She Made Herstory
What Can Dorcas Teach Us About Service?
Giving Must Be Reasonable (Acts 9:36)
Luke provided the translation “Dorcas” for his Greek readers. Both terms mean gazelle in English. She is described as “always doing good and helping the poor,” which enhances the pathos of her death.
She is described as being occupied with good works and charitable actions; these were highly esteemed Jewish virtues which continued to be practised by Christians.
full of good works and alms-deeds—eminent for the activities and generosities of the Christian character.
9:36. “Meanwhile,” in a city nearby lived a female disciple. This bears emphasis because here we find the only New Testament use of mathetria (disciple), the feminine form of the word mathetras. Obviously, she was not the only female disciple, but this is the only time Luke so designates a woman.
This is certainly not a passage on spiritual gifts to parallel
Barnabas certainly had the gift of exhortation; Philip, the gift of evangelism; Saul, the gift of teaching; and here we see Dorcas practicing the gift of helps or service (
She was a “do-gooder” in the very best sense of that word, especially since she focused her ministry on the poor. If Dorcas was a single woman (the text does not tell us), we have a wonderful demonstration of a life given to service. It certainly would appear that she had special standing with the widows (v. 39) and, therefore, may well have been a widow herself.
Who was a believer translates a word which appears only here in the New Testament, meaning literally “a woman disciple.”
“She was full of good works and of the almsgiving which she was doing” is simply a Jewish way of saying she spent all her time doing good and helping the poor. Spent all her time is in many languages equivalent to “continually did good.”
A certain disciple; a female disciple, as the word means; μαθήτρια only occurs here in the New Testament and rarely elsewhere.
Tabitha Based on her name, she was likely a Jewish believer who also had a Greek version of her name.
Tabitha. An Aramaic word meaning gazelle. Dorcas. Greek for the same. She was greatly beloved by the Christians for her good works and acts of charity
Her name means “gazelle” in Greek as does its counterpart Tabitha in Aramaic. She was known for her help to the poor.
The fact that this disciple’s name is given in two languages may imply some points of connection between the Hebrew and the Hellenistic sections of the church.
Full of good works. By some, Dorcas is regarded as a deaconess in the church at Joppa. If this is true, it may reflect the influence of Philip. He was one of the seven (see ch. 6:3, 5), and it is possible that he carried the organization of the church in Jerusalem into the churches he himself established. Thus, Dorcas may have had special care of the widows of the church (cf. chs. 6:1; 9:39).
Almsdeeds. Gr. eleēmosunē, “mercy,” especially as shown in giving alms, hence, “charity,” “benefaction,” “alms.” Dorcas’ benevolence expressed itself in two principal ways: she gave her services in “good works”; she gave her means in “almsdeeds.” She was not content to be charitable by proxy, but gave herself as well as her possessions.
There also was a Christian community in which a certain disciple was named Tabitha or Dorcas (Gk. dorkas, meaning gazelle), who had endeared herself to that Christian community because she was full of good works and charitable deeds
This refers to Jewish alms-giving. This was a Jewish concept of weekly donations that developed in the Synagogue for the care of the needy Jewish people in the community. It was considered spiritually important by the Jews of Jesus’ day. The church followed this pattern (cf.
“which she continually did” This is an IMPERFECT ACTIVE INDICATIVE. This speaks of habitual action in past time.
The phrase ‘was full of good works’ is also translated ‘was abounding with deeds of kindness’ [NASB], ‘was always doing kind things for others’ [NLT], ‘was always doing good things for people’ [CEV], ‘always helped people’ [GW], ‘was continually doing good deeds’ [NET], ‘spent all her time doing good’ [TEV], ‘filled her days with acts of kindness’ [CBC; NCV, REB], ‘was devoted to good works’ [NRSV], ‘was always doing good’ [NIV], ‘was constantly practicing good works’ [Bar].
