Bible Strands
Acts 9:40
Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down and prayed, and turning toward her body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Peter addresses the deceased Tabitha in an upper room after clearing the space of grieving widows who displayed her handmade garments. He speaks to her body at the moment of resurrection.
The words — ἐκβαλὼν (ekbalōn) translates literally as "having put out," describing the dismissal of the onlookers. θεὶς (theis) means "having bowed," indicating Peter's posture of prayer before commanding the dead woman to rise.
The thread — This sequence of clearing a room before raising the dead runs in Matthew 9:25, Mark 5:40, and Luke 8:54.
Why it lands — The text records Peter clearing the room, kneeling, praying, and commanding the body to rise before describing her physical response. It requires the reader to note that divine power operates through deliberate prayer and spoken command rather than human intervention.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
Cross-references
- Matthew 9:25 After the crowd had been put outside, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.
- Mark 5:40 And they laughed at Him. After He had put them all outside, He took the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and went in to see the child.
- Luke 8:54 But Jesus took her by the hand and called out, “Child, get up!”
- 2 Kings 4:32 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his bed.
- Acts 7:60 Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
- 1 Kings 17:19 But Elijah said to her, “Give me your son.” So he took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed.
- Mark 9:25 When Jesus saw that a crowd had come running, He rebuked the unclean spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” He said, “I command you to come out and never enter him again.”
- John 11:43 After Jesus had said this, He called out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
- Luke 22:41 And He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, where He knelt down and prayed,
- Acts 20:36 When Paul had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.