Acts 9:38

THE MESSAGE

Some of the disciples had heard that Peter was visiting in nearby Lydda and sent two men to ask if he would be so kind as to come over. Peter got right up and went with them. They took him into the room where Tabitha's body was laid out. Her old friends, most of them widows, were in the room mourning. They showed Peter pieces of clothing the Gazelle had made while she was with them. Peter put the widows all out of the room. He knelt and prayed. Then he spoke directly to the body: "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes. When she saw Peter, she sat up. He took her hand and helped her up. Then he called in the believers and widows, and presented her to them alive. When this became known all over Joppa, many put their trust in the Master. Peter stayed on a long time in Joppa as a guest of Simon the Tanner.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him who urged him, “Don’t delay in coming with us.”

King James Version (1611)
And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Ioppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent vnto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.

King James Version
And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.

English Standard Version
Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, "Please come to us without delay."

New American Standard Bible
Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, "Do not delay in coming to us."

New Century Version
Since Lydda is near Joppa and the followers in Joppa heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two messengers to Peter. They begged him, "Hurry, please come to us!"

Amplified Bible
Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, "Come to us without delay."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him, "Do not delay in coming to us."

Legacy Standard Bible
Now since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, pleading with him, "Do not delay in coming to us."

Berean Standard Bible
Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to urge him, "Come to us without delay."

Contemporary English Version
Joppa wasn't far from Lydda, and the followers heard that Peter was there. They sent two men to say to him, "Please come with us as quickly as you can!"

Complete Jewish Bible
Lud is near Yafo, and the talmidim had heard that Kefa was there, so they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come to us without delay."

Darby Translation
But Lydda being near to Joppa, the disciples having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, beseeching him, Thou must not delay coming to us.

Easy-to-Read Version
The followers in Joppa heard that Peter was in Lydda, which was not far away. So they sent two men, who begged him, "Hurry, please come quickly!"

Geneva Bible (1587)
Now forasmuch as Lydda was nere to Ioppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent vnto him two men, desiring that he would not delay to come vnto them.

George Lamsa Translation
And the disciples heard that Simon Peter was in the city of Lyd''da, which is beside Joppa; they sent to him two men, desiring him to come to them without delay.

Good News Translation
Joppa was not very far from Lydda, and when the believers in Joppa heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him with the message, "Please hurry and come to us."

Lexham English Bible
And because Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, when they heard that Peter was in Lydda, sent two men to him, urging, "Do not delay to come to us!"

Literal Translation
And Lydda being near to Joppa, the disciples hearing that Peter is in it, they sent two men to him, begging him not to delay to come to them.

American Standard Version
And as Lydda was nigh unto Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men unto him, entreating him, Delay not to come on unto us.

Bible in Basic English
And because Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having knowledge that Peter was there, sent two men to him, requesting him to come to them straight away.

Hebrew Names Version
As Lud was near Yafo, the talmidim, hearing that Kefa was there, sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them.

International Standard Version
As Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him and begged him, "Come to us without delay!"

Etheridge Translation
And the disciples heard that Shemun was in Lud the city, because it is over against Joppa, and they sent to him two men, who should pray of him not to delay to come among them.

Murdock Translation
And the disciples heard that Simon was in the city of Lydda, which is near to Joppa; and they sent two men to him, to request of him that he would not delay to come to them.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And forasmuch as Lydda was nye to Ioppa, and the disciples hadde hearde that Peter was there, they sent vnto hym two men, desyryng hym that he woulde not be greeued to come vnto them.

English Revised Version
And as Lydda was nigh unto Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men unto him, entreating him, Delay not to come on unto us.

World English Bible
As Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And Lydda being near Joppa, the disciples hearing Peter was there, sent to him two men, desiring that he would not delay to come to them.

Weymouth's New Testament
Lud, however, being near Jaffa, the disciples, who had heard that Peter was at Lud, sent two men to him with an urgent request that he would come across to them without delay.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And for Lidda was nyy Joppe, the disciplis herden that Petre was thereynne, and senten twei men to hym, and preieden, That thou tarie not to come to vs.

Update Bible Version
And as Lydda was near to Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, entreating him, Do not delay to come on to us.

Webster's Bible Translation
And as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent to him two men, desiring [him] that he would not delay to come to them.

New English Translation
Because Lydda was near Joppa, when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Come to us without delay."

New King James Version
And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them.

New Living Translation
But the believers had heard that Peter was nearby at Lydda, so they sent two men to beg him, "Please come as soon as possible!"

