Mark 5:35
While he yet spake,; While he was yet speaking--ABUV; Before he had finished speaking--Rieu; Even as he spoke--Gspd; there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said,; ...from the ruler's house some who said--RSV; men came from the house of the warden of the synagogue to tell him--Mon; Thy daughter is dead:; Your daughter has died-- NASB; why troublest thou the Master any further?; why trouble the Teacher...--ABUV; why trouble the Rabbi further--NEB; they come from the synagogue-ruler's, saying-- /Thy daughter\ is dead! Why /further\ annoy the teacher? As he is yet speaking, there come from the chief of the synagogue's house, certain, saying--"Thy daughter did die, why still dost thou harass the Teacher?" TRNTyeagerV328,9 - Eti autou lalountos erchontai apo tou archisunagwgou legontes hoti hA thugatAr sou apethanen. ti eti skulleis ton didaskalon; Eti (adverbial). autou (gen.sing.masc.of autos, genitive absolute). lalountos (pres.act.part.gen.sing.masc.of lalew, genitive absolute). erchontai (3d.per.pl.pres.ind.of erchomai, historical). apo (preposition with the ablative of separation). tou (abl.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with archisunagwgou). archisunagwgou (abl.sing.masc.of archisunagwgos, separation). legontes (pres.act.part.nom.pl.masc.of legw, adverbial, temporal). hoti (recitative). hA (nom.sing.fem.of the article in agreement with thugarAr). thugatAr (nom.sing.fem.of thugatAr, subject of apethanen). sou (gen.sing.masc.of su, relationship). apethanen (3d.per.sing.2d.aor.act.ind.of apothnAskw, culminative). ti (interrogative pronoun, acc.sing.neut.of tis, cause). eti (adverbial). skulleis (2d.per.sing.pres.act.ind.of skullw, static). ton (acc.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with didaskalon). didaskalon (acc.sing.masc.of didaskalos, direct object of skulleis). Translation: "As He was speaking they came from the (house) of the ruler of the synagogue saying, 'Your daughter is dead. Why do you continue to trouble the teacher?'" COMMENT: Mark does not need eti before the genitive absolute, as the participle lalountos is in the present tense giving the notion of simultaneity with the main verb erchontai. As Jesus spoke the words of vs.34, someone (Lk.8:49 has tis) came from Jairus' home with bad news. tou archisunagwgou cannot be all of the prepositional phrase introduced by apo. If so, the Greek says that those who brought the death message came from the ruler. But they did not. They came to the ruler, not from him and told him of his daughter's death and suggested that there was no further need to bother Jesus ab out it. We assume that the little girl was at home at the time of her death. If so, the word oikou should be inserted. Luke writes the passage tis para tou archisunagwgou which translates "someone came to the ruler's side." Mark's use of apo ("from") demands oikou. The message is abrupt and devastating to the distraught father, who probably resented the intrusion of the sick woman as he and Jesus hurried to his home. But Jesus is still in command. Note the culminative aorist in apethanen and the static present in skulleis. The question implies that Jairus will continue to bother Jesus indefinitely. Mantey discusses the Static Present by saying, "The present tense may be used to represent a condition which is assumed as perpetually existing, or to be ever taken for granted as a fact... The idea of progress in a verb of action finds its natural counterpart in an idea of perpetual state in a verb of being. This use is practically the present of duration applied to a verb of being." (Mantey, Manual Grammar, 186). R502 - In apo tou archisunagwgou, it is possible that oikou is to be supplied ("from the ruler's house," cf. v.38), since the man himself has already come (v.22). B47 - The aorist verb apethanen occurs with the proper force of a Greek perfect (i.e., to denote a present state, the result of a past act; cf. Lk.8:49). MARK-TCGTCcranfield187 - apo tou archisunagwgou: 'from the ruler of the synagogue's house'--for they are actually addressing the ruler of the synagogue. apethanen. The aorist used where the perfect (as in Lk.8:49, but not in 52f.) would seem more natural; the meaning is not 'died', but 'is dead'. (See Moule, pp.10ff.) skulleis is here used in the weakened sense that it came to have: so 'trouble'. Originally it meant 'flay'. MARKitGNTwuest114 - "While He yet spake." What a vivid touch. This is Mark's report of the lifelike description which Peter gave him. The messengers came at the most opportune moment, attracting attention from the woman. "There came from the ruler of the synagogue's house." The verb is present in tense, speaking of a past event with the vividness of a present reality. It was an echo of Peter's words: "There comes from the ruler of the synagogue's house." The word "house" is not in the Greek text. But the ruler himself was standing there with Jesus, therefore the messengers must have come from his home, not from him. "Thy daughter is dead." The verb is aorist. The message was: "Your daughter died." "Why troublest thou the Master any further?" "Troublest" is from the verb skullw, "to skin, to flay, to vex, to annoy, distress, bother, worry." "Master" is didaskalos "teacher." The ruler must have kept close to the Lord Jesus during the incident of the healing of the woman, and while his heart went out to her in her distress, and rejoiced in her healing, yet his heart of hearts was with his daughter who was dying. Now comes the sudden news of her death. Translation: "While He was still speaking, they come from the home of the ruler of the synagogue saying: Your daughter died. Why are you still bothering the Teacher?" NTC-MARKhendriksen211 - The first miracle performed - a. a word of encouragement - The messengers may have been relatives of Jairus, or they may have been friends. At any rate, they were not very diplomatic about conveying the alarming news. Rather bluntly they said, "Your daughter is dead." They add, "Why bother the Teacher any further?" As these relatives and/or friends saw it, there was not even the remotest possibility that Jesus would be able to restore a dead person. For a while there had been hope, namely, when the child was sick; very sick, to be sure, but Jesus was on the way. But then there had been that tragic interruption (vs. 25-34). And now the blossoms of hope had withered away. "For the living there is hope, for the dead there is none" (Theocritus - Idyl IV. 42). However, note what happens. MARKj&d157,8 - COMMENT TIME - Just a few minutes after the preceding incident of the timid woman. PLACE - In the home of Jairus - probably in the city of Capernaum. PARALLEL ACCOUNTS - Matt. 9;23-26; Lk 8:49-56 OUTLINE - 1. The Message of death, vs. 36,36. 2. To the house of Jairus, vs. 37,38. 3. The place of death, vs. 39,40. 4. The resurection, vs. 41-43. ANALYSIS I. THE MESSAGE OF DEATH, VS. 35,36. 1. Given while Jesus yet spoke to the woman. 2. No need to try further, your daughter is dead. 3. Jesus heard man but believed God - this He wanted Jairus to do. II. TO THE HOUSE OF JAIRUS, VS. 37,38. 1. Just Peter, James and John were to accompany Him. 2. A great tumult of weeping. III. THE PLACE OF DEATH, VS. 39,40. 1. No need to weep - she sleeps. 2. Scorn - all asked to leave except the parents IV. THE RESURRECTION, VS. 41-43. 1. He taketh her by the hand and calls her by name. - "arise" 2. She immediately arose from the dead. EXPLANATORY NOTES "While he yet spake, there came...why troublest thou the Master any further?" Hitherto He had not shown His power over death, and so there may be an excuse for the message, but surely there might be some consolation in the words of such a Master! His presence need not be out of place in the house of mourning. There is a curtness and abruptness in this message which savors of unbelief. Mark 5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken,; And Jesus, overhearing the word spoken--ABUV; But Jesus, not heeding the word spoken--ASV; But Jesus paid no attention to what was said--Wms; Jesus heard them say this but took no notice--Rieu; he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue,; said to the synagogue official--NASB; Be not afraid, only believe.; Fear not...--ASV; Have no fear; only believe!-- Ber; Now don't be afraid, just go on believing!--Phi; But //Jesus\\ /overhearing the word being spoken\ saith unto the synagogue-ruler-- Do not fear, only have faith! And Jesus immediately, having heard the word that is spoken, saith to the chief of the synagogue, "Be not afraid, only believe." TRNTyeagerV330,1 - ho de IAsous parakousas ton logon laloumenon legei tw archisunagwgou, MA phobou, monon pisteue. ho (nom.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with IAsous). de (adversative conjunction). IAsous (nom.sing.masc.of IAsous, subject of legei). parakousas (aor.act.part.nom.sing.masc.of parakouw, adverbial, causal). ton (acc.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with logon). logon (acc.sing.masc.of logos, direct object of parakousas). laloumenon (pres.pass.part.acc.sing.masc.of lalew, adjectival, restrictive). legei (3d.per.sing.pres.act.ind.of legw, historical). tw (dat.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with archisunagwgw). archisunagwgw (dat.sing.masc.of archisunagwgos, indirect object of legei). MA (negative conjunction with the imperative in a prohibition). pobou (2d.per.sing.pres.impv.of phobeomai, prohibition). monon (acc.sing.neut.of monos, adverbial). pisteue (2d.per.sing.pres.act.impv.of pisteuw, command). Translation: "But Jesus ignored the message spoken and said to the ruler of the synagogue, 'Try not to be afraid. Only continue to believe'" COMMENT: This time de is adversative. What Jesus was about to say to the father was quite opposite to what he had just heard. Cf.#1264 for a close look at parakouw. In Mt.18:17,17 it means to hear carelessly, with a view to reject what is heard - "to let it go in one ear and out the other." We have the same meaning here. Jesus overheard what the messengers said, but He was not worried. He knew what He was going to do. Note the adjectival participle, used in a restrictive sense, to modify ton logon. Jesus was also ignoring (parakouw) the chatter of the people surrounding Him, but He had a special reason for paying no attention to the sad news about the little girl's death. MA pobou - "Try not to be afraid." We have translated thus because mA is a weaker negative conjunction than ouk. MA is generally used with the imperative where the speaker is not sure that the one commanded will be able (or willing) to obey. Jesus is being very gentle with Jairus, the distraught father. To say, "Fear not," using ouk with the aorist imperative, would be unkind and unrealistic. One does not imperiously order a father who has just been told that his daughter is dead, not to fear at all. MA is not an order, but a gentle negative suggestion. phobou is present tense - hence, "Try not to go on fearing." Then Jesus gave him the antidote to fear - "Continue to be believing." The father had already believed on Jesus, to some extent, at least. Else he would not have come to Him in the first place. He could believe that Jesus could heal his desperately sick child. Could he go on believing that Jesus could even raise her from the dead? Jesus gave him this tonic for faith now. Jairus, while not opposed to the episode of the sick woman, understandably was impatient with the interruption. Could not the woman wait? She was ill, but not critically so, whereas haste was needed if Jesus was to reach her bedside before his daughter died. Yet Jesus had seemed to be in no real hurry. It mattered not to our Lord whether He reached Jairus' house before or after the child's death. The result was going to be the same in either case. Thus Jesus knew, but Jairus did not. So Jesus took the time to heal the woman and even to secure her public confession, so necessary for her future spiritual development. The delay served Jesus' purpose in another way. It assured the death of the girl and thus presented Jesus with the opportunity for a greater miracle, and thus, a stronger basis for Jairus' faith. We hear no more directly of Jairus, but it is a safe guess that he followed Jesus as a devoted disciple until he (Jairus) died. He would have had less human reason to trust Jesus had our Lord's service in his home been only that of healing a sick child. On another occasion, when Jesus' healing ministry was in demand, He deliberately stayed away until the patient died and then He went to raise him from the dead - Cf.Jn.11:1-15 with special attention to vs.15. Jesus was about to perfor His second resurrection from death in the gospel record. On the first occasion (Lk.7:11-18) there was a large crowd present. This was unavoidable, as He interrupted a funeral procession. So as not to cast genuine pearls before genuine swine, Jesus decides now to restrict this audience to those who were motivated, not by vulgar curiosity, but by genuine Christian faith. TGr87 - The first part of this verse should be translated, "Jesus overheard the word that was spoken" (despite the fact that the accusative is used). T75 - The imperatives here are interesting, meaning "stop being frightened, but go on having faith" (perhaps corrected in Lk.8:50 with pisteuson, "start to have faith"). In Mark the command is to continue to have as much faith as before; in Luke it is to begin to have faith, or to have a better faith than before the child died. Perhaps Luke felt the subtle difference. WMitNTearle136 - Heard. The verb is not akouw, "hear"--though Luke (8:50) has that--but parakouw. Literally this verb means "hear beside," or "overhear" (cf. NASB). But later it came to mean "hear without heeding, take no heed" (A-S). In the only other place in the NT where it occurs (Mt.18:17, twice), it clearly means this--"neglect to hear" (KJV), or "refuses to listen" (NASB, NIV). So it probably here means "ignoring." Swete notes: "In the Septuagint parakouein is uniformly to neglect or refuse to hear, or to act as if one did not hear.... The Lord heard the words said...but spoke as if He had not heard, passed them by in silence and followed His own course". Moulton and Milligan (VGT) confirm this meaning from the papyri. MARK-TCGTCcranfield187 - parakousas. The verb means 'to hear beside'; and so it comes to mean both 'overhear' and 'hear carelessly', so 'pay no need to'. The R.V. takes it here in the latter sense ('not heeding'), which is the sense the verb has in Mt.18:17, the only other place where it occurs in the NT; but, while either meaning is possible here, it is better) pace Taylor). to accept the guidance of the Lk. parallel, which has akousas, and take it in the sense of 'overhear'. MA phobou. Generally, mA + the present imperative is used to tell someone to stop doing something he is already doing, mA + the aorist subjunctive to tell someone not to begin to do something. See Moule, pp. 135f., and M.H. I, pp. 122-6. monon pisteue. The present imperative is here used correctly to denote continued action. Not a single act, but a steady attitude, of faith is called for. It is perhaps rather suggested that the father has already shown faith by coming to Jesus--now he must go on believing. MARKitGNTwuest114,5 - "Jesus heard." The verb is parakouw, "to hear alongside," thus, "to overhear." "Be not afraid." We have here a present imperative in a prohibition which forbids the continuance of an action already going on. The ruler was fearing. Jesus said, "Stop fearing." "Only believe." The present imperative speaks of continuous action. "Be believing." The command was for a continued, sustained faith. He was to continue believing, even in the presence of death. Translation: "And Jesus overhearing the word being spoken, says to the ruler of the synagogue, Stop fearing, only be believing." NTC-MARKhendriksen211,12 - Though Jesus hears the words of the messengers (Lk. 8:50), he pays no attention to them. With majestic calmness he refuses completely to lend an ear to the heralds of doom, the messengers of despair. He wants Jairus to do the same. Jairus is afraid. Now it is not easy to drive out fear. There is only one way to do it, namely, by firmly believing in the presence, promises, pity and power of God in Christ. It takes the positive to drive out the negative (Rom. 12:21). Throughout the history of redemption it has ever been thus. When it seemed that all was lost, believers placed their trust in God and were delivered (Ps. 22:4; Isa. 26:3,4; 43:2). This was true with respect to Abraham (Gen. 22:2; James 2:22), Moses (Exod. 14:10f.; 32:10,30-32), David (I Sam. 17:44-47; Ps. 27), and Jehoshaphat (II Chron. 20:1,2,12), to mention but a few. When the need was highest help was nighest. This was true also in the case of Jairus. The word of encouragement was not in vain. He took it to heart (Matt. 9:18) and was heard. MARKj&d158 - "As soon as Jesus heard (or not heeding) the word...Be not afraid, only believe". Jesus, perceiving the mischief which the message might work, at once put in a comforting and hope-inspiring word, "Be not afraid, only believe." Belief is in one sense the only thing needful, because it is the one condition on which we can receive salvation and grace from the Lord. But what does the Lord here mean by "only believe?" Only believe what? Why, evidently, that "I have power after death, that My might reaches beyond the grave." If the man believed that his daughter was dead, and the Lord bid him "fear not," it must mean "fear not, but that I will give her to you again." If He added to this "fear not" the words "only believe," it must mean, "Believe that I am life to the dead. You may not know how, but let not your faith in Me fail, and you shall see." If it be said that this was too much to require of this ruler, we can only answer that the Lord thought otherwise. The man had known of the healing of the centurion's servant, and of the woman with the issue, most probably also of the casting out of the devils out of the Gergesenes; and we know not how many more mighty works performed in Capernaum, and around the borders of the lake, and now he was asked to go one step further in the same road, i.e., to believe that death was not the termination of the Lord's power. Mark 5:37 And he suffered no man to follow him,; And he allowed no one...-- RSV; He let no one go with him--Gspd; save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.; except Peter and the brothers James and John--Wey; And he suffered no one to follow /with him\, save Peter and James and John the brother of James. And he did not suffer any one to follow with him, except Peter, and James, and John the brother of James; TRNTyeagerV331,2 - kai ouk aphAken oudena met' autou sunakolouthAsai ei mA ton Petron kai Iakwbon kai IwannAn ton adelphon Iakwbou. kai (adversative conjunction). ouk (summary negative particle with the indicative). aphAken (3d.per.sing.1st.aor.act.ind.of aphiAmi, constative). oudena (acc.sing.masc.of oudeis, direct object of aphAken). met' (preposition with the genitive of accompaniment). autou (gen.sing.masc.of autos, accompaniment). sunakolouthAsai (aor.act.inf.of sunakolouthew, epexedgetical). follow - Mk.5:37; 14:51; Lk.23:49. Meaning: A combination of sun and akolouthew. Hence to follow with; to follow along; to accompany. To accompany but at a short distance behind. (If the preposition in composition were para, accompaniment "by the side of" would be the meaning). With reference to Peter, James and John with Jesus and Jairus - Mk.5:37. Of His friends who had followed Jesus to Calvary - Lk.23:49. With reference to Mark who followed Jesus to Gethsemane - Mk.14:51. ei (conditional conjunction with the negative particle mA). mA (qualified negative particle, with ei). ton (acc.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with Petron). Petron (acc.sing.masc.of Petros, direct object of aphAken understood). kai (adjunctive conjunction, joining nouns). Iakwbon (acc.sing.masc.of Iakwbon, direct object of sphAken understood). kai (adjunctive conjunction). IwannAn (acc.sing.masc.of IwannAs, object of aphAken understood). ton (acc.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with adelphon). adelphon (acc.sing.masc.of adelphos, apposition). Iakwbou (gen.sing.masc.of Iakwbon, relationship). Translation: "But He did not permit anyone to go along with Him except Peter and James and John, the brother of James." COMMENT: Jesus was emphatic about this as ouk the summary negative particle indicates. Note also that we have ouk in composition in oudena - "but not one." Had Jesus not forbid the multitude which up to that point had followed Him, the people would only have added to the confusion that Jesus found at Jairus' home when He arrived. MARK-TCGTCcranfield187 - See below on vs.40. That the father also accompanied Jesus goes without saying, and is implied by the sequel. For these disciples as the inner circle of the Twelve cf.9:2; 14:33, and (with the addition of Andrew) 13:3. MARKitGNTwuest115 - The definite article appears with the name "Peter," but not with the other two names. It binds the three individuals together as a unit. These three were chosen to be witnesses of a great miracle. The disciples were in training. Perhaps the number was restricted to three so as not to crowd the home of the ruler unduly. Translation: "And He did not permit anyone to follow with Him except Peter, and James, and John the brother of James." NTC-MARKhendriksen212,3 - b. a word of revelation - As Jesus resumes his journey to the house of Jairus, the crowd must have wondered what he was going to do, now that the situation - as the people must have viewed it - was utterly hopeless. With authority the Master dismisses the entire multitude, including even the disciples...with the exception of Peter, James, and John. Most of the events pertaining to Jesus' sojourn on earth could be safely witnessed by all the twelve disciples. There were others, however, that took place in the presence of only three of these men. Exactly why this was we can only guess. Did Jesus allow only three disciples to enter the room where the resurrecton of the daughter of Jairus took place, because the presence of the entire group would not have been in accord with proper decorum and might have disturbed the child when she reopened her eyes? Was the Master's Gethsemane agony too sacred to be witnessed by more than three of the disciples (Matt. 26:37; Mk. 14:33), and was it for this reason that even then it was "witnessed" by these three to only a very limited extent? And is it possible that the transfiguration could have only three disciples as eye-witnesses (Matt. 17:1; Mk. 9:2; Lk. 9:28), because otherwise the injunction mentioned in Matt. 17:9 would have been more difficult to enforce? Such may have been the reasons, but we do not know. That Peter was among the three does not surprise us, in view of Matt. 16:16-19. It is entirely possible that John's spiritual affinity with his Master - he was "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (Jn. 13:23; 19:16; 20:2; 21:7,10) - accounted for his inclusion in this innermost circle. But what about James, John's brother? Was it not considerate of the Lord to grant to him, who was going to be first of The Twelve to seal his testimony with his blood (Acts 12:2), the privilege of being included among the three most intimate witnesses? These are considerations that may well be taken into account in attempting to answer the question, "Why these three?" Nevertheless, it must be frankly admitted that the answer to this question has not been revealed. It is easier to understand why there had to be witnesses at all, namely, so that, when the proper time arrived, they could testify to the church concerning the things they had seen and heard. Besides, see Deut. 19:15; Matt. 18:16; Jn. 8:17; II Cor. 13:1; I Tim. 5:19. TNICotNT-MARKlane195,6 - The healing of the woman with a chronic hemorrhage resulted in a delay which was catastrophic for the young girl. A party from the home informed the synagogue official that his daughter had died; any further disturbance of Jesus was futile. Jesus heard what they said but deliberately ignored its import. His response, "fear not, only believe," was a call for intense faith. Jairus had exercised faith when he came to Jesus in the confidence that he could save his daughter. He had witnessed the healing of the woman which demonstrated the relationship between faith and divine help. But he was now asked to believe that his child would live even as he stood in the presence of death. Such faith is radical trust in the ability of Jesus to confront a crisis situation with the power of God. Jesus would not allow any of those who had accompanied him to continue with him except the father and the three disciples who sustained a more intimate relationship to him, Peter, James and John. The seriousness of the situation demanded that only those whom Jesus chose as witnesses should know what really took place. MARKj&d159 - "And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John," etc. The three who were to be witnesses of His Transfiguration, and of His agony. Mark 5:38 And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue,; And they come...--ASV; They came to the house of the leader...-- Gspd; and seeth the tumult,; and there He saw confusion-- Wms; and Jesus noticed the hubbub--Phi; he was faced by a disorderly scene--Rieu; and them that wept and wailed greatly.; and many weeping and wailing greatly--ASV; and people...loudly--RSV; --people...incessantly--TCNT; And they come into the house of the synagogue-ruler, and he observeth a tumult, and persons weeping and wailing greatly; and he cometh to the house of the chief of the synagogue, and seeth a tumult, much weeping and wailing; TRNTyeagerV332,3 - kai erchontai eis ton oikon tou archisunagwgou, kai thewrei thorubon kai klaiontas kai alalazontas polla, kai (continuative conjunction). erchontai (3d.per.pl.pres.ind.of erchomai, historical). eis (preposition with the accusative of extent). ton (acc.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with oikon). oikon (acc.sing.masc.of oikos, extent). tou (gen.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with archisunagwgou). archisunagwgou (gen.sing.masc.of archisunagwgos, possession). kai (continuative conjunction). thewrei (3d.per.sing.pres.act.ind.of thewrew, historical). thorubon (acc.sing.masc.of thorubos, direct object of thewrei). kai (adjunctive conjunction joining substantives). klaiontas (pres.act.part.acc.pl.fem.of klaiw, substantival, direct object of thewrei). kai (adjunctive conjunction joining participles). alalazontas (pres.act.part.acc.pl.fem.of alalazw, direct object of thewrei). tinkle - I Cor.13:1. wail - Mk.5:38. Meaning: Prop. to repeat frequently the cry alala as soldiers used to do when entering battle. Univ., to utter a joyful shout - Ps.46:2; 65:2 and in profane writings. To wail and lament like hired mourners at a funeral - Mk.5:38. With reference to the reverberations coming from a cymbal as it vibrates after being struck - I Cor.13:1. Cf.ololuzw and the Latin ululare.. polla (acc.pl.neut.of polus, adverbial). Translation: "And they entered the house of the ruler of the synagogue and He witnessed the uproar with women weeping and much ululation." COMMENT: "They came..." - plural in erchontai - viz., Jesus, Jairus, Peter, James and John. Mark then narrows the account to Jesus - "He saw..." thewrei. #1559 is an interesting study in mob behavior. Jesus saw one here. Capernaum had its professional funeral weepers as most little towns do. klaiontas and alalazontas are substantival participles. It was a disgusting picture. Scarcely nothing is as revolting as insincere grief at a funeral. Cf.#2241. Jesus put an end to the nonesense forthwith, as we see in the vs.39. H446 - Polla has an adverbial sense, "wailing loudly" (cf. v.10). WMitNTearle136,7 - Tumult. A&G give for thorubos here the meaning "turmoil, excitement, uproar" and say that it is used "of the milling about of a throng in a house of mourning". We would call this a "commotion" (NASB, NIV). MARK-TCGTCcranfield188 - kai klaiontas kai alalazontas polla explains thorubon, to which it is in apposition: '(people) both weeping and wailing much' (this seems better than to take the kai before klaiontas as = 'and'). The variant readings (substitution of genitive of the participles of D, and the omission of the first kai by some MSS.) are attempts to make the sentence smoother. Many think that the people referred to are professional mourners (cf. aulAtas in Mt.), but perhaps in view of the shortness of the time since the child's death it is more likely that members of the household are intended. MARKitGNTwuest115 - "He cometh to the house." The best texts have "they come," Jesus and the ruler and the three disciples. "To" is eis "into." They entered the house of mourning. "Seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly." "Seeth" is thewrew "to look at a thing with interest and for a purpose, to examine critically and carefully, and with a practised eye." "The tumult." The word is thorubos "a noise, uproar," used of persons wailing. "Wailed." The word is an onomatopoetic word, that is, a word whose sound is logically related to its meaning. It is alalazw "to repeat frequently the cry alala," as soldiers used to do on entering battle. The word is used here of the monotonous wailing of hired mourners. Translation: "And they come into the home of the ruler of the synagogue, and He looks carefully and with an understanding eye at the tumult, and at those who were weeping and at those who were wailing greatly." NTC-MARKhendriksen213 - A scene of confusion greeted Jesus and the three disciples as they entered the home of the synagogue ruler. Matt. 9:23 mentions the noisy (or: noise- making) crowd; Mark, the noise or tumult or hubbub. It was a thoroughly disorderly mob. As, according to custom, burial followed soon after death, this was the crowd's only opportunity, and everybody, especially the professional mourners (cf. Jer. 9:17,18), made the most of it, perhaps all the more because a ruler of the synagogue was a very important man! Here then was weeping and wailing, moaning and groaning, at its loudest. There was howling without any attempt at restraint. And every once in a while, above the confused noises issuing from the throats of the mourners, could be heard the shrill notes of the flute-players (Matt. 9:23). MARKj&d159 - "And he cometh to the house...wept and wailed greatly." From the parallel words in St. Matthew, "Saw the minstrels and the people making a noise," there is no doubt that these were hired mourners, such as are described in Jeremiah 9:17,18: "Consider ye, and call for the mourning women that they may come; and send for cunning women, that they may come, and let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters." Dr. Thomason, in "The Land and the Book". says: "Every particular here alluded to is observed on funeral occasions at the present day. There are in every city and community women exceedingly cunning in this business. These are always sent for and kept in readiness. When a fresh company of sympathizers comes in, these women `make haste' to take up a wailing, that the newly come may the more easily unite their tears with the mourners. They know the domestic history of every person, and immediately strike up an impromptu lamentation, in which they introduce the names of their relations who have recently died, touching some tender chord of every heart, and thus each weeps for his own dead." Mark 5:39 And when he was come in, he saith unto them,; And entering in, He said to them--NASB; And He went into the house and said to them--Wms; Why make ye this ado, and weep?; Why do you make a tumult and weep--RSV; Why this crying and commotion--NEB; What is the meaning of all this confusion and crying--Gspd; the damesel is not dead, but sleepeth.; the child...,but is sleeping--ABUV; and, entering, he saith unto them-- Why are ye making a tumult, and weeping? /The child\ is //not dead\\, but //is sleeping\\; and having gone in he saith to them, "Why do ye make a tumult, and weep? the child did not die, but doth sleep;" TRNTyeagerV333,4 - kai eiselthwn legei autois Ti thorubeisthe kai klaiete; to paidion ouk apethanen alla katheudei. kai (continuative conjunction). eiselthwn (aor.part.nom.sing.masc.of eiserchomai, adverbial, temporal). legei (3d.per.sing.pres.act.ind.of legw, historical). autois (dat.pl.masc.of autos, indirect object of legei). Ti (acc.sing.neut.of tis, cause, in direct question). thorubeisthe (2d.per.pl.pres.pass.ind.of thorubew, progressive). kai (adjunctive conjunction joining verbs). klaiete (2d.per.pl.pres.act.ind.of klaiw, progressive). to (nom.sing.neut.of the article in agreement with paidion). paidion (nom.sing.neut.of paidion, subject of apethanen and katheudei). ouk (summary negative conjunction with the indicative). apethanen (3d.per.sing.2d.aor.act.ind.of apothnAskw, culminative). alla (alternative conjunction). katheudei (3d.per.sing.pres.act.ind.of katheudw, progressive). Translation: "And He walked in and said to them, 'Why are you upset and weeping? The child is not dead. She is asleep.'" COMMENT: vs.38 says erchontai eis ton oikon. Now vs. 39 adds eiselthwn - "He entered in and said to them...k.t.l." Jesus, Jairus, Peter, James and John entered the house, but Jesus was alone when He entered the room where the dead child and mourners were. thorubeisthe can be either middle or passive. If passive - "Why are you thrown into tumult?" If middle - "Why do you make such noise?" In any case - "Why the noise?" ouk is the summary negative. Jesus was sure of it. But He was using apethanen and katheudei in His own way. alla is also more strongly adversative than de. MARK-TCGTCcranfield188,9 - eiselthwn. It is not clear whether it is the courtyard or the actual house that Jesus enters at this point (Lk. parallel is explicit: tAn oikian), but at any rate this entering is clearly distinguished from the further entering (presumably into the room where the girl lies) in vs.40. ouk apethanen alla katheudei. What did Jesus mean by 'sleeps'? C.H.Turner et al. maintain that, if Mark's account is taken by itself, the natural interpretation is that Jesus is saying that the girl is not dead, but in a coma. On this view the miracle is reduced to a penetrating diagnosis that saved the firl from being buried alive. But Taylor rightly points out the objections to the view that Jesus meant 'is in a coma': (i) Mark implies that Jesus has not yet seen the girl; (ii) Jesus does not on other occasions state a medical diagnosis. Thes objections--even though with regard to (i) Mark's silence is not conclusive--are serious. Then did Jesus mean simply that, though the child is dead, yet, since God will one day raise her up, her death is not without hope but is a sort of sleep? But, if Jesus meant this, (i) one would have expected the hearers to understand what was a quite ordinary idea for any who were influenced by Pharisaic teaching (cf. Genesis Rabba on Gen. 47:30: 'Thou shalt sleep, but thou shalt not die'): instead they mocked (kategelwn); (ii) it is hard to see why he should put the people forth and go into the girl's room accompanied only by the parents and the three disciples. It is more natural to take the words to mean that, though she is dead, yet, since he is going to raise her up, her death will be no more permanent than a sleep. See further on vs.42. For Mark no doubt the words had also--besides their particular significance in this context--a general significance, as a reminder to Christians that death is not the last word but a sleep from which Christ will wake us at the last day, and therefore a rebuke to those who in the presence of death behave as those that have no hope. MARKitGNTwuest115,6 - "Why make ye this ado?" The verb is thorubew "to make a noise or uproar, to wail tumultuously." "The damsel is not dead but sleepeth." "Damsel" is to paidion "the little girl." The verb "is dead" is aorist, "died." Our Lord meant that the child was not dead to stay dead. He spoke of death as sleeping. Translation: "And having come in He says to them, Why are you wailing tumultously and weeping? The little girl did not die, but is sleeping." NTC-MARKhendriksen213 - What the mourners were doing was completely out of place, and this for two reasons: (a) they - at least many of them - were insincere, as verse 40 shows; and (b) there was cause here not for lamentation but for jubilation, not for bewailing a death but for celebrating a near at hand triumph over death. Of course, we cannot very well blame these people for not knowing that life was about to triumph over death. What was wrong, though, was (a) their insincerity, and (b) their unwillingness to accept the fact that what Jesus was saying about the child not being dead but sleeping was a word of revelation, deserving of solemn reflection, not scorn. That Jesus cannot have meant that the child had merely fallen into a coma is clear from the following: a. Lk. 8:53 declares that the people knew that she was dead. b. Lk. 8:55 states that at the command of Jesus "her spirit returned." It is clear, therefore, that there had been a separation between spirit and body. c. In Jn. 11:11 we have something similar. Jesus tells his disciples, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep." But in verse 14 he affirms, "Lazarus died." In both instances the meaning is that death will not have the final say. Not death but life is going to triumph in the end. Also, just as natural sleep is followed by awakening, so this child is going to become awake, that is, is going to live again. TNICotNT-MARKlane196,7 - Arriving at the house Jesus saw that preparations had been made already for the funeral. The minstrels and professional mourners were performing their duties as the first part of the mourning ceremony. The wailing consisted of choral or antiphonal song accompanied by handclapping. Since even the poorest man was required by common custom to hire a minimum of two flute players andone professional mourner in the event of his wife's death, it is probably that one who held the rank of synagogue-ruler would be expected to hire a large number of professional mourners. It was necessary to remove the mourners from the girl's room. Jesus rebuked their noisy tumult and declared, "the child is not dead, but is sleeping." His statement is ambiguous, and could allow the interpretation that the girl was in a state of very deep unconsciousness that is to be distinguished from death itself. Jesus demonstrated his mercy to the girl at a highly critical moment when he healed her. It is certain, however, that this is not Luke's understanding of what took place because he speaks of resuscitation. It is probable that Mark intended his account to be understood in the same way. Jesus' statement means that in spite of the girl's real death, she has not been delivered over to the realm of death with all of its consequences. Mourning is inappropriate because she experiences a sleep from which she will soon awake. MARKj&d159 - And when he was come in, he saith...sleepeth." There can be little doubt but that the Saviour here employs the same way of speaking as when He says, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that I may awake him out of sleep;" and immediately afterwards He told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead." Some have said that the maiden had fallen into the death-like swoon which often precedes, and then passes into actual death; but those watching her must have been conscious that so far as the help of man was concerned, all was over, or they would not have sent the message to the ruler which they did. MARKbarclay133,34,35,36 - Jewish mourning customs were very vivid and very detailed, and practically all of them were designed to stress the desolation and the final separation of death. The triumphant victorious hope of the Christian faith was totally absent from them. Immediately death had taken place a loud wailing was set up so that all might know that death had struck. The wailing was repeated at the grave side. The mourners hung over the dead body, begging for a response from the silent lips. They beat their breasts; they tore their hair; and they rent their garments. The rending of garments was done according to certain rules and regulations. It was done just before the body was finally hid from sight. Garments were to be rent to the heart, that is, until the skin was exposed, but were not to be rent beyond the navel. For fathers and mothers the rent was on the left side, over the heart; for others it was on the right side. A woman was to rend her garments in private; she was then to reverse the inner garment, so that it was worn back to front; she then rent her outer garment, so that her body was not exposed. The rent garment was worn for thirty days. After seven days the rent might be roughly sewn up, in such a way that it was still clearly visible. After the thirty days the garment was properly repaired. Flute players were essential. Throughout most of the ancient world, in Rome, in Greece, in Phoenicia, in Assyria and in Palestine, the wailing of the flute was inseparably connected with death and tragedy. It was laid down that, however poor a man was, he must have a least two flute-players at his wife's funeral. W. Taylor Smith in Hastings' Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels quotes two interesting instances of the use of flute- players, which show how widespread the custom was. There were flute-players at the funeral of Claudius, the Roman Emperor. When in A.D. 67 news reached Jerusalem of the fall of Jotapata to the Roman armies, Josephus tells us that "most people engaged flute-players to lead their lamentations." The wail of the flutes, the screams of the mourners, the passionate appeals to the dead, the rent garments, the torn hair, must have made a Jewish house a poignant and pathetic place on the day of mourning. When death came a mourner was forbidden to work, to anoint himself or to wear shoes. Even the poorest man must cease from work for three days. He must not travel with goods; and the prohibition of work extended even to his servants. He must sit with head bound up. He must not shave, or "do anything for his comfort." He must not read the Law or the Prophets, for to read these books is joy. He was allowed to read Job, Jeremiah and Lamentations. He must eat only in his own house, and he must abstain altogether from flesh and wine. He must not leave the town or village for thirty days. It was the custom not to eat at a table, but to eat, sitting on the floor, using a chair as a table. It was the custom, which still survives, to eat eggs dipped in ashes and salt. There was one curious custom. All water from the house, and from the three houses on each side, was emptied out, because it was said that the Angel of Death procured death with a sword which was dipped in water taken from close at hand. There was one peculiarly pathetic custom. In the case of a young life cutt off too soom, if the young person had never been married, a form of marriage service was part of the burial rites. For the time of mourning the mourner was exempt from the keeping of the law, because he was supposed to be beside himself, mad with grief. The mourner must go to the Synagogue; and when he entered the people faced him and said, "Blessed is He that comforteth the mourner." The Jewish prayer book has a special prayer to be used before meat in the house of the mourner. "Blessed art Thou, O God, our Lord, King of the Universe, God of our fathers, our Creator, our Redeemer, our Sanctifier, the Holy One of Jacob, the King of Life, who art good and doest good; the God of truth, the righteous Judge who judgest in righteous- ness, who takest the soul in judgment, and rulest alone in the universe, who doest in it according to His will and all His ways are in Judgment, and we are His people, and His servants, and in everything we are bound to praise Him and to bless Him,who shields all the calamities of Israel, and will shield us in this calamity, and from this mourning will bring us to life and peace. Comfort, O God, our Lord, all the mourners of Jerusalem that mourn in our sorrow. Comfort them in their mourning, and make them rejoice in their agony as a man is comforted by his mother. Blessed art Thou, O God, the Comforter of Zion. Thou that buildest again Jerusalem." That prayer is later than New Testament times, but it is against the background of the earlier, unrestrained expressions of grief that we must read this story of the girl who had died. Mark 5:40 And they laughed him to scorn.; And they laughed at him--ABUV; And they jeered at Him--Wey; Then they began to laugh in His face--Wms; But when he had put them all out,; But he put them all outside--RSV; But he drove them all out--Gspd; he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel,; and took the child's father and mother--RSV; taking with him the child's...--Rieu; and them that were with him,; and his own companions--NEB; and entereth in where the damsel was lying.; and went in where the child was--RSV; and went into the room where...lying--Gspd; and they were deriding him. But /he\ thrusting all forth, taketh with him the father of the child, and the mother, and them who were with him,--and entereth where the child was; and they were laughing at him. And he, having put all forth, doth take the father of the child, and the mother, and those with him, and goeth in where the child is lying, TRNTyeagerV334,5 - kai kategelwn autou. autos de ekbalwn pantas paralambanei ton patera tou paidiou kai tAn mAtera kai tous met' autou, kai eisporeuetai hopou An to paidion, kai (continuative conjunction). kategelwn (3d.per.pl.imp.act.ind.of katagelaw, inceptive). autou (gen.sing.masc.of autos, description). autos (nom.sing.masc.of autos, subject of paralambanei and eisporeuetai). de (adversative conjunction). ekbalwn (2d.aor.act.part.nom.sing.masc.of ekballw, adverbial, tempoaral) pantas (acc.pl.masc.of pas, direct object of ekbalwn). paralambanei (3d.per.sing.pres.act.ind.of paralambanw, historical). ton (acc.sing.masc.of the article in agreement with patera). patera (acc.sing.masc.of patAr, direct object of paralambanei). tou (gen.sing.neut.of the article in agreement with paidiou). paidiou (gen.sing.neut.of paidion, relationship). kai (adjunctive conjunction joining nouns). tAn (acc.sing.fem.of the article in agreement with mAtera). mAtera (acc.sing.fem.of mAtAr, direct object of paralambanei). kai (adjunctive conjunction joining substantives). tous (acc.pl.masc.of the article direct object of paralambanei). met' (preposition with the genitive of accompaniment). autou (gen.sing.masc.of autos, accompaniment). kai (continuative conjunction). eisporeuetai (3d.per.sing.pres.ind.of eisporeuomai, historical). hopou (relative adverb of place introducing a local clause). An (3d.per.sing.imp.ind.of eimi, progressive duration). to (nom.sing.neut.of the article in agreement with paidion). paidion (nom.sing.neut.of paidion, subject of An). Translation: "And they began to laught at Him in derision. But He put everyone out and conducted the father of the child and the mother and those with him, and He went into where the child was." COMMENT: The reaction of the mourners to Jesus' good news is typical of little people. it is no wonder that Jesus put them out, and that without ceremony! he selected the little group - Jairus, his wife, Peter, James and John and they approached the silent form of the little girl. BD277(3) - The pronoun autos is emphatic here, "but he." MARK-TCGTCcranfield189 - kategelwn autou. Presumably because they understood his words in a literal sense but knew for a fact that she was dead. (This is more probable than that they understood him to mean that he would raise her, and disbelieved his power to do so.) ekbalwn pantas. With this and also vs.37 cf. the silencing of the demons and the injunctions to secrecy in connection with miracles (see on 1:25, and cf. vs.43 below; cf. also on 4:11f.). Since the miracle Jesus was about to work was going to be a superlative one--one that actually pointed toward the final resurrection itself--it was particularly important to take such precautions. (His own resurrection was of course different, since in his case the final resurrection itself was accomplished--and no human eye at all was allowed to witness it.) paralambanei ton patera tou paidiou kai tAn mAtera kai tous met' autou. That there might be witnesses of the miracle, since, though the miracles are not meant to be compelling proofs, they are nevertheless signs to faith? Respect for Jewish sense of propriety (since the dead was a girl) is also a possible motive. (1) [Cf. A. Oepke in T.W.N.T. 1, p.784.] eisporeuetai hopou An to paidion. Apparently Jesus now sees her for the first time. MARKitGNTwuest116,7 - "They laughed Him to scorn." The word is katagelaw "to deride, to jeer at." The simple verb means "to laught at" the prefixed preposition "down," thus "to laugh (someone( down," thus, "to ridicule." The loud laughter of those jeering at our Lord, sounded most incongruous in the room where death was holding sway. The verb is the inceptive imperfect, "they went to laughing and jeering at Him." "When He had jput them all out." The word is ekballw "to throw out." Our Lord had to use pressure to make the hired mourners leave. It must have been very close to a forceful ejection as in the case of the cleansing of the Temple. Vincent quotes Bengel: "Wonderful authority in the house of a stranger. He was really master of the house." "He taketh." The verb is paralambanw. The simple verb means "to take," the prefixed preposition, "alongside." The idea is "He takes the father and mother and His three disciples under His care, in His charge, under His authority." Jesus was absolute master of the situation. The grief-stricken parents needed someone to guide them. The disciples were fearful at the fact that our Lord was confronted with death. They needed the reassurance of their Master. "Entereth where the damsel was lying." The verb is eisporeuomai. It is the word often used of a person going on a journey. There are other verbs which mean "to go," such as agw, bainw, peripatew, all of which speak of the act of walking. This one was doubtless chosen because it conveys the idea of distance. For instance, the walk of a condemned criminal from his death cell to the electric chair is a matter of a few hundred feet. But the distance is a journey to him. The factors involved make it a long walk. Our Lord was leading the sorrowing parents into the death-chamber, and the disciples into a room fraught with great possibilities. It was a journey for these. The words "was lying" are not in the best texts. It is simply, "where the little girl was." Translation: "And they went to laughing and jeering at Him. But, after He Himself had thrown them all out, He takes the father of the little girl and her mother and those with Him under His care, and proceeds in to where the girl was. NTC-MARKhendriksen213,4 - This identical statement is found also in Matt. 9:24 and in Lk. 8:53. The reference is probably to repeated bursts of derisive laughter aimed at humiliating Jesus. It seems that these mourners were endowed with the dubious gift of shifting in one sudden moment from dismal moaning to uproarious mirth. Does not this very laughter also confirm the belief that the child had really died? Does it not therefore also bear witness to the genuine nature of the child's restoration from death? MARKj&d159 - "And they laughed him to scorn." This ridicule would be stimulated by their interests, for their wages as mourners depended on the death havng actually taken place. Mark 5:41 And he took the damsel by the hand said unto her,; Taking her by the hand he said to her--RSV; Then, taking hold of her hand...--NEB; Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted,; Talitha cumi; which means--RSV; Talitha koum--which may be translated--Mof; Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.; Little girl, I say to you, arise--RSV; Get up, my child--NEB; Wake up, little girl--Phi; and he saith unto her-- Talitha, koum! which is, when translated-- O damsel! /to thee\ I say, Arise! and, having taken the hand of the child, he saith to her, "Talitha cumi;" which is being interpreted, "Damsel (I say to thee), arise." TRNTyeagerV335,6 - kai kratAsas tAs cheiros tou paidiou legei autA, Talitha koum, ho estin methermAneuomenon To korasion, soi legw, egeire. kai (continuative conjunction). kratAsas (aor.act.part.nom.sing.masc.of kratew, adverbial, temporal). tAs (gen.sing.fem.of the article in agreement with cheiros). cheiros (gen.sing.fem.of cheir, description). tou (gen.sing.neut.of the article in agreement with paidiou). paidiou (gen.sing.neut.of paidion, possession). legei (3d.per.sing.pres.act.ind.of legw, aoristic). autA (dat.sing.fem.of autos, indirect object of legei). Talitha. Talitha - Mk.5:41. Meaning: A Chaldean word for maiden, damsel - Mk.5:41. koum. Cumi - Mk.5:41. Meaning: Arise - Mk.5:41. ho (nom.sing.neut.of hos, subject of estin). estin (3d.per.sing.pres.ind.of eimi, aoristic). methermAneuomenon (pres.pass.part.nom.sing.neut.of methermAneuw, adverbial, circumstantial). To (voc.sing.neut.of the article joined to korasion). korasion (voc.sing.neut.of korasion, address). soi (dat.sing.fem.of su, indirect object of legw). legw (1st.per.sing.pres.act.ind.of legw, aoristic). egeire (2d.per.sing.pres.act.impv.of egeirw, command). Translation - "And when He had grasped the head of the child, He said to her, Talitha cumi, which, when translated, means 'Little girl, to you I say, Arise.'" COMMENT: Cf.