Acts 9:36 Meaning and Explanation
“Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →In Joppa lives a disciple named Tabitha — Dorcas in Greek — a woman full of good works and acts of mercy.
What Does Acts 9:36 Mean?
Joppa was the old seaport on the Mediterranean, where Jonah once boarded his ship. Tabitha bears two names, Aramaic and Greek, both meaning gazelle. She is the only woman in the New Testament expressly called a disciple in the feminine form of the word — and her discipleship has a signature: good works and almsdeeds “which she did.”
Luke writes her commendation while she lives: full of good works — not occasional charity but a life whose climate is kindness, sewn with her own hands for actual neighbors (v. 39). Quiet, practical mercy stands in heaven’s record beside sermons and miracles; the verses that follow will spend a resurrection on a seamstress.
Acts 9:36 in the Original Language
Dorkas (Δορκάς), 'gazelle' -- the Greek meaning of her name, matching the Aramaic Tabitha.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 9:36
What does Acts 9:36 mean?
In Joppa lives a disciple named Tabitha — Dorcas in Greek — a woman full of good works and acts of mercy.