What Does Acts 9:40 Mean in the King James?
But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
In Greek, the command “arise” shares its root with “resurrection”: Tabitha’s return is named as standing up.
THE MEANING
Here, prayer leads Peter to turn toward Tabitha’s body and speak to her directly. She opens her eyes and sits up; the word he speaks carries the sense of rising to stand, the same image that names resurrection elsewhere in Greek.
THE ROOT
ἀνάστηθι
anastēthi
GROWS FROM
ἵστημι
histēmi
To stand or set in place.
The command combines “up” with “stand,” naming Tabitha’s movement as standing up. The same root forms the Greek word for resurrection, so English’s separate words for “arise” and “resurrection” conceal a shared image of rising to one’s feet.
ALSO GROWS
anistēmi: To rise or stand up.
ἀνίστημι
This verb family gives the command to Tabitha its sense of getting up.
anastasis: Resurrection; a rising or standing up.
ἀνάστασις
This is the same root family used for resurrection, linking Tabitha’s rising with the language of being raised.
THE PATTERN
A word of life meets what lies still, and the body answers with movement.
And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.THE THREAD
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:The Greek word translated “arise” in Acts belongs to the same root family as the word translated “resurrection” here. The shared root makes resurrection sound like what the verse shows: rising to stand.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us