#828. The word carries a great deal of authority. Our Lord was in complete control of the situation as always. ho estin methermAneuomenon...egeirw is a relative clause which more fully explains the substantive Talitha koum. To infinite authority a miracle of this nature is no more difficult than any other. Jesus was under no more stress here than at other times. To say that Deity finds some things more difficult than others is to suggest that Deity finds anything difficult - a concept which is out of harmon with the concept of sovereignty. The only things that a sovereign God cannot do are those things which, if done, would be incosistent with His won perfect nature. He is limited only by His eternal character, not by anything outside Himself. In the twenty four hours immediately antecedent to this episode, Jesus had taught supernaturally, stopped a tornado, cast demons out of an insane man, ruined a good herd of pigs, healed a woman whom the doctors could not cure in twelve years, and raise a twelve year old girl from the dead. Trench points to the fact that Elisha cleared the room before he raised the son of the Shunammite (II Kings 4:33). On three occasions Jesus singled out Peter, james and John to witness scenes not permitted to the other disciples. This is the first. The other two are the Transfiguration and the agony in Gethsemane. R29 - The fact that Mark twice (5:41 and 7:34) uses Aramaic quotations from the words of Jesus does not prove that Jesus always spoke in that tongue, nor that he did so only on these occasions. R684 - In this verse autA agrees with the natural gender of paidion rather than the grammatical gender (the child was a girl). B20 - The present periphrastic construction occurs here (it is debatable whether eimi should not rather be regarded as standing on its own feet, with an explanatory participle-- M17). [Ed. In the NT, ho estin methermAneuomenon does not have the full force of a periphrastic construction, but is used as an explanatory formula, "which means (when translated)"; cf. Mt.1:23; Mk.15:22,34 and Jn.1:41.] WMitNTearle137 - Damsel. The Greek korasion is the diminutive of korA, "girl." So it correctly means "little girl" (NASB, NIV). It was a tender, endearing term for a girl 12 years old. Probably Talitha koum (Aramaic) were the very words the mother used each morning to waken the girl. MARK-TCGTCcranfield190 - kratAsas tAs cheiros. Cf. 1:31. Talitha koum. A transliteration of Aramaic telitA' kum, of which the first word is the feminine of talyA' (= 'lamb' or 'youth') and the second is the Mesopotamian form of the imperative 'arise'. A D TH f13 pm lat sy(p,h) _ have the Palestinian form of the feminine imperative kumi. It is not at all clear which form Mark wrote. (Lagrange, Taylor prefer koum; Lohmeyer koumi.) The suggestion that this use of the Aramaic words has something to do with the fact that the use of foreign words is a feature of ancient miracle-sories is most unlikely--the fact that they are translated tells against it, and also the fact that Mark elsewhere retains original Aramaic words (3:17; 7:11,34; 11:9f., 14:36; 15:22,34), but only on one occasion (7:34) in connection with a miracle. The explanation is rather that the original words were remembered and valued as being the actual words used by Jesus on a memorable occasion. MARKitGNTwuest117 - "He took the damsel by the hand." The verb is kratew "to get possession of, to become master of, to take hold of." The word speaks of the strong grip with which our Lord took hold of the hand of the dead girl and with which He helped her arise after the miracle of giving her back her life had been consummated. Since she had been ill previous to her death, she would need such help. ????? Ed. "He syas to her, Talitha cumi." Peter heard these words spoken in our Lord's native tongue and reports them to Mark. Then Mark interprets them in Greek for his Gentile readers. The Greek language was in common use all over the Roman world at this time. Expositors says: "Jesus may have been bilingual, sometimes using Greek, sometimes Syriac. He would use the vernacular on a pathetic occasion like this." It is significant also that our Lord's words on the Cross, "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me?" are first reported in our Lord's mother tongue, and then interpreted for Gentile readers. The Nestle text spells "cumi," "koum". Translation: "And having taken a strong grip on the had of the little girl, He says to her, Talitha koum, which being interpreted is, Little girl, to you I say, be arising." NTC-MARKhendriksen214 - c. A word of love and power. Jesus expels the scornful noise-makers. Left with him in the room where the dead child lay were only the child's parents and Peter, James, and John (see vs. 37). The ruler had asked the Master to place his hands upon the child (vs. 23). However, he does even better, for with authority, power, and tenderness he grasps the child by the hand. As he does this he addresses her in her own native tongue (cf. N.T.C. on Jn. 20:16), using the very words by means of which her mother had probably often awakened her in the morning, namely, "Talitha koum." For the sake of his non-Jewish readers Mark freely renders this, "Little girl, I say to you, Get up." Mark 5:42 And straight way the damsel arose, and walked;; And immediately the girl got up and walked--RSV; ...and began to walk--NASB; ...and started walking around--Wms; for she was of the age of twelve years; for she was twelve years old--ASV; And they were astonished with a great astonishment.; And immediately they were overcome with amazement--RSV; At that they were beside themselves...--NEB; The moment they saw it they were utterly amazed--Gspd; And //straightway\\ the damsel arose, and was walking about; for she was twelve years of age. And they were beside themselves, straightway, with a great transport; And immediately the damsel arose, and was walking, for she was twelve years old; and they were amazed with a great amazement, TRNTyeagerV336,7 - kai euthus anestA to korasion kai periepatei, An gar etwn dwdeka. kai exestAsan euthus ekstasei megalA. kai (inferential conjunction). euthus (adverbial). anestA (3d.per.sing.2d.aor.act.ind.of anistAmi, constative). to (nom.sing.neut.of the article in agreement with korasion). korasion (nom.sing.neut.of korasion, subject of anestA and periepatei). kai (adjunctive conjunction joining verbs). periepatei (3d.per.sing.imp.act.ind.of peripatew, inceptive). An (3d.per.sing.imp.ind.of eimi, progressive description). gar (causal conjunction). etwn (gen.pl.neut.of etos, time description). dwdeka (numeral). kai (inferential conjunction). exestAsan (3d.per.pl.aor.act.ind.of existAmi, ingressive). euthus (adverbial). ekstasei (instru.sing.fem.of ekstasis, means). megalA (instru.sing.fem.of megas, in agreement with ekstasei). Translation: "Therefore forthwith the little girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). Therefore immediately they were seized with overwhelming ecstasy." COMMENT: The inceptive imperfect periepatei gives us the picture. Mark felt it necessary to tell us her age, lest his readers interpret to korasion as being a child too young to walk. There was nothing miraculous about her walking about the room, now that she was alive. Had she opened her eyes, smiled weakly and perhaps waved her hand, she would have proved that she was alive, but not with the dramatic demonstration that she gave. She proved conclusively that Jesus had not only given her life but robust health as well. So also with Lazarus as he sat joyously at the supper table in his home in Bethany as the enemies of Jesus watched him narrowly. Had he been afflicted with the hypochondria which seems characteristic of many backslidden Christians, he would not have been much of a testimony of Jesus' power to raise from the dead. One would be inclined to observe that if that was the result of resurrection, Jesus might better have left him in the grave. So here the little girl arises from her bed and begins to explore the premises - perhaps to look for her doll or raid the refrigerator! The reaction of her parents and the disciples was natural. Cf.#'s 992 and 2083, for the exact meaning of these words. Titillation beyond compare! Jesus occasionally frightened people almost out of their minds. A good sermon outline might use these occasions listed under #992. Skeptics have often argued that Jesus raised no one from the dead. He only resuscitated sick people who appeared dead to superficial observation. Jairus' daughter had been dead the shortest time of the three whom Jesus raised. She had just died. The son of widow of Nain had been dead long enough for funeral procedures to be followed. Lazarus had been dead long enough for decomposition to set in. But the greatest miracle of all is our Lord's own resurrection from the dead. If that did not happen, neither did any of the other three - nor is there resurrection for anyone. R1190 - Gar is explanatory here (gar is not explanatory in this context. No one ever suspected that the child was too young to walk. Mark misplaces a parenthesis--TGr66). [Ed. The particle gar here has its usual explanatory sense, although this clause is similar to a parenthesis in usage.] TCGTC-MARKcranfield190,1 - anestA...kai periepatei: 'stood up and walked about' (note the correct use of tenses). The specially strong expression used later in this verse to indicate the witnesses' amazement suggests strongly that Mark believed that the girl had been dead. That Mt. and Lk. imply that she was dead is clear. But was she really? An absolute proof either way is obviously impossible. But the evidence for Jesus' having raised the dead is rather stronger than Taylor indicates in his introduction to this narrative; for in addition to this narrative and Lk. 7:11-17 and Jn.11:1-46 there is also the highly significant passage common to Mt. and Lk., Mt.11:4-6=Lk.7:22,3, which has the words nekroi egeirontai, which are not found in the OT passages it recalls. Thus references to Jesus' raising the dead are contained not only in Mk. and the material special to Lk.; there is a reference also in the material common to Mt. and Lk. Moreover, to be weighed against the difficulties of accepting the historicity of Jn.11:1-46 is the not inconsiderable difficulty of believing that the Fourth Evangelist would call in question his own insistence on the importance of history by inventing such a narrative to illustrate a theological truth. See also the concluding note on 1:29-31. An gar etwn dwdeka looks like the sort of detail that someone who was present would remember: her age may well have been mentioned at the time. exestAsan...ekstasei. In the LXX the dative of a cognate noun is used with a verb to represent the infinitive absolute used with a finite verb in Hebrew (e.g. Gen.2:16f.). In the NT cf., e.g., Lk.22:15; Jn.3:29; James 5:17. (See Moule, pp. 177f.) For the expression of amazement see on 1:22 (exeplAssonto). MARKitGNTwuest117,8 - "The damsel arose and walked." "Arose" is from anistAmi "to arise, to stand up," used of someone lying down on a couch. It is aorist, calling attention to the fact of the arising. "Walked" is peripatew "to walk about," is imperfect, "kept on walking about," first, possibly to her mother, then to her father, and then, finding out what had happened, to