“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.”
Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, 'Tabitha, get up.' She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.—Peter's clearing the room (paralleling Jesus with Jairus's daughter, Mark 5:40) establishes a sacred space for divine action. His kneeling in prayer shows dependence on God's power, not his own; he is a conduit, not the source. The Aramaic echo ('Tabitha, get up') mirrors Jesus's 'Talitha koum' (Mark 5:41), suggesting Peter's apostolic re-enactment of Jesus's resurrection power.
Church Fathers on Acts 9:40
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. Acts 9:40 Why does he put them all out? That he may not be confused nor disturbed by their weeping. And having knelt down, he prayed. Observe the intentness of his prayer
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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