Mark 5:35

KJV

¶ While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's [house certain] which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?

KJV (with Strong's)

While {G2089} he {G846} yet {G2089} spake {G2980}, there came {G2064} from {G575} the ruler of the synagogue's {G752} house certain which said {G3004},{G3754} Thy {G4675} daughter {G2364} is dead {G599}: why {G5101} troublest thou {G4660} the Master {G1320} any further {G2089}?

Complete Jewish Bible

While he was still speaking, people from the synagogue official's house came, saying, "Your daughter has died. Why bother the rabbi any longer?"

Berean Standard Bible

While He was still speaking, messengers from the house of Jairus arrived and said, “Your daughter is dead; why bother the Teacher anymore?”

American Standard Version

While he yet spake, they come from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Teacher any further?

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Mark 5:35 captures a moment of profound tension and human despair, as messengers interrupt Jesus's ongoing conversation to deliver the devastating news that Jairus's daughter has died. Their pronouncement, "Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?", reflects the common understanding that death is an irreversible end, challenging the very premise of Jairus's faith and the efficacy of Jesus's intervention from a human perspective. This verse sets the stage for a powerful demonstration of Jesus's authority over life and death, contrasting human limitations with divine power.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is strategically placed within the broader narrative of [Mark 5](/mark/5 "Mark 5 - Miracles of Jesus"). It immediately follows the miraculous healing of the woman with the issue of blood, an event that caused a significant delay in Jesus's journey to Jairus's house. The intertwining of these two narratives—Jairus's urgent plea for his dying daughter and the unexpected interruption of the bleeding woman's healing—creates a powerful sense of suspense and highlights Jesus's compassionate responsiveness to all who seek Him, regardless of their social standing or the nature of their need. The news of the daughter's death in [Mark 5:35](/mark/5-35 "Mark 5:35 - News of Jairus's Daughter's Death") intensifies the dramatic tension, making Jesus's subsequent actions even more impactful.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In first-century Jewish society, death was viewed with profound grief and a strong sense of finality, often accompanied by immediate mourning rituals and the belief that the spirit departed at the moment of death. A synagogue ruler like Jairus held a position of considerable local authority and respect, making his public plea to Jesus, a traveling teacher, an extraordinary act of humility and desperation. The arrival of messengers from his house, rather than Jairus himself, indicates the gravity of the situation and the cultural expectation that once death occurred, all hope for physical restoration was lost. Their question, "why troublest thou the Master any further?", reflects the prevailing cultural understanding that intervening after death was beyond human, or even a great teacher's, capability.
* **Key Themes:** Mark 5:35 is pivotal in developing several key themes within the Gospel of Mark. It starkly presents the **apparent finality of death versus Jesus's ultimate authority**, setting the stage for Jesus to demonstrate His power over the grave, a power that transcends all human limitations and expectations. Furthermore, the messengers' words directly pose a **challenge to faith**, implying that hope is lost and further effort is futile. This moment serves as a critical test for Jairus, and Jesus's immediate response in [Mark 5:36](/mark/5-36 "Mark 5:36 - Jesus's Encouragement to Jairus"), "Be not afraid, only believe," underscores the theme of **faith conquering fear** in the face of seemingly insurmountable circumstances. The verse also subtly highlights the theme of **divine timing**, where Jesus's "delay" in healing the woman ultimately allows for a greater miracle to unfold.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **spake (Greek, _laléō_):** This word describes Jesus's ongoing act of speaking, specifically with the woman He had just healed. Its use here emphasizes that Jesus was not idle or unaware, but actively engaged in ministry, even as the devastating news arrived. It highlights the contrast between the divine discourse and the abrupt intrusion of human despair.
* **dead (Greek, _apothnḗskō_):** This verb signifies the absolute cessation of life, the ultimate human endpoint. The messengers' declaration, "Thy daughter is dead," carries the full weight of finality and hopelessness from a human perspective, underscoring the perceived irreversibility of the situation and setting up the dramatic context for Jesus's subsequent intervention.
* **troublest (Greek, _skýllō_):** Meaning "to flay," "to vex," or "to harass," this term conveys the messengers' belief that any further imposition on Jesus would be a burdensome, pointless effort. It reveals their limited understanding of Jesus's power, seeing Him merely as a teacher whose capabilities would not extend beyond the boundary of death, thus implying that Jairus's continued hope was an unnecessary bother.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"¶ While he yet spake":** This clause emphasizes that Jesus was still actively engaged in conversation, specifically with the woman who had been healed of the issue of blood, when the news arrived. It highlights the immediate context of Jesus's ministry and the interruption of His divine work by human tragedy.
* **"there came from the ruler of the synagogue's [house certain] which said":** This identifies the source and nature of the interruption. Messengers, likely servants or friends, arrived directly from Jairus's home, bearing official and dire news. Their arrival signifies the immediate and undeniable reality of the situation.
* **"Thy daughter is dead":** This is the devastating pronouncement that shatters Jairus's hope and creates a moment of profound crisis. It is a statement of perceived finality, intended to convey that the situation is beyond remedy.
* **"why troublest thou the Master any further?":** This rhetorical question expresses the messengers' conviction that any further effort from Jesus would be futile and an unnecessary burden. It reveals their limited understanding of Jesus's true identity and power, seeing Him only as a respected teacher whose abilities do not extend to conquering death.

#### Literary Devices
Mark 5:35 is rich with literary devices that amplify its dramatic impact. **Dramatic Irony** is prominent, as the messengers, and perhaps Jairus himself, believe the situation is hopeless, yet the reader, aware of Jesus's previous miracles and divine identity, anticipates His power to transcend death. This creates a powerful **Contrast** between human despair and the impending divine intervention. The verse also builds intense **Dramatic Tension**, as the news of death arrives precisely when Jesus is seemingly delayed, heightening the sense of urgency and the apparent futility of the situation. Furthermore, the messengers' question, "why troublest thou the Master any further?", serves as **Foreshadowing** of the profound challenge Jesus will face and overcome, demonstrating His authority over the ultimate enemy, death itself.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Mark 5:35 serves as a profound theological statement on the nature of God's power in the face of human limitations. The messengers' declaration of death represents the ultimate barrier to human hope, yet it is precisely at this point of absolute despair that Jesus's divine authority is most powerfully revealed. This moment underscores the Christian understanding that God's power is not constrained by the natural order or by human perceptions of impossibility. It challenges believers to move beyond a limited view of Jesus as merely a "Master" or "teacher" and to recognize Him as the sovereign Lord over life and death, capable of bringing life where only death is perceived. The narrative invites a deeper trust in God's ability to intervene in the most dire circumstances, demonstrating that His plans and power often transcend human logic and expectations.

* [Luke 7:14-15](/luke/7-14-15 "Luke 7:14-15 - Raising the Widow of Nain's Son")
* [John 11:25-26](/john/11-25-26 "John 11:25-26 - Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life")
* [Romans 4:17](/romans/4-17 "Romans 4:17 - God Who Gives Life to the Dead")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Mark 5:35 offers a poignant and powerful lesson for believers facing seemingly insurmountable challenges. The messengers' words, "Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?", resonate deeply with our own experiences of despair when circumstances appear to be beyond hope or remedy. This verse reminds us that it is precisely when human effort and understanding reach their limit—when we declare a situation "dead" or irreversible—that Jesus Christ is poised to demonstrate His unparalleled power. It challenges us to resist the temptation to give up, to stop "troubling" the Master, and instead to cling to the truth that His authority extends even over death itself. Our faith is not in the absence of problems, but in the presence of a God who specializes in resurrection. This passage calls us to cultivate a radical trust in Jesus, believing that He has the final word, even when all human hope is gone, and to remember that His timing, though often mysterious, is always perfect for the display of His glory.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What "dead" situations in your life are you tempted to believe are beyond Jesus's ability to intervene?**
* **How do you typically respond when circumstances seem to contradict your faith or God's promises?**
* **In what ways might you be "troubling" Jesus less than you should, by limiting your expectations of His power?**
* **How can the example of Jairus, and Jesus's response to him, encourage you to persist in faith even when hope seems lost?**

### FAQ
**Why did the messengers refer to Jesus as "the Master" and what does this imply about their understanding of Him?**

Answer: The term "Master" (Greek: _didáskalos_) means "teacher." While it is a respectful title, the messengers' use of it here, coupled with their question "why troublest thou the Master any further?", implies a limited understanding of Jesus's true identity and power. They recognized Him as a great and respected teacher, perhaps even a miracle worker in the realm of healing, but they clearly did not perceive Him as the Lord of life who could command death itself. Their perspective was confined to human limitations, believing that even a great teacher's power would cease at the point of death. This contrasts sharply with Jesus's actual divine authority, which He was about to demonstrate.

**What is the significance of the messengers asking, "why troublest thou the Master any further?"**

Answer: This question reveals the messengers' profound despair and their belief in the absolute finality of death. From their perspective, once the girl had died, any further action by Jesus would be pointless and an unnecessary imposition or "trouble" (Greek: _skýllō_, meaning to harass or vex). It underscores the common human tendency to give up hope when faced with seemingly irreversible circumstances. For Jairus, it was a direct challenge to his faith, suggesting that his earlier plea to Jesus was now irrelevant. The question highlights the chasm between human understanding and the boundless power of God, setting the stage for Jesus to defy human expectations.

**How does this verse challenge the human perception of death?**

Answer: Mark 5:35 directly challenges the human perception of death as the ultimate and irreversible end. The messengers' declaration, "Thy daughter is dead," embodies this common understanding—that death is final, and there is no going back. However, Jesus's immediate response (though