the Lord Jesus who had restored her to life. "For she was twelve years." This explanation was needed, to show that the diminutive paidion would not be mistaken here for a small child. The girl was old enough to walk about. "They were astonished with a great astonishment." The verb is existAmi from ek "out," and histAmi "to place or put," thus "to put out," speaking of a removal, hence, of a man removed out of his senses. Our word "ecstasy" is the English spelling of this word. The word "amazement" would better translate its content of meaning. Translation: "And immediately the little girl stood up and kept on walking about, for she was twelve years old. And they were amazed with a great amazement." NTC-MARKhendriksen214 - Immediately the spirit of the child returns and she gets up. Apparently without any assistance she starts to walk. Now that she is alive again it was natural for her to walk, for though she was her parents' "little girl" (vs. 23, and see also vs. 41), the only child (Lk. 8:42), she had been able to walk for several years, being not less than twelve years of age. Mark probably adds this in order to prevent the reader from misinterpreting the term of endearment "little girl." It is hardly surprising to read: And at once they were utterly astonished; more literally, "astonished with great astonishment." A moment ago she was a corpse, pale and lifeless. Now she is walking around, filled with life, health, and vigor. Therefore the astonishment of the overjoyed parents and of the three disciples as well knows no bounds. And in this astonishment all others who saw her afterward must have joined. TNICotNT-MARKlane197,8 - The mourners were absolutely certain that the girl was dead, and responded to Jesus' words with scornful laughter. The fact that wailing and tears could be exhanged so quickly for laughter indicates how conventional and artificial the mourning customs had become. Jesus cast the scoffers out of the house, and allowing only the parents of the girl and his three disciples to accompany him, entered the room where the young girl lay. Taking hold of her hand he spoke the Aramaic words Talitha cumi, "Little girl, arise," The girl rose up and walked about, for she was already a "young daughter" according to Jewish classification. The retention of Aramaic formulae in Marcan healing contexts (Chs. 5:41; 7:34) has led to the conjectue that, analogous to pagan custom, the early Christians commonly believed in the efficacy of esoteric utterances composed of foreign or incomprehensible words. There is no support for this proposal either in Mark or in the subsequent tradition. The evangelist retains Aramaic with translation in other contexts unrelated to healing. Moreover, there is no evidence that "Talitha cumi" or "Ephphatha" were ever used by Christian healers as a magic spell. Their presence in the narrative reflects a faithfulness to the tradition that Jesus had actually spoken these words on specific occasions. The unpreparedness of the parents and the disciples for what they had witnessed is expressed with emphatic language. There was, apparently, no doubt in their minds that they had stood in the presence of death. God had intervened so dramatically they were left speechless with utter amazement. MARKj&d159,60 - "And he took the damsel by the hand...Talitha cumi...astonishment." The very Syriac or Aramaic word which the Lord used are here preserved by the Evangelist doubtless from the recollection of St. Peter. The words properly translated are, "Girl, arise." Quesnel's remarks on this are well worth reproducing: "The sacred Humanity is, as it were, the hand and instrument of the Divinity, to which it is united in the person of the Word. It is from this Humanity that our life proceeds, because it was in this that Christ died and rose again, and completed His Sacrifice. He is man, since He takes the dead person by the hand; He is God since He commands her to live, and to arise, and is immediately obeyed." Mark 5:43 And he charged them straitly that no man should know it;; And he strictly charged them that no one should know this--RSV; He gave them strict orders to let no one hear about it--NEB; but Jesus repeatedly cautioned them not to let any one know of it--TCNT; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.; and told them to give her something to eat-- Gspd; and he commanded them, again and again, that /no one\ should get to know this thing,--and bade that food should be given her to eat. and he charged them much, that no one may know this thing, and he said that there be given to her to eat. TRNTyeagerV337,8 - kai diesteilato autois polla hina mAdeis gnoi touto, kai eipen dothAnai autA phagein. kai (continuative conjunction). diesteilato (3d.per.sing.1st.aor.mid.ind.of diastellomai). charge - Mk.5:43; 7:36,36; 8:15; 9:9. give commandment - Acts 15:24. be commanded - Heb.12:20. Meaning: A combination of dia and stellw. To draw asunder, divide, distinguish, dispose, order. In a thorough way (the force of dia). In the middle, to open one's mind; to set forth distinctly; hence, to admonish, order, charge. With reference to Jesus' order to those who witnessed the resurrection of Jairus' daughter - Mk.5:43. In connection with the deaf man - Mk.7:36,36. To the disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees - Mk.8:15. To the three disciples after the transfiguration - Mk.9:9. In Peter's sermon at the Jerusalem Council in regard to religious observance - Acts 15:24. With reference to God's injunction to Israel at Sinai - Heb.12:20. In each case, the order is a summary command which brooks no disobedience. With the dative in all cases except in Heb.12:20 where the form is participial. autois (dat.pl.masc.of autos, indirect object of diesteilato). polla (acc.pl.neut.of polus, adverbial). hina (final conjunction introducing a purpose clause). mAdeis (nom.sing.masc.of mAdeis, subject of gnoi). gnoi (3d.per.sing.2d.aor.act.subj.of ginwskw, purpose). touto (acc.sing.neut.of outos, direct object of gnoi). eipen (continuative conjunction). dothAnai (1st.aor.pass.inf.of didwmi, epexegetical). autA (dat.sing.fem.of autos, indirect object of dothAnai). phagein (aor.act.inf.of esthiw, complementary). Translation: "And He gave them emphatic orders that no one should know about this, and He suggested that she be given something to eat." COMMENT: diesteilato means to command thoroughly or insistently. The intensity of the command (intensive dia) lies in the quality of the voice in which it was given, with perhaps an assist from the expression on Jesus' face. The tense is aorist, and hence forbids the notion that He repeated the order. The adverbial polla adds to the intensity. Montgomery translates, "He...repeatedly cautioned them, k.t.l." Weymouth says, "He gave strict injunctions (note the plural) k.t.l.". Goodspeed has "...he strictly forbade them...k.t.l." diesteilato is completed, not with a complementary infinitive but with hina and the subjunctive of purpose in gnoi- "in order that no one should know this." Note the demonstrative pronoun touto. In dothAnai we have a substantival use of the infinitive in the accusative case as the object of eipen. One of the surest signs of good health is a good appetite. The little girl was so healthy that she was hungry. Jesus, of course, knew this. Her parents were so esctatic over her resurrection that they failed to notice. Hence our Lord's quiet suggestion, "Feed her. She is hungry." Jesus forbade them to report the incident for the same reason that He did not allow the mob to witness it in the first place. He had already taught against casting pearls before swine. The gainsayers would not have believed it even if they had been told. Note the same charge in Mk.7:36; 9:9. H446 - Polla has an adverbial sense, "strictly" (cf. v.10). H450 - The infinitive dothAnai occurs after eipen in a jussive sense, denoting the content of a request, "he said, give her to eat." TCGTC-MARKcranfield191 - For the injunction to secrecy see on 1:25. In reply to the often expressed view that this case shows the artificiality of Mark's motif of secrecy, since so remarkable a miracle could not be kept secret, it may be said that mAdeis should not be taken to imply that Jesus thought it was possible to keep the matter absolutely private, but simply that Jesus wanted it kept as private as possible--no one was to know about it who need not. There was at least a chance of avoiding unnecessary publicity. And if immediate publicity were avoided, the news when it was no longer fresh would cause less excitement when it did get round. kai eipen dothAnai autA phagein. A vivid detail. The practical thoughtfulness of Jesus was remembered. MARKitGNTwuest118 - "He charged them straitly that no man should know." The first verb is diastellw "to order, charge." Expositors comments: "That the girl had recovered could not be hid, but that she had been brought back from death might be. Jesus wished this not desiring that expectations of such acts should be awakened." "Commanded that something should be given her to eat." Luke also records the fact that Jesus ordered food for the little girl. The Great Physician was careful about details. Bruch notes the fact that the girl could walk and eat, showing that she was not only alive, but well. Translation: "And He charged them sternly that no one should know this. And He ordered that she be given something to eat." NTC-MARKhendriksen214,5 - For the probably reason or reasons why such an injunction was issued see on 1:44. It may seem to be in conflict with verse 19, where Jesus orders the very thing to be done that he here (vs. 43) forbids. But, after all, Decapolis, with its strongly Gentile atmosphere, was not Galilee. The latter, although far more under the influence of the Gentiles than Judea (see Matt. 4:15), was at the same time far more Jewish than Decapolis. Galilee was full of Pharisees, scribes, spies, etc. To be sure, Jesus came on earth to die, but he wishes to die at his own predestined hour, not earlier. The word of tender concern is: and he ordered that she be given (something) to eat. Cf. Lk. 8:55. The prohibition in the first part of the verse is followed by a command or exhortation in the second part. Jesus realizes that the little girl, who because of her fatal illness had probably not been able to eat for some time, was in need of food; and that the parents, in the ecstasy of their joy, might overlook this need. Hence, the command. This is a very important point. It should not be lightly passed by. Cf. Isa. 57:15. One moment Jesus triumphs over death; the next moment he appeases hunger; rather, in all probability, prevents it from becoming a reality. His power cannot be fathomed; nor his compassion measured. This is the same Savior who went out of his way to enhance the reputaton of one doubter (Matt. 11:1-19) and to accept the presumptuous