New Life Bible
The city of Lydda was near Joppa. The followers heard that Peter was at Lydda and sent two men to ask him to come at once.

New Revised Standard
Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, "Please come to us without delay."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, Lydda being nigh unto Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was therein, sent off two men unto him, beseeching him - Do not delay to come through unto us!

Douay-Rheims Bible
And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppe, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not be slack to come unto them.

Revised Standard Version
Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him entreating him, "Please come to us without delay."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Lydda was nye to Ioppa and the disciples had hearde that Peter was there they sent vnto hym desyrynge him that he wolde not be greved to come vnto them.

Young's Literal Translation
and Lydda being nigh to Joppa, the disciples having heard that Peter is in that [place], sent two men unto him, calling on him not to delay to come through unto them.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But for so moch as Lydda was nye vnto Ioppa, and the disciples herde that Peter was there, they sent two men vnto him, and desyred him, yt he wolde take it for no grefe to come vnto them.

Mace New Testament (1729)
as Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples having heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him to desire he would come to them without delay.

Simplified Cowboy Version
When some folks who rode for the Lord heard Pete was in the area, they sent for him to come immediately.

Contextual Overview

³⁶Down the road a way in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, "Gazelle" in our language. She was well-known for doing good and helping out. During the time Peter was in the area she became sick and died. Her friends prepared her body for burial and put her in a cool room. ³⁸Some of the disciples had heard that Peter was visiting in nearby Lydda and sent two men to ask if he would be so kind as to come over. Peter got right up and went with them. They took him into the room where Tabitha's body was laid out. Her old friends, most of them widows, were in the room mourning. They showed Peter pieces of clothing the Gazelle had made while she was with them. Peter put the widows all out of the room. He knelt and prayed. Then he spoke directly to the body: "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes. When she saw Peter, she sat up. He took her hand and helped her up. Then he called in the believers and widows, and presented her to them alive. When this became known all over Joppa, many put their trust in the Master. Peter stayed on a long time in Joppa as a guest of Simon the Tanner. ⁴¹The Blinding of Saul All this time Saul was breathing down the necks of the Master's disciples, out for the kill. He went to the Chief Priest and got arrest warrants to take to the meeting places in Damascus so that if he found anyone there belonging to the Way, whether men or women, he could arrest them and bring them to Jerusalem. He set off. When he got to the outskirts of Damascus, he was suddenly dazed by a blinding flash of light. As he fell to the ground, he heard a voice: "Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me?" He said, "Who are you, Master?" "I am Jesus, the One you're hunting down. I want you to get up and enter the city. In the city you'll be told what to do next." His companions stood there dumbstruck—they could hear the sound, but couldn't see anyone—while Saul, picking himself up off the ground, found himself stone-blind. They had to take him by the hand and lead him into Damascus. He continued blind for three days. He ate nothing, drank nothing. There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master spoke to him in a vision: "Ananias." "Yes, Master?" he answered. "Get up and go over to Straight Avenue. Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He's there praying. He has just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him so he could see again." Ananias protested, "Master, you can't be serious. Everybody's talking about this man and the terrible things he's been doing, his reign of terror against your people in Jerusalem! And now he's shown up here with papers from the Chief Priest that give him license to do the same to us." But the Master said, "Don't argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I'm about to show him what he's in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job." So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on blind Saul, and said, "Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." No sooner were the words out of his mouth than something like scales fell from Saul's eyes—he could see again! He got to his feet, was baptized, and sat down with them to a hearty meal. Saul spent a few days getting acquainted with the Damascus disciples, but then went right to work, wasting no time, preaching in the meeting places that this Jesus was the Son of God. They were caught off guard by this and, not at all sure they could trust him, they kept saying, "Isn't this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem among the believers? And didn't he come here to do the same thing—arrest us and drag us off to jail in Jerusalem for sentencing by the high priests?" But their suspicions didn't slow Saul down for even a minute. His momentum was up now and he plowed straight into the opposition, disarming the Damascus Jews and trying to show them that this Jesus was the Messiah. After this had gone on quite a long time, some Jews conspired to kill him, but Saul got wind of it. They were watching the city gates around the clock so they could kill him. Then one night the disciples engineered his escape by lowering him over the wall in a basket. Back in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him. They didn't trust him one bit. Then Barnabas took him under his wing. He introduced him to the apostles and stood up for him, told them how Saul had seen and spoken to the Master on the Damascus Road and how in Damascus itself he had laid his life on the line with his bold preaching in Jesus' name. After that he was accepted as one of them, going in and out of Jerusalem with no questions asked, uninhibited as he preached in the Master's name. But then he ran afoul of a group called Hellenists—he had been engaged in a running argument with them—who plotted his murder. When his friends learned of the plot, they got him out of town, took him to Caesarea, and then shipped him off to Tarsus. Things calmed down after that and the church had smooth sailing for a while. All over the country—Judea, Samaria, Galilee—the church grew. They were permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God. The Holy Spirit was with them, strengthening them. They prospered wonderfully. Peter went off on a mission to visit all the churches. In the course of his travels he arrived in Lydda and met with the believers there. He came across a man—his name was Aeneas—who had been in bed eight years paralyzed. Peter said, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed!" And he did it—jumped right out of bed. Everybody who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him walking around and woke up to the fact that God was alive and active among them. Down the road a way in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, "Gazelle" in our language. She was well-known for doing good and helping out. During the time Peter was in the area she became sick and died. Her friends prepared her body for burial and put her in a cool room. Some of the disciples had heard that Peter was visiting in nearby Lydda and sent two men to ask if he would be so kind as to come over. Peter got right up and went with them. They took him into the room where Tabitha's body was laid out. Her old friends, most of them widows, were in the room mourning. They showed Peter pieces of clothing the Gazelle had made while she was with them. Peter put the widows all out of the room. He knelt and prayed. Then he spoke directly to the body: "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes. When she saw Peter, she sat up. He took her hand and helped her up. Then he called in the believers and widows, and presented her to them alive. ⁴²When this became known all over Joppa, many put their trust in the Master. Peter stayed on a long time in Joppa as a guest of Simon the Tanner.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Lydda: Acts 9:32, Acts 9:36

