And taking him by the right hand, he lifted him up: and forthwith his feet and soles received strength.
και πιασας αυτον της δεξιας χειρος ηγειρεν παραχρημα δε εστερεωθησαν αυτου αι βασεις και τα σφυρα
6 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Christ acted in the same way. Often He healed by a word, often by an action, and often He stretched out His hand where people were weaker in faith, so that they would not think the miracle happened by itself. "And taking him by the right hand, he raised him up." By this he showed the Resurrection, since it was an image of the Resurrection.
"And taking him," it says, "he raised him up." This manner of healing pointed to the Resurrection, for it was an image of the Resurrection.
The one whom Peter raises by his word he also strengthens with his right hand. For the speech of a teacher acts more weakly upon the hearts of hearers if it is not adorned by examples of fitting deeds.
After the sacred historian, in the first two chapters of his narrative, has told us how the opening of the Kingdom of God, or the Church of Christ on earth, was prepared, begun, and accomplished, he now recounts a remarkable and extraordinary event. This event had great significance for the success of the apostolic preaching, for aiding the inner condition of the first Christian community, and for its outward relations and position in Jerusalem. It was the miraculous healing by the Apostle Peter of a man lame from birth.
“Taking him by the hand,” and so forth: to the word the apostle adds an outward action, as the Lord Himself sometimes did (cf. Mk 9:27 and parallels), in order to awaken still greater energy of faith in the sick man. “And immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength”: immediately after the apostle’s word and action, by the almighty power of the Lord, the weakened feet and ankles, the chief joints of the legs, were strengthened. The sick man received the power he had never possessed before: the power to hold up the body and set it in motion. He was completely healed.
The touch of the apostolic hand upon the lame man had this significance: those who saw it were to understand that the miracle had not happened by itself, but through the action of the holy apostle. His mighty words could be heard by fewer people than could see his gesture. Jesus Christ also acted in this way with those He healed, for example, when He healed the young man (see Mk 9:27). The woman with an issue of blood herself touched Jesus Christ, who perceived the power going out from Him (see Mk 5:27-30). Therefore one may say that the outward action here was necessary, for the inward spiritual power had to act upon the material. And immediately the feet and ankles of the man lame from birth were strengthened.
He not only began to walk, but also to leap, as David leaped in spiritual exultation before the Ark that had been overshadowed. It is also significant that the healed man first went into the temple to give glory to God there. He understood that no one could do what Peter had done for him unless God had given the wonderworker this power (see Jn 9:33). According to the explanation of blessed Theophylact, “the healed man leaped so that in the end no one would remain who did not know of this fact. Because of his disposition and his fervent love for the apostles, and perhaps also from gratitude to them or from a desire to give them greater pleasure, he did not leave them. As for the fact that this miracle was performed in the temple, this was for greater benefit and salvation.”
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 17 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS