The Meaning of Acts 9:41 Explained

Acts 9:41

KJV: And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.

YLT: and having given her his hand, he lifted her up, and having called the saints and the widows, he presented her alive,

Darby: And having given her his hand, he raised her up, and having called the saints and the widows, presented her living.

ASV: And he gave her his hand, and raised her up; and calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  he gave  her  [his] hand,  and lifted  her  up,  and  when he had called  the saints  and  widows,  presented  her  alive. 

What does Acts 9:41 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 9:32-43 - Strength And Life Through Christ
Peter was now free for a visit of apostolic inspection, of which the two incidents here preserved are the only record. Lydda was a village on the great plain, abutting on the seaboard. The effect of the miracle of healing wrought upon Æneas was profound. A general conversion of the agricultural population was the immediate result. They all turned to the Lord. The villagers had probably been prepared by the tidings of what had taken place, and a single spark sufficed to set the whole country in a blaze.
The little church at Joppa had sustained a serious loss in the death of one of its chief workers, a woman named Dorcas, Acts 9:36-37. She is described as a certain disciple. She had learned of Jesus Christ the great lesson that the love of God implies ministry to others, and she gave herself to practice it by quiet, feminine handiwork, which she distributed among the desolate and friendless women of the town. Peter's prayer in the chamber of death was answered, and Dorcas was given back to her friends. Our Lord put His seal upon her work, and she has been crowned as the patron saint of women workers. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 9

1  Saul, going toward Damascus, is stricken down to the earth,
8  and led blind to Damascus;
10  is called to the apostleship;
18  and is baptized by Ananias
20  He preaches Christ boldly
23  The Jews lay wait to kill him;
29  so do the Grecians, but he escapes both
31  The church having rest, Peter heals Aeneas;
36  and restores Tabitha to life

Greek Commentary for Acts 9:41

Raised her up [anestēsen autēn)]
First aorist active indicative, transitive, of anistēmi [source]
Presented [parestēsen)]
First aorist active indicative, transitive of paristēmi (cf. intransitive second aorist in Acts 9:39 above). It was a joyful time for Peter, the widows, all the saints, and for Dorcas. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 9:41