terms of another (Jn. 20:24-29), who defended widows (Lk. 18:1-8; 21:1-4), helping them in their needs (Lk. 7:11-17), took little children into his arms and blessed them (Mk. 10:16), wept over Jerusalem's recalcitrant inhabitants (Matt. 23:37-39), and showed kindness to the woman who was a public sinner (Lk. 7:36-50). In his own most bitter agony he provided a home for his mother (Jn. 19:26,27), entrance into paradise for a robber (Lk. 23:43), and forgiveness for his torturers (Lk. 23:34). Even afer his resurrection he is the same tender-hearted Savior, witness his treatment of the man who had but recently disowned him (Mk. 16:7; Jn. 21:15-17). This is the context in which that very precious passage, Mk. 5:43b, should be read. He is, moreover, the Hope of the hopeless. He showed this to the man who could not be tamed (Mk. 5:1-20); to the woman who could not be cured (vs. 25-34; Lk. 8:43); and to the father who was told that he could not longer be helped (vs. 21-24;35-43). TNICotNT-MARKlane198,9 - Mark records that Jesus strictly charged those present not to disclose to others what had happened. This injunction to silence has attracted particular attention, for it is alleged to be impracticable. It was widely known that the girl had died; it would be impossible to keep her in isolation for an extended period of time. Accordingly, William Wrede and others have found in Ch. 5:43 strong confirmation that the secrecy phenomena in the Gospel is a theological construction for which Mark himself is responsible. It is clear, however, that this context lends no support to the theory of secret messiahship, as Wrede conceived it. Fundamental to the narrative is the remarkable disclosure of Jesus' authority made to the parents of the girl and the disciples. These five received the privilege of a special revelation which they were not to share with others. The secret is, accordingly, "a witnessed secret" which is to be kept from others whom Jesus had excluded. The accent of the narrative alternates between disclosure of the messiahship and veiling. Special motivation for the injunction to silence may be found in the rank unbelief of those who had ridiculed Jesus with their scornful laughter. It is clear throughout Mark that Jesus revealed his messiahship only with reserve. It is appropriate to this consistent pattern of behavior that he was unwilling to make himself known to the raucous, unbelieving group that had gathered outside Jairus' house. He did not permit them to witness the saving action by which the girl was restoredto her parents, and he directed that it should continue to remain unknown to those outside. He recognized that the responsibility of the parents in this regard could not continue indefinitely. When the child appeared in public the facts would speak for themselves. The parents could, however, withhold what had happened and thus fulfill the intention of Jesus. Before it was known that the girl was yet alive, the purpose for which the charge had been given would have been fulfilled; Jesus would have departed and could no longer be subject to ostentatious acclaim. There is a fine human touch in Mark's final note, that in the midst of the excitement and confusion Jesus realized that the girl would need food. The resuscitation of Jairus' daughter is both a deed of compassion and a pledge of the conquerng power of Jesus over the combined forces of death and unbelief, in which the Kingdom of God was disclosed as a saving reality. It is precisely in deliverance from death that the salvation which Jesus brings finds its most pointed expression. MARKj&d160 - And he charged them straitly...given her to eat." It is to be noticed that in the case of the Gergesene demoniac, after healing He bade him make known what God had done for Him, and He Himself compelled the woman, in the last miracle, to confess her healing before the crowd. How is it that here He forbids the parents to make it known? Very probably He foresees how in some cases the fame of some mighty deed might be an hindrance to, as in other cases it might forward His real work. Or in each He might have had regard to the spiritual temperament of those whom He charged. Canon Farrar has a good remark: "If He added His customary warning, that they should not speak of what had happened, it was not evidently in the intention that the entire fact should remain unknown, for that would have been impossible, when all the circumstances had been witnessed by so many, but because those who had received from God's hand unbounded mercy are more likely to reverence that mercy with adoring gratitude, if it be kept like a hidden treasure in the inmost heart." "And commanded that something should be given her to eat." There must be some reason why this is specifically mentioned. It may have been to show the completeness of the recovery, in that one, a short time before so utterly prostrated and weak, should be able to take ordinary nourishment. It may be mentioned for a mystical significance, that those to whom God has given spiritual life, require spiritual food for its continuance." (M.F. Sadler). SUMMARY The argument of this section is the same as that of the corresponding section in Matthew. (See Matt. viii. 1-ix. 35). It proves the divine power of Jesus by showing that he could control by a word the winds and the waves of the sea; could direct and compel the movements of demons; could by his touch remove incurable diseases; and could instantly raise the dead. In other words, it proves the sufficiency of his power to save to the uttermost all who come to him, by proving that all the dangers to which we are exposed, whether from the forces of the physical world, the malice of evil spirits, the power of disease, or the hand of death, may be averted at his command, and that they will be in behalf of all who put themselves under his protection. Avery marked distinction is observable between Mark's treatment of this argument, and that adopted by Matthew. The latter presents an array of ten miracles without much elaboration of any one of them; the former selects four out of the ten, and devotes almost as much space to these as Matthew does to the ten. The one writer depends more on the number of miracles reported, and the other on the character of those selected and on the minuteness with which they are described. Each mode of treatment has its advantages, and the wisdom of God is displayed in giving us both. McGarvey. MARKbarclay136,37 - There is one very lovely thing here. "Talitha cumi" is Aramaic for "Maid! Arise!" How did this little bit of Aramaic get itself embedded in the Greek of the gospels? There can only be one reason. Mark got his information from Peter. For the most part, outside of Palestine at lease, Peter, too, would have to speak in Greek. But Peter had been there; he was one of the chosen three, the inner circle, who had seen this happen. And he could never forget Jesus' voice. In his mind and memory he could hear that "Talitha cumi" all his life. The love, the gentleness, the caress of it lingered with him forever, so much so that he was unable to think of it in Greek at all, because he could only hear it in memory in the voice of Jesus, in the very words that Jesus spoke. The great characteristic of this passage is that it is a story of contrasts. There is the contrast between the despair of the mourners and the hope of Jesus. "Don't bother the Teacher," they said. "There's nothing anyone can do now." "Don't be afraid," said Jesus, "only believe." In the one place it is the voice of despair that speaks; in the other the voice of hope. There is the contrast between the unrestrained distress of the mourners and the calm serenity of Jesus. They were wailing and weeping and tearing their hair and rending their garments in a paroxysm of distress; He was calm and quiet and serene and in control. Why should this difference be? The difference came because of Jesus' perfect confidence and trust in God. The worst human disaster can be met with courage and gallantry when we meet it with God. They laughed Him to scorn because they thought that His hope was groundless and His calm mistaken. But the great fact of the Christian life is that that which looks completely impossible with men is possible with God. That which on merely human grounds is far too good to be true, becomes blessedly true when God is there. They laughed Him to scorn, but that laughter must have turned to amazed wonder, when they realized what God can do. There is nothing beyond facing, and there is nothing beyond conquest--not even death--when it is faced and conquered in the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 5 The chapter consists of two main sections: verses 1-20 describe the healing of the Gerasene demoniac; verses 21-43, a double miracle: (a) restoration to life of Jairus' daughter; and (b) the healing of the woman who touched Christ's garment. From the story about the taming of the wild waves (4:35-41) Mark proceeds to the account of the taming - rather, the complete and marvelous restoration - of a wild man, a maniac to be sure, but first of all and most of all a demoniac. The chapter describes Jesus as the Hope of the hopeless. In doing so it moves to a gradual and exciting climax. It describes a demoniac who was hopelessly bereaved; hopelessly in each case "by human standards." But now notice the climax: the people in general (see verses 3,4) had reached the point where they were totally unable effectively to bind the demoniac; even the experts, that is the doctors (see verse 25; cf. Lk. 8:43) were unable to cure the woman; and, of course, no power in the universe was able to raise a child from the dead! Not even the Teacher? No, not even the Teacher...so everybody thought. Note the statement: "While he (Jesus) was still speaking, some men came from the synagogue ruler's (house). `Your daughter is dead,' they said. `Why bother the Teacher any further?'" Yet Christ, in his majesty, power, and compassion, triumphed over this hopelessness in all three cases: he dispelled the demons and transformed the demoniac into a missionary; he healed the woman and perfected her faith, changing it from faith concealed to faith revealed; and he not only, to the amazement of everybody, brought the child back to life, but even in his tenderness took care that she got something to eat! What is especially important is the fact that in the entire chapter not only the power but also the pity of Christ is revealed. His compassionate heart is laid bare. The chief lesson, therefore, is this: "Give your heart to the wonderful Savior." A second lesson is this: I have given you an example, in order that just as I did to you so also you should do (Jn. 13:15). Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ loved you and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a fragrant odor (Eph. 5:1,2).