And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.

And it came to pass in those days, that she fell sick, and died: and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper chamber.

And it came to pass in those days that she grew sick and died; and, having washed her, they put her in the upper room.

and it came to pass in those days she, having ailed, died, and having bathed her, they laid her in an upper chamber,

But, as it happened, just at that time she was taken ill and died. After washing her body they laid it out in a room upstairs.

And it came about, in those days, that she got ill and came to her death: and when she had been washed, they put her in a room which was high up.

It happened in those days that she fell sick, and died. When they had washed her, they placed her in an upper chamber.

And it happened that, in those days, she became ill and died. And when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.

Just at that time she was taken ill, and died; and they had washed her body and laid it out in an upstairs room.

It happened that she was sick. He saith in plain words that she was sick, that he may the more plainly express her death which followed. To the same end he saith that the corpse was washed and laid in an upper chamber; therefore, these circumstances serve to make the miracle to be believed. Whereas they carry her not straightway to the grave, but lay her in the upper part of the house, that they may keep her there, we may thereby gather that they had some hope of recovering her life. It is likely that the rite of washing, whereof Luke maketh mention, was most ancient; and I do not doubt but that it came from the holy fathers by continual course of times, as if it had been delivered from hand to hand, that in death itself some visible and of the resurrection might comfort the minds of the godly, and lift them up unto some good hope; to wit, seeing the manifestation of eternal life was not so evident, yea, seeing that Christ, the pledge and substance of eternal life, was not as yet revealed, it was requisite that both the obscurity of doctrine, and also the absence of Christ, should be supplied by such helps. Therefore they washed the bodies of the dead, that they might once [1] stand before the judgment-seat of God, being clean. [2] Finally, there was the same reason for washing the dead which was for the living; the daily washing put them in mind of this, that no man can please God save he who should be purged from his filthiness. So, in the rite of burying, God would have some sign extant whereby men might be admonished that they went polluted out of this life by reason of that filthiness which they had gathered in the world. Washing did no more help those which were dead than burial, but it was used to teach the living; [3] for because death hath some show of destruction, lest it should extinguish the faith of the resurrection, it was requisite that contrary shows should be set against it, that they might represent life in death. The Gentiles also took to themselves this ceremony, for which cause Ennius saith, A good woman did wash and anoint Tarquinius's corpse. But (their) imitation was but apish [4] in this thing, as in all other ceremonies. And Christians also have taken to themselves this example unadvisedly, as if the observation of a figure used under the law ought to continue always; for at the beginning of the gospel, although the necessity were abolished, yet the use was lawful, until such time as it might grow out of use in tract of time. But the monks do at this day no less imitate Judaism than did the Gentiles in times past, without choice and judgment, for they wash corpses, that they may bury Christ in shadows, which, being buried with him in his grave, ought never to have been used any more.

Footnotes

1 - "Ut pura aliquando ad Dei tribunal sisterentur," that they might one day stand pure at the judgmentseat of God.

2 - "Quotidianae ablutiones," their daily ablutions.

3 - "Superstites," survivors.

4 - "Praepostera," preposterous.

Whom, when they had washed - Among most people it has been customary to wash the body before it is buried or burned. They prepared her in the usual manner for interment.
In an upper chamber - See the notes on Acts 1:13. There is no evidence that they expected that Peter would raise her up to life.

She was sick, and died - Even her holiness and usefulness could not prevent her from sickness and death. Dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt return, is a decree that must be fulfilled, even on the saints; for the body is dead, sentenced to death, because of sin, though the spirit be life because of righteousness.
Whom when they had washed - Having the fullest proof that she was dead, they prepared for her interment. In most nations of the world it was customary to wash their dead before they buried them, and before they laid them out to lie in state, as Homer tells us was the case with the body of Patroclus: -
Ὡς εἱπων, ἑταροισιν εκεκλετο διος Αχιλλευς,
Αμφι πυρι Ϛησαι τριποδα μεγαν, οφρα ταχιϚα
Πατροκλον λουσειαν -
Και τοτε δη λουσαν τε, και ηλειψαν λιπ' ελαιῳ
- Iliad xviii. 343.
"So saying, he bade his train surround with fire
A tripod huge, that they might quickly cleanse
Patroclus from all stains of clotted gore.
They on the blazing hearth a tripod placed,
Infused the water, thrust dry wood beneath,
And soon the flames, encompassing around
Its ample belly, warm'd the flood within.
Soon as the water in the singing brass
Simmer'd, they bathed him, and with limpid oil Anointed.
They stretch'd him on his bed, then cover'd him
From head to feet with linen texture light,
And with a wide unsullied mantle last."
Cowper.
The waking or watching of the dead was also practised among the ancient Greeks, as we learn from a preceding paragraph, where Achilles, addressing his dead friend Patroclus, tells him: -
Τοφρα δε μοι παρα νηυσι κορωνισι κεισεαι αὑτως·
Αμφι δε σε Τρωαι και Δαρδανιδες βαθυκολποι
Κλαυσονται, νυκτας τε και ηματα δακρυχεουσαι
Il. xviii. 338.
- "Mean time, among
My lofty galleys thou shalt lie, with tears
Mourn'd day and night, by Trojan captives fair
And Dardan, compassing thy bier around."
Cowper.
A similar description is given by Virgil of the funeral obsequies of Misenus, Aeneid vi. ver. 212.
Nec minus interea Misenum in littore Teucri
Flebant, et cineri ingrato suprema ferebant.
Pars calidos latices et aena undantia flammis
Expediunt, corpusque lavant frigentis et ungunt
Fit gemitus: tum membra toro defleta reponunt,
Purpureasque super vestes, velamina nota,
Conjiciunt, etc.
"Meanwhile, the Trojan troops, with weeping eyes,
To dead Misenus pay his obsequies.
First from the ground a lofty pile they rear
Of pitch-trees, oaks, and pines, and unctuous fir:
The fabric's front with cypress twigs they strew;
And stick the sides with boughs of baleful yew;
The topmost part his glitt'ring arms adorn:
Warm waters then, in brazen cauldrons borne,
Are pour'd to wash his body, joint by joint;
And fragrant oils the stiffen'd limbs anoint.
With groans and cries Misenus they deplore.
Then on a bier with purple cover'd o'er
The breathless body, thus bewail'd, they lay."
Dryden.
These rites, in many respects, resemble those still used among the native Irish. See the account of the funeral ceremonies of the Egyptians, in the notes on Genesis 50:2 (note). The primitive Christians washed the bodies of their dead not only out of decency and affectionate respect to them, but as a token of their firm belief in the resurrection of the dead.