At Joppa, which was near Lydda, there lived a woman named Dorcas, whose good deeds had made her greatly beloved. She was a worthy disciple of Jesus, and her life was filled with acts of kindness. She knew who needed comfortable clothing and who needed sympathy, and she freely ministered to the poor and the sorrowful.…
Giving Must Be Rememberable (Acts 9:39)
In the later Pauline churches a special order of “senior” widows looked after the other widows in the congregations (
Though such a degree of organization probably had not developed in the churches of Dorcas’s day, her charity to the widows would qualify her as a genuine precursor of those women who helped widows so that the church would not be burdened (
Their neediness is exemplified in their showing Peter the tunics and robes Dorcas had made, which they probably were wearing.
The house was now occupied by mourners, including especially a group of widows who showed Peter the clothes made by Tabitha; the Greek phrase may indicate that these were the clothes that they were actually wearing.
The care of widows and other needy people was a religious duty in the community, and a Christian community would naturally follow Jewish practice in caring for the poor in its midst
stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas had made—that is, (as the tense implies), showing these as specimens only of what she was in the habit of making.
9:39. The idea of expected resurrection takes on further strength in this verse as we see Peter standing by the body, surrounded by widows weeping in their grief and holding up the garments Dorcas had made for them. The text seems to imply they simply could not let a good woman like this depart from their Christian community. She had so demonstrated godliness and servanthood, they desperately wanted her back.
9:39 all the widows Dorcas’ ministry among widows is testimony not only to her godliness and compassion, but to her importance for the community (compare note on
39. Widows, who were among the most needy persons in the ancient world, were the particular objects of Tabitha’s charity. They were probably wearing garments Dorcas had made for them.
The “widows” of the church were the object of a special provision (see on
Dorcas made. Rather, “used to make.” It was her custom to make garments for charitable purposes (see on v. 36).
9:39 “and all the widows stood beside him” Apparently they were wearing the clothes that Dorcas had made for them of two different kinds: (1) the inner undergarments and (2) the outward cloaks.
She had been a worthy disciple of Jesus Christ, and her life had been characterized by deeds of charity and kindness to the poor and sorrowful, and by zeal in the cause of truth. Her death was a great loss; the infant church could not well spare her noble efforts
Giving Must Reignite Revival (Acts 9:40-42)
It was then placed in an upper room, which was not particularly the custom. Perhaps this was the most available room. It could also be that the Christians of Joppa were performing, as it were, a symbolic act, indicating their faith that she would rise.
But all the miracles of raising from the dead are in a real sense “signs,” pointers to the one who has power even over death and is himself the resurrection and the life for all who believe and trust in him.
That the widows are separated from the believers does not indicate the widows were not Christians but serves to single them out as the group who served to benefit most from her restoration to life.
Peter’s presentation of Dorcas alive was no less a gift to the widows of Joppa. As with the healing of Aeneas, so with the raising of Dorcas, the news spread quickly in Sharon’s Plain; and many believed in the Lord, in the risen Lord.
The miracle was wrought purely by prayer and the word of command. Finally, Peter summoned the Christians and the widows; the phrase can mean ‘the Christians, including the widows’, but it is not necessary to assume that Tabitha helped only Christian widows. As with the healing of Aeneas, the news of the miracle became widely known and led to many conversions.
No one had been raised from the dead in the early church so far as the records of Acts declare, but the faith of the believers was so great they expected the Lord to use Peter to resurrect Dorcas.
This miracle, like previous ones, led many to believe in the Lord
42. Many believed. News of such a miracle spread quickly. The whole area of Joppa was aroused, and the gospel message received a great impetus.
The clause ‘And it became known throughout all Joppa’ is also translated ‘Everyone in Joppa heard what had happened’ [CEV], ‘The news about this spread throughout the city of Joppa’ [GW], ‘The news about this spread all over Joppa’ [TEV], ‘The news spread through the whole town’ [NLT], ‘News of it spread all over Joppa’ [REB], ‘The news spread all over Joppa’ [CBC]. This verb means to come to acquire or experience a state [LN]. It means to experience a change in nature and so indicate entry into a new condition [BDAG].
Dorcas had been of great service to the church, and God saw fit to bring her back from the land of the enemy, that her skill and energy might still be a blessing to others, and also that by this manifestation of His power the cause of Christ might be strengthened.
