SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:37
Y aconteci en aquellos días que enfermando, muri; a la cual, despus de lavada, la pusieron en un cenadero.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 9:37
Verse 37. She was sick, and died] Even her holiness and usefulness could not prevent her from sickness and death. Dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt return, is a decree that must be fulfilled, even on the saints; for the body is dead, sentenced to death, because of sin, though the spirit be life because of righteousness. Whom when they had washed] Having the fullest proof that she was dead, they prepared for her interment. In most nations of the world it was customary to wash their dead before they buried them, and before they laid them out to lie in state, as Homer tells us was the case with the body of Patroclus: - wv eipwn, etaroisiv ekekleto diov acilleuv, amoi puri sthsai tripoda megan, ofra tacista patroklon louseian - kai tote dh lousan te, kai hleiyan lip elaiw - Iliad xviii. 343.
"So saying, he bade his train surround with fire A tripod huge, that they might quickly cleanse Patroclus from all stains of clotted gore.
They on the blazing hearth a tripod placed, Infused the water, thrust dry wood beneath, And soon the flames, encompassing around Its ample belly, warm'd the flood within.
Soon as the water in the singing brass Simmer'd, they bathed him, and with limpid oil Anointed.
They stretch'd him on his bed, then cover'd him From head to feet with linen texture light, And with a wide unsullied mantle last." COWPER.
The waking or watching of the dead was also practised among the ancient Greeks, as we learn from a preceding paragraph, where Achilles, addressing his dead friend Patroclus, tells him: - tofra de para nhusi korwnisi keiseai autwv? amoi de se trwai kai dardanidev baqukolpoi klausontai, nuktav te kai hmata dakruceousai Il. xviii. 338.- "Mean time, among My lofty galleys thou shalt lie, with tears Mourn'd day and night, by Trojan captives fair And Dardan, compassing thy bier around." COWPER.
A similar description is given by Virgil of the funeral obsequies of Misenus, AEneid vi. ver. 212.
Nec minus interea Misenum in littore Teucri Flebant, et cineri ingrato suprema ferebant.
Pars calidos latices et aena undantia flammis Expediunt, corpusque lavant frigentis et ungunt Fit gemitus: tum membra toro defleta reponunt, Purpureasque super vestes, velamina nota, Conjiciunt, &c.
"Meanwhile, the Trojan troops, with weeping eyes, To dead Misenus pay his obsequies.
First from the ground a lofty pile they rear Of pitch-trees, oaks, and pines, and unctuous fir: The fabric's front with cypress twigs they strew; And stick the sides with boughs of baleful yew; The topmost part his glitt'ring arms adorn: Warm waters then, in brazen cauldrons borne, Are pour'd to wash his body, joint by joint; And fragrant oils the stiffen'd limbs anoint.
With groans and cries Misenus they deplore.
Then on a bier with purple cover'd o'er The breathless body, thus bewail'd, they lay." DRYDEN.
These rites, in many respects, resemble those still used among the native Irish. See the account of the funeral ceremonies of the Egyptians, in the notes on Gen. l. 2. The primitive Christians washed the bodies of their dead not only out of decency and affectionate respect to them, but as a token of their firm belief in the resurrection of the dead.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 37. And it came to pass in those days , etc.] While Peter was in those parts, and particularly at Lydda, which was near: that she was sick and died ; fell ill with some disorder, and died of it: whom, when they had washed ; as was the manner of the Jews; and this they did, even though it was on a sabbath day: for so their canon runs f510 , they do all the necessaries for the dead (on the sabbath), they anoint him, yjydmw , and they wash him; yet that of Maimonides deserves some notice f511 ; it is forbidden to anoint part of the body, as the whole body; but if it is to remove filth, it is lawful; and so it is forbidden to wash part of the body with hot water, but with cold water they may wash his face, his hands, and his feet, but not the whole body.
