he found also among the saints; the communion of the saints retains some of the features of a lazaretto, and the one is expected to serve as the nurse of the other. How much vital power has already streamed forth from Jesus Christ! And all that is diseased in me, will hereafter be gloriously restored by Him. (Rieger).
Act_9:34. Jesus Christ maketh thee whole.—This is the language, I. Of an apostle’s humility (Jesus Christ, not I); II. Of a prophet’s power of faith (He “maketh”—not—May he make thee whole).—Arise and make thy bed.—We pray, in our less distinguished age, that God would grant his aid to the sick at whose bedside we stand, if such be his holy will; we exhort the sick to be patient, and to look to the future with hope. But Peter, when invested with apostolical fulness of power, is enabled to announce to Eneas: ‘Thou shalt be made whole; yea, thou art already restored.’ And Luther, with his heroic and mighty faith, speaks authoritatively to the faint-hearted and dying Melanchthon: “Thou must live! Thou shalt not die!” [It was at Weimar, in 1541; after very fervent prayer, Luther seized the hand of his friend, who was already unconscious, and said: Bono animo esto, Philippe; non morieris!—Tr.].—Two things pertain to the healing of souls that are sick: 1. They must be taught to look up in faith to the Lord, from whom alone salvation and help can come; II. They must be encouraged to arise in His strength, and walk in newness of life.
Act_9:35. Turned to the Lord.—Thus the Lord blesses the labors of his servants; the healing of a sick man conducts many to salvation; the restoration of one may exercise a saving influence on many others.
Act_9:36. A certain [female] disciple.—Women are not appointed to be teachers, but may be disciples in the church. (Starke).—Full of good works and almsdeeds.—The giving of alms does not impoverish; it empties the hand, but fills the heart. Pro_19:17. (Starke).—The honorable mention made of Tabitha: I. She was a disciple—the title refers to her faith; she sits with Mary at the feet of Jesus; II. She was full of good works and almsdeeds—this language describes her love, which served the Lord in the brethren, thereby manifesting its life and power.
Act_9:37. She was sick, and died.—It was only after her death that it became known what a treasure she had been to the church; the odour of the costly ointment filled the house, when the vessel in which it lay concealed, was broken [Joh_12:3]. (Besser).
Very few words are used with respect to her sickness and death. But the Lord had surely been present at her bedside, both while she lay sick, and when she died, even as He had not failed to be present in her closet when she had kneeled there as His disciple, and in her chamber when she worked in his service, and prepared garments for the poor.—Thou wilt die, as thou hast lived.
Act_9:38. The disciples heard that Peter was (at Lydda, and) sent unto him.—They also were believers, but they had not miraculous gifts like those of Peter. Grace and gifts are not the same; God bestows the latter according to his wisdom, giving five pounds to one servant, three to another, and one to a third. (Ap. Past.).—They can have scarcely expected a miracle from Peter, and only desired that he would address words of consolation to them. Much is already gained, when they who abide in the house of mourning sincerely desire the consolations of God’s word.
Act_9:39. Shewing the coats and garments, etc.—Acts of benevolence which survive their author, are the best relics of the saints. (Starke).—The tears of the widows standing around the bier of Tabitha, a noble testimony, I. With respect to the deceased woman and her charity; II. With respect to the survivors and their gratitude.
Act_9:40. But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed.—Why did he direct all who were present to withdraw? I. He followed the example of his Master in the case of the daughter of Jairus; II. He may have perceived that some were governed by an idle curiosity; III. He could more fully engage in prayer when alone; IV. He did not yet know whether it was the Lord’s will to restore the deceased woman to life. Hence he desired to be alone with the Lord, in order to make known to Him the request of the disciples [Php_4:6].—Observe: (a) Even if a pastor should possess the miraculous powers of an apostle, it would still be his duty continually to cherish a sense of his dependence on the Lord, and never act presumptuously in his office, or suppose that he could perform any work by his own strength. (b) We are not at liberty to assent to every request, even of devout men or disciples, without due examination, but are in duty bound to lay the matter, first of all, before the Lord, particularly when it concerns the life or death of a child of God, the continued residence or the removal of a pastor, etc. (c) In such cases, private prayer is preëminently needed. (Ap. Past.).—Tabitha, arise! Such success should attend pastors, when souls are spiritually awakened. To have power with God and joyfulness in prayer [Hos_12:3]—to penetrate, with the aid of God’s word, into hearts that are dead—to offer a helping and guiding hand to the awakened (Act_9:41), and to present those who had been dead sinners as living saints, who glorify God, and instruct others by their example—this is a work worthy of an apostle and follower of Jesus. (Ap. Past.)