And it came to pass in those days,.... While Peter was in those parts, and particularly at Lydda, which was near:
that she was sick and died; fell ill with some disorder, and died of it:
whom, when they had washed; as was the manner of the Jews; and this they did, even though it was on a sabbath day: for so their canon runs (f),
"they do all the necessaries for the dead (on the sabbath), they anoint him, "and they wash him";''
yet that of Maimonides deserves some notice (g);
"it is forbidden to anoint part of the body, as the whole body; but if it is to remove filth, it is lawful; and so it is forbidden to wash part of the body with hot water, but with cold water they may wash his face, his hands, and his feet, but not the whole body.''
This custom still continues, and their usual method is to wash the body with hot water, in which they put dried roses and camomile flowers: likewise, they take an egg, and beat it up in wine, and therewith anoint the head; and this washing and anointing are done by some at the house before the corpse is carried out (as here); but in some places, especially where there is a large number of Jews, all this is done in the burying places; where they have a little house, whither they carry the corpse, and put it on a table, and there wash it; and after washing, put, it into a coffin, and inter it (h): and this has been the custom of other nations, if not of all nations: the custom with the Turks is this (i); the body being laid upon a board, and covered with a linen cloth, one of the ecclesiastical elders washes it with hot water and soap, another being present to hand the water; but they do not suffer others to look on: the body is thrice washed; and the third time they mingle camphire with it; and being washed, it is put into a coffin. And Ludolphus (k) reports of the Abyssines, that their bodies being well washed and perfumed, they wrap them up in garments, and then are put upon a bier, and buried. And this was the practice both of the ancient Grecians and Romans, that as soon as ever anyone was dead, the body was immediately washed and anointed. Thus Creon is said to fetch Jocaste to wash her dead son; and Antigone requests of Creon, that she might wash her brother (l). It has been the custom of some countries to wash their dead bodies in rivers: and some people, in the northern parts, have chose, for this reason, to have their burying places near the banks of rivers, that their dead bodies might be washed in running water: and the Indians, which live at a distance from the river Ganges, will go fifteen or twenty days journey thither, to wash their corpse in it, though then putrefied, and then burn them; yea, they take their sick alive when they think they will die, and put them up to their middle in rivers, that they may die in pure and clear water; and they enjoin a very severe penance on those who omit to bring such as are near death, to a river to be washed (m):
they laid her in an upper chamber. The Ethiopic version reads quite the reverse; "they put her in the lower part of the house": which is not likely. Dr. Lightfoot conjectures that this upper chamber might be the common meeting place of the saints; and that they put her here, that if Peter should work a miracle all might be spectators of it; and certain it is, that the Jewish doctors used to meet in upper rooms, and confer together; See Gill on Mark 2:4, and such there were in Lydda; See Gill on Acts 1:13 and such there were in Lydda; Acts 9:32.
(f) Misn. Sabbat, c. 23. sect. 5. (g) Hilch. Ebel, c. 5. sect. 4. (h) Buxtorf. Synagog. Jude. c. 49. p. 699, 700. Leo Modena's History of the Rites, &c. of the Jews, par. 5. c. 8. (i) Bobovius de Visitat. Aegrot. p. 18. Georgievitz de Turc. Moribus, p. 36. (k) Hist. Ethiop. l. 3. c. 6. (l) Vid. Kirchmannum de Funeribus Roman. l. 1. c. 7. (m) Sperling de Baptismo Ethnicorum, c. 4. p. 26, 27.

when they had washed--according to the custom of civilized nations towards the dead.
in an--rather, "the"
upper chamber--(compare 1-Kings 17:19).

Washed, . . . laid her in an upper chamber. Prepared for burial. The place was the large upper room on the upper floor of Eastern houses, usually used as a guest chamber.