Acts 9:13 To thy saints [τοις αγιοις]
Dative of disadvantage. “Used here for the first time as a name for the Christians” (Knowling), but it came to be the common and normal (Hackett) term for followers of Christ (Acts 9:32, Acts 9:41; Acts 26:10; 1 Corinthians 1:2, etc.). This common word is from το αγος — to hagos religious awe or reverence and is applied to God‘s name (Luke 1:49), God‘s temple (Matthew 24:15), God‘s people as set apart for God (Luke 1:70; Luke 2:23; Romans 1:7, etc.). Ananias in his ignorance saw in Saul only the man with an evil reputation while Jesus saw in Saul the man transformed by grace to be a messenger of mercy. [source]
Romans 6:13 Yield [παριστάνετε]
Put at the service of; render. Rev., present. Compare Luke 2:22; Acts 9:41; Romans 12:1. See on Acts 1:3. [source]
Romans 1:7 Called to be saints [κλητοῖς ἁγίοις]
Or, saints by way of call. See on called to be an apostle, Romans 1:1. It is asserted that they are what they are called. The term ἅγιοι saintsis applied to Christians in three senses in theNew Testament. 1, As members of a visible and local community (Acts 9:32, Acts 9:41; Acts 26:10); 2, as members of a spiritual community (1 Corinthians 1:2; Colossians 3:12); 3, as individually holy (Ephesians 1:18; Colossians 1:12; Revelation 13:10). [source]
1 Timothy 5:3 Widows [χήρας]
Paul alludes to widows in 1 Corinthians 7:8only, where he advises them against remarrying. They are mentioned as a class in Acts 6:1, in connection with the appointment of the seven. Also Acts 9:39, Acts 9:41. In the Pastorals they receive special notice, indicating their advance from the position of mere beneficiaries to a quasi-official position in the church. from the very first, the church recognised its obligation to care for their support. A widow, in the East, was peculiarly desolate and helpless. In return for their maintenance certain duties were required of them, such as the care of orphans, sick and prisoners, and they were enrolled in an order, which, however, did not include all of their number who received alms of the church. In Polycarp's Epistle to the Philippians, they are styled “the altar of God.” To such an order the references in the Pastorals point. The Fathers, from the end of the second century to the fourth, recognised a class known as πρεσβύτιδες agedwomen (Titus 2:3), who had oversight of the female church-members and a separate seat in the congregation. The council of Laodicaea abolished this institution, or so modified it that widows no longer held an official relation to the church. [source]
1 Peter 1:3 Lively [ζῶσαν]
Better, as Rev., literally rendering the participle, living: a favorite word with Peter. See 1 Peter 1:23; 1 Peter 2:4, 1 Peter 2:5, 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 4:5, 1 Peter 4:6; and compare Acts 9:41, where Peter is the prominent actor; and Acts 10:42, where he is the speaker. [source]
1 John 2:9 His brother [τὸν ἀδελφόν]
His fellow-Christian. The singular, brother, is characteristic of this Epistle. See 1 John 2:10, 1 John 2:11; 1 John 3:10, 1 John 3:15, 1 John 3:17; 1 John 4:20, 1 John 4:21; 1 John 5:16. Christians are called in the New Testament, Christians (Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16), mainly by those outside of the Christian circle. Disciples, applied to all followers of Christ (John 2:11; John 6:61) and strictly to the twelve (John 13:5sqq.). In Acts 19:1, to those who had received only John's baptism. Not found in John's Epistles nor in Revelation. Brethren. The first title given to the body of believers after the Ascension (Acts 1:15, where the true reading is ἀδελφῶν brethrenfor μαθητῶν disciples). See Acts 9:30; Acts 10:23; Acts 11:29; 1 Thessalonians 4:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; 1 John 3:14; 3 John 1:5, 3 John 1:10; John 21:23. Peter has ἡ ἀδελφότης thebrotherhood (1 Peter 2:17; 1 Peter 5:9). The believers. Under three forms: The believers ( οἱ πιστοί ; Acts 10:45; 1 Timothy 4:12); they that believe ( οἱ πιστεύοντες ; 1 Peter 2:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:7; Ephesians 1:19); they that believed ( οἱ πιστεύσαντες ; Acts 2:44; Acts 4:32; Hebrews 4:3). The saints ( οἱ ἅγιοι ); characteristic of Paul and Revelation. Four times in the Acts (Acts 9:13, Acts 9:32, Acts 9:41; Acts 26:10), and once in Jude (Judges 1:3). Also Hebrews 6:10; Hebrews 13:24. In Paul, 1 Corinthians 6:1; 1 Corinthians 14:33; Ephesians 1:1, Ephesians 1:15, etc. In Revelation 5:8; Revelation 8:3, Revelation 8:4; Revelation 11:18, etc.|Until now ( ἕως ἄρτι )|Though the light has been increasing, and though he may claim that he has been in the light from the first. The phrase occurs in John 2:10; John 5:17; John 16:24; and is used by Paul, 1 Corinthians 4:13; 1 Corinthians 8:7; 1 Corinthians 15:6.| [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 9:41 mean?

Having given then her [his] hand he raised up her Having called the saints and the widows he presented her living
δοὺς δὲ αὐτῇ χεῖρα ἀνέστησεν αὐτήν φωνήσας τοὺς ἁγίους καὶ τὰς χήρας παρέστησεν αὐτὴν ζῶσαν

δοὺς  Having  given 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: διδῶ 
Sense: to give.
αὐτῇ  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
χεῖρα  [his]  hand 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: χείρ  
Sense: by the help or agency of any one, by means of any one.
ἀνέστησεν  he  raised  up 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀναπηδάω 
Sense: to cause to rise up, raise up.
αὐτήν  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
φωνήσας  Having  called 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: φωνέω 
Sense: to sound, emit a sound, to speak.
ἁγίους  saints 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἅγιος  
Sense: most holy thing, a saint.
χήρας  widows 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: χήρα  
Sense: a widow.
παρέστησεν  he  presented 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: παριστάνω 
Sense: to place beside or near.
αὐτὴν  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ζῶσαν  living 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ζάω  
Sense: to live, breathe, be among the living (not lifeless, not dead).