Act_9:41. When he had called the saints, etc.—It is exceedingly cheering when a pastor can publicly diffuse the blessing which he had sought in his closet on his knees, and scatter it as the seed of new and more abundant fruits. (Ap. Past.).—Luke mentions that the widows wept as they stood around the corpse, but he does not describe their joy when Tabitha was restored to life—it could not be described. (Besser).
Act_9:42. It was known throughout all Joppa.—Simon, the son of Jonah (Mat_16:17), was more highly honored in Joppa, than Jonah, the ancient prophet (Jon_1:3). (Starke).—Many believed.—In Lydda “all,” (Act_9:35), in Joppa only “many” were converted. All miracles do not produce the same effects, and all sermons are not attended by the same blessing. (Ap. Past.).
Act_9:43. He tarried many days in Joppa.—When God opens a wide door for a pastor in any spot, it becomes his duty to tarry as long as possible, so that the good seed may take root.—With one Simon a tanner. There is no trade, however mean it may be in the eyes of the world, or even, however unclean, which cannot be sanctified. (Starke).—The house of Simon the tanner may have been disregarded by men, but, according to Act_10:6, it was well known in heaven, and in the presence of the angels of God, and was beheld by them with interest. (Rieger).
ON THE WHOLE SECTION.
The church of Christ is rich in love, and through love: I. There are always persons to be found in a congregation, who constitute, as it were, central points around which the love that exists in the congregation, collects; every work of love is guided by their hands, and even when they utter no loud words, they successfully admonish others. A congregation which possesses but a single Tabitha, is rich through love, since it owns in that soul a vast productive capital. When such a member dies, God raises up a successor, for love never dies. II. But the congregation is then only rich in love and through love, when the love which gives, is met by a love which gratefully receives. Under any other circumstances, no blessing attends the gifts which have been received. (Palmer: Homil.).
That good works and alms are necessary features of the character of a true Christian. (Beck: Hom. Rep.).
That the Lord always has men ready to call that which is dead in his church back to life. (ib).
On the share of a Christian female in the work of Inner Missions [on which subject see the article in Herzog: Encyk. IX. 650–658, by Wichern. —Tr.]:
I. Her duty; II. Her fitness; III. Her opportunities for it. (Fritz: Zeitpr.).
On Christian sympathy with a neighbor in his affliction (J. Hartmann: Zeugnisse ev. Wahrh.).
How may the miracles of Jesus and the apostles prove to be blessings to us? I. They should strengthen our faith; II. Urge us to seek our sanctification. (Lisco).
Tabitha, not a fashion-plate, but a model for every Christian female: I. In her life—by her walk in faith (she was a disciple), and her labor of love (full of good works and almsdeeds); II. In her death—by the tears of love (the widows), and the prayer of faith (Peter) at her bier; III. In her restoration to life—as an image of the blessed duration of a holy and divine life, (on earth in grateful hearts; in heaven in glory).
The chamber of death (in which Tabitha (—our beloved friends—) died): I. It is the dark abode of grief, in which love has reason to weep; II. It is the retired closet in which faith wrestles with God in prayer; III. It is the spot in which hope triumphs over death and the grave.
Tabitha, prepared for the grave—the means of awakening many unto life [Act_9:42]: I. The sketch of her life, read at the bier—brief, but expressive: “a disciple” —“full of good works;” II. The funeral procession, forming around her bier—unpretending, and yet affecting: love weeping, faith administering consolation; III. The funeral hymn heard at her bier—a triumphant recall to life: “Tabitha, arise!” —peculiar, and yet full of comfort, for us all; it not only refers to a brief continuance of her life on earth, but also reminds us of the resurrection and continued life of all the children of God, above, (in the mansions of our Father in heaven), and on earth (in those who were conducted by them to God).
