1. Acts 9:39 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

Why are all the widows standing around Peter?

Acts 9:39 (ESV)

39 So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them.

In the Greek text, the masculine term is used for all in Acts 9:40 implying that there were also some men in the room.1 The presence of the widows reflects their love for Dorcas; they benefited from her works of charity. It may imply that they are hoping for Peter to raise Dorcas from the dead.