{"id":24683,"date":"2025-05-06T07:00:06","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T11:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/?p=24683"},"modified":"2025-05-05T09:58:23","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T13:58:23","slug":"tabitha-in-the-bible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/tabitha-in-the-bible\/","title":{"rendered":"Tabitha in the Bible"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"famous<\/a>

In the 15th-century painting Healing of the Cripple and Raising of Tabith<\/em>, Masolino da Panicale depicts the most famous scene of Tabitha in the Bible: the miraculous prayer of Peter that brings Tabitha back from the dead.<\/p><\/div>\n

Luke, the writer of Luke-Acts, tells the story of Tabitha<\/a>, a disciple brought back to life after prayer from the apostle Peter. After she is washed and laid out in an upper room, Peter takes her hand and commands her to get up (Acts 9:36-42).<\/p>\n

In seven verses, Luke presents Tabitha as much loved, and the miracle of her return to life leads many to believe (v. 42). Luke\u2019s terse account contains praise, humor, honor, sadness, joy and insights on the faith of the early church. Tabitha is so beloved and so essential to the life of her believing community in Joppa, a port city near the heart of modern Tel Aviv, that others cannot imagine life without her. Tabitha simply cannot stay dead. Her faithful community will not permit it!<\/p>\n

Throughout Luke\u2019s story, Tabitha remains silent. Luke speaks for her. In what could be considered a humorous touch, her only living actions are opening her eyes, seeing Peter, sitting up, being helped up by him, and being presented alive to the believers and widows<\/a> (vv. 40-41).
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Luke Honors Tabitha in the Bible<\/h4>\n

By silencing her, Luke honors her. Others give her accolades and loudly mourn her death (v. 39). Perhaps the best and truest praise one receives comes extemporaneously from others. This certainly applies to the treatment of Tabitha in the Bible.<\/p>\n

Luke introduces her with a double name: Tabitha and Dorcas (v. 36). The Aramaic and Greek mean gazelle. Perhaps the doubling shows her ministry to Jewish and Hellenistic believers, something noted earlier in Acts 6:1 and emphasized from chapter 10 on; if so, the placement of Tabitha\u2019s story serves as a transition in the fulfillment of Jesus\u2019 command to his disciples to \u201cbe my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth\u201d (Acts 1:8). Perhaps her name indicates a woman of energy, grace, beauty and quick movements.<\/p>\n

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Robin Gallaher Branch has written several other Bible History Daily-exclusive character studies. Read Judith: A Remarkable Heroine<\/strong><\/a>, Barnabas: An Encouraging Early Church Leader<\/strong><\/a> and Anna in the Bible<\/strong><\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Luke praises her as a disciple (mathetria<\/em>) who was always doing good and helping the poor (Acts 9:36); her specific designation as disciple<\/em> proves that Jesus had female disciples. In fact, there are three places where the words disciple<\/em> or disciples<\/em> include women: Acts 9:1-2, 36; 18:24-26b.<\/p>\n

Luke indicates that Tabitha took God\u2019s commands about society\u2019s most vulnerable seriously. (\u201cDo not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor.\u201d Zechariah 7:10. See also Deuteronomy 24:17, 20-21; Ezekiel 22:7; James 1:27.) Looking after the marginalized is one of God\u2019s characteristics, too, for God is shown in Psalm 146:8-9 as lifting up those bowed down, watching over the alien and sustaining the fatherless and widow.<\/p>\n

Luke is generally quite selective with his praise, heightening the value of the accolades given to Tabitha in the Bible. In addition to Tabitha, Luke-Acts commends a few other notable characters. Consider these examples: Luke describes Zechariah and Elizabeth as upright in the sight of God (Luke 1:6), Joseph as a good and upright man from Arimathea (Luke 23:50-51) and Barnabas as a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and faith (Acts 11:24).<\/p>\n

Acts 9 highlights Luke\u2019s characteristic writing style with its balance of opposites. Luke pairs Tabitha\u2019s story of dying and being brought back to life with that of Aeneas, who is healed by Peter after being bedridden for eight years (vv. 32-35). Neither Tabitha nor Aeneas seeks a miracle. While visiting Lydda, Peter sees Aeneas and says, \u201cAeneas, Jesus Christ heals you\u201d (v. 34); concerning Tabitha\u2019s death, the disciples of Joppa urge Peter to \u201cplease come at once!\u201d (v. 38). Acts 9:1-31 tells of Saul\u2019s conversion and verses 32-43 close and balance the chapter with stories about Peter; like Peter, Saul becomes a great apostle of the faith. Seen another way, Acts 9 contains a man\u2019s miraculous conversion and a woman\u2019s miraculous restoration to life.<\/p>\n

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For more than two thousand years, Jezebel has been saddled with a reputation as the bad girl of the Bible, the wickedest of women. But just how depraved was Jezebel, really? Read Janet Howe Gaines’s article How Bad Was Jezebel?<\/a><\/strong> for free in Bible History Daily. <\/em><\/p>\n

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Ministry Focus<\/h4>\n

Luke\u2019s account of Tabitha focuses on her ministry (to use a modern term) to two groups: the poor and widows. In Biblical times, the designation widow<\/em> meant a woman whose husband was dead and who had no means of financial support; therefore, she needed both protection and physical, legal and financial assistance.*<\/a> In other words, a widow is a woman with constant needs, and being a widow was virtually synonymous with being poor. If enfeebled, who will glean for the widows and how will they eat? If they lose their houses in order to pay their debts, where will they live? (In Mark 12:40, Jesus condemns teachers of the law specifically for devouring widows\u2019 houses.) If they lack shelter and regular sustenance, they likely will fall ill. Who then will care for them? As they age, who will listen to them?<\/p>\n

In a parable about helping the needy, Jesus contrasts the life-saving actions of a Samaritan with the bypassing indifference of a priest and Levite (Luke 10:25-37). Unlike these members of the established priesthood who ignored the man beaten by bandits, Tabitha purposefully sought out the poor and widows and actively looked to see how she could help meet their needs. In the first century, when female activities generally centered on daily survival for themselves and their families, Tabitha engaged the needs of her community. Her lifestyle showed that love is an active verb intent on doing good for others.<\/p>\n

Luke concentrates on one specific part of Tabitha\u2019s ministry: making robes and clothing for the widows. Evidently she dressed these widows fashionably, for as she lies washed and prepared for burial, they tearfully display her work to Peter with obvious pride (v. 39). These women were her friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t

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