“Tabitha, arise” —an awakening call addressed to our age: I. To whom is it addressed? Awake, thou spirit of love and mercy! This call is addressed to all Christendsm of our day, especially to evangelical Christendom. And if men will not hearken, then do ye put them to shame, ye females, who have always, since the days of Tabitha, led the way in works of love and heroic deeds of Christian mercy. II. Why is the call addressed to us? The wants of the times are urgent, and the debt of that love which saves, has greatly increased, particularly in the evangelical Church, which, on this point, may derive instruction from her Catholic sister. III. Whence does the call proceed? Not from an external source. The work of Inner Missions is not a matter of fashion, neither can the government of itself here afford aid. We need the presence of the Lord, and the instrumentality of Peter, that is, the word of God with its power, the Church with its blessing, the office of the ministry with its love. (Zeitpredigt über innere Mission, 1850.).
The miraculous awakening of Tabitha, an image of the miracle of grace when a sinner is spiritually awakened. I. The grief and sympathy of the mourning congregation, first appear—the weeping widows. II. The supplications and prayers of God’s believing servants—Peter praying. III. The awakening call of the divine word: “Tabitha, arise.” And now we perceive, IV. The first signs of life in the awakened soul—“she opened her eyes—saw Peter—sat up.” There is, next, needed, V. Friendly aid, offered to the new and still feeble life—“he gave her his hand—lifted her up;” VI. Also, an affectionate admission into the church—“he called … alive”; VII. And, lastly, as the result, a blessed impression is received by many, Act_9:42.
(Compare, on the life and death of Tabitha, viewed as an example, the “Biography of the devout Beata Sturm, 1780, etc.,” edited by Rieger).
Footnotes:
Act_9:31. H— ἐêêëçóßá — ἐðëçèýíåôï ; this is the reading of A. B. C., and. as it has recently appeared, also of Cod. Sin. as well as of many manuscripts of the second rank, of the majority of the Oriental versions, and also of the Vulgate, and of Dionysius of Alex. On the other hand, the plural [text. rec.], ( áἱ — ἐêêëçóßáé ( ðᾶóáé E.) åé ̇͂ ÷ïí .. ἐðëçèýíïíôï ) is found in E. G. H. and some other manuscripts. As the latter generally belong to a later period, and as most of the ancient versions exhibit the singular, this is far better attested than the plural, and has been preferred by Griesbach, Lachmann, Tischendorf and Bornemann [Stier and Theile, and Alford, with whom de Wette concurs. Meyer had, in earlier editions, espoused the opposite view, but in the last edition of his Commentary (3d, 1861) unhesitatingly adopts the singular as the original reading, and as “expressive of the apostolical conception of the unity of the Church.”—Tr.]. The plural is to be regarded as an explanation. [The word ἐêêëῃóßá , in the singular, used for the whole body of Christians, or the Church universal, occurs, e. g., in Mat_16:18; Act_20:28; 1Co_10:32; 1Co_12:28; Eph_1:22.—Tr.]
Act_9:36. [The Greek word, Dorcas, which Luke furnishes as the translation of the Aramæan or Syro-Chal. Tabitha. is rendered in the margin of the English Bible “Doe, or, Roe”; it is usually applied to the gazelle, the Antelope dorcas of Linnæus.—The earlier English versions (Wiclif; Tynd.; Cranm.; Geneva; Rheims) all exhibit “Dorcas.”—Tr.]
Act_9:38. a. The words äýï ἄíäñáò [of text. rec.] are omitted in G. H. and a number of later [minuscule] mss., as well as in several versions and fathers; the words in Act_9:39, óõíῆëèåí áὐôïῖò , however, imply that the former belong to the text. [Retained in the Vulg. and recent critical editions, and confirmed by Cod. Sin. etc.—Tr.]
Act_9:38. b. The readings ὀêíÞóῃò and ἠìῶí [adopted by Lach. Tisch. and Alf., and recognized by the Vulg.] occur in A. B. E., and the original text of C., as well as in Cod. Sin.; but G. H. (and C. corrected by a later hand) furnish ὀêíῆóáé — áὐôῶí [text. rec.]. The alteration in Cod. Ephraemi [C.] is, in particular, a decisive fact, as it shows that the original was in the form of the direct style of address. Besides, the Coptic version, while it reproduces the infinitive, retains the first person of the pronoun [ ἡìῶí ]—a remnant of the original reading. [ ὈêíÞóῃò — ἡìῶí is preferred by de Wette also, and, recently, by Meyer (3d. ed. of Commentary), although the latter had previously considered the oratio directa to be a gloss. If the infinitive had been the original form, there could be no motive—Alford says—for correcting it.—The margin of the Engl. Bible furnishes “be grieved” (Tynd.; Cranm.) as another translation of the original, which is more accurately rendered in the text, delay (Geneva).—Tr.]