This custom still continues, and their usual method is to wash the body with hot water, in which they put dried roses and camomile flowers: likewise, they take an egg, and beat it up in wine, and therewith anoint the head; and this washing and anointing are done by some at the house before the corpse is carried out (as here); but in some places, especially where there is a large number of Jews, all this is done in the burying places; where they have a little house, whither they carry the corpse, and put it on a table, and there wash it; and after washing, put, it into a coffin, and inter it f512 : and this has been the custom of other nations, if not of all nations: the custom with the Turks is this f513 ; the body being laid upon a board, and covered with a linen cloth, one of the ecclesiastical elders washes it with hot water and soap, another being present to hand the water; but they do not suffer others to look on: the body is thrice washed; and the third time they mingle camphire with it; and being washed, it is put into a coffin. And Ludolphus reports of the Abyssines, that their bodies being well washed and perfumed, they wrap them up in garments, and then are put upon a bier, and buried. And this was the practice both of the ancient Grecians and Romans, that as soon as ever anyone was dead, the body was immediately washed and anointed. Thus Creon is said to fetch Jocaste to wash her dead son; and Antigone requests of Creon, that she might wash her brother f515 .
It has been the custom of some countries to wash their dead bodies in rivers: and some people, in the northern parts, have chose, for this reason, to have their burying places near the banks of rivers, that their dead bodies might be washed in running water: and the Indians, which live at a distance from the river Ganges, will go fifteen or twenty days journey thither, to wash their corpse in it, though then putrefied, and then burn them; yea, they take their sick alive when they think they will die, and put them up to their middle in rivers, that they may die in pure and clear water; and they enjoin a very severe penance on those who omit to bring such as are near death, to a river to be washed f516 : they laid her in an upper chamber . The Ethiopic version reads quite the reverse; they put her in the lower part of the house: which is not likely.
Dr. Lightfoot conjectures that this upper chamber might be the common meeting place of the saints; and that they put her here, that if Peter should work a miracle all might be spectators of it; and certain it is, that the Jewish doctors used to meet in upper rooms, and confer together; (See Gill on Mark 2:4), and such there were in Lydda; (See Gill on Acts 1:13) and such there were in Lydda; ( Acts 9:32).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 36-43 - Many are full of good words, who are empty and barren in good works but Tabitha was a great doer, no great talker. Christians who have no property to give in charity, may yet be able to do acts of charity working with their hands, or walking with their feet, for the good of others. Those are certainly best praised whose own works praise them whether the words of others do so or not. But such are ungratefu indeed, who have kindness shown them, and will not acknowledge it, by showing the kindness that is done them. While we live upon the fulnes of Christ for our whole salvation, we should desire to be full of goo works, for the honour of his name, and for the benefit of his saints Such characters as Dorcas are useful where they dwell, as showing the excellency of the word of truth by their lives. How mean then the care of the numerous females who seek no distinction but outward decoration and who waste their lives in the trifling pursuits of dress and vanity Power went along with the word, and Dorcas came to life. Thus in the raising of dead souls to spiritual life, the first sign of life is the opening of the eyes of the mind. Here we see that the Lord can make u every loss; that he overrules every event for the good of those wh trust in him, and for the glory of his name __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
εγενετο 1096 5633 V-2ADI-3S δε 1161 CONJ εν 1722 PREP ταις 3588 T-DPF ημεραις 2250 N-DPF εκειναις 1565 D-DPF ασθενησασαν 770 5660 V-AAP-ASF αυτην 846 P-ASF αποθανειν 599 5629 V-2AAN λουσαντες 3068 5660 V-AAP-NPM δε 1161 CONJ αυτην 846 P-ASF εθηκαν 5087 5656 V-AAI-3P εν 1722 PREP υπερωω 5253 N-DSN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
37. Upper chamber. See on ch. i. 13.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
9:37 {In an upper chamber} (en huperwiwi). See on 1:13. Also in verse #39. In that house. this service was rendered by the women, though Luke has lousantes (masculine plural aorist active participle of louw), a general way of saying "they washed." The interment was not hurried as in Jerusalem (Ananias and Sapphira) and the upper room is where the body was usually placed.