desiring: 2 Kings 4:28-30

delay: or, be grieved

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 4:22 - I may run Luke 8:41 - and besought John 4:47 - that he Acts 10:5 - send Acts 10:23 - and certain Acts 16:9 - Come

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa,.... Some say it was six miles distant, but it must be eight; since from Jerusalem to Joppa were forty miles, and from Jerusalem to Lydda thirty two, and therefore it must be eight miles from thence to Joppa:

and the disciples had heard that Peter was there; and also no doubt that he had healed Aeneas of his palsy, and which might induce them to do as follows:

they sent unto him two men; very likely of their own company or church; for it is certain here were disciples or believers in Christ, and very likely were formed into a church state; these seem to be converts under Philip's ministry, who when he went from Azotus, preached in all the cities, and so in Joppa, till he came to Caesarea, Acts 8:40 though we read nothing in ecclesiastical history of this church at Joppa, until the fifth century, when it appears there was a church in that place n; and in the same century we read of Fidus bishop of Joppa, that was present in the synod held at Ephesus, anno 431 and in the sixth century of Elias bishop of the same place, in the council at Jerusalem, anno 536 o and in the same century a bishop of the church here assisted in the synod of Rome and Constantinople p.

desiring him, that he would not delay to come to them; they entreated he would not refuse to come, and think it too great a burden on him, or make any difficulty about it, or show any aversion to it; but that he would with all readiness and cheerfulness, and without delay immediately come unto them; for the case they wanted him for required speed and haste.

n Magdeburg. Hist. Eccles. cent. 5. c. 2. p. 2. o Reland. Palestina Illustrata, l. 3. p. 867. p Magdeburg. ib. cent. 6. c. 2. p. 3.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Was neigh to Joppa - See the notes on Acts 9:32.

They sent unto him ... - Why they sent is not affirmed. It is probable that they desired his presence to comfort and sustain them in their affliction. It is certainly possible that they expected he would restore her to life; but as this is not mentioned; as the apostles had as yet raised up no one from the dead; as even Stephen had not been restored to life, we have no authority for assuming, or supposing, that they had formed any such expectation.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 38. Sent unto him - desiring - that he would not delay to come] Tabitha died at Joppa, and Peter was at Lydda, about four leagues distant. But why did they send for Peter? We cannot tell. It is not likely that they had any expectation that he should raise her from the dead; for none of the apostles had as yet raised any; and if God did not choose to restore Stephen to life, this favour could not be reasonably expected in behalf of inferior persons. However, they might hope that he who cured Eneas at Lydda might cure Dorcas; for it is probable that they had sent for Peter before she died; and in this sense we might understand the απεστειλαν of the text.