St Tabitha, the charitable disciple (Acts 9:36-43)

In the Book of Acts, we find an insightful story about a charitable woman named Tabitha, who was miraculously restored to life by St Peter. This episode is one of several highlighting St. Peter’s ability to work miracles, including the healing of Aeneas, which took place shortly before (Acts 9:32-35).

Tabitha, who was also known as Dorcas, lived in the port town of Joppa. As a disciple of Christ, she devoted her life to doing good and to helping the poor. However, one day she suddenly fell sick and died. Afterwards, her body was laid out in an upstairs room. When the church community heard that St Peter was nearby in Lydda, they sent two men to ask him to come quickly. 

When he arrived, St Peter found widows from the church mourning her death. They showed him various clothes that Tabitha had made for the poor. He then cleared the room, prayed, and said ‘Tabitha, get up’. Immediately, she miraculously came back to life. St Peter presented her alive to the community and news of the miracle spread throughout the city, leading to many conversions to the faith. 

The fact that Tabitha went by two names, one Aramaic (Tabitha) and one Greek (Dorcas, the translation of her Aramaic name) suggests that she spoke both languages. Joppa was an international seaport, and the route to the Greek islands (1 Maccabees 14:5,34). Therefore, in her service of others, it’s likely that Tabitha embraced different cultures.

Joppa is also of great symbolic importance in the Bible. It was where the Prophet Jonah had once boarded a ship, in a bid to escape his mission, before miraculously surviving death at sea. The resurrection of Tabitha in the same city underlines God’s power over death, and his ability to provide second chances.

Her association with widows in the text means that Tabitha probably belonged to the sisterhood of widows. Membership of this group was open to aged women who had already raised their children. Before joining, they had to prove that they were focused on “offering hospitality to strangers, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in distress, and being active in all kinds of good work” (1 Timothy 5:9). As such, she is a great example of practical charity.

St Peter’s resurrection miracle finds a parallel with Christ raising three people from the dead, namely his friend Lazarus, the daughter of Jairus, and a widow’s son (Luke 7:11-17; 8:40-56; John 11:1-44). This reflects his commitment to continuing Christ’s mission of hope, healing and restoration.

This stained glass scene of St Peter praying for the resurrection of Tabitha is found within the Cathedral of St Peter, in Lancaster. It was created by Hardman & Co. in 1894-1895 and forms part of a wider scheme of windows telling the story of St Peter’s life. Here we see St Peter surrounded by the mourning widows of the church, complemented by the studio’s Gothic Revival detailing in his robe, the bedding and the curtain.

See the full image:

Where to find this work of art
Cathedral of St Peter, Lancaster

Read the relevant passage
Acts 9:36-43

On a similar theme:

• From the Old Testament: After three days, the Prophet Jonah was rescued from death at sea.
• From the New Testament: Christ raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead, by inviting her to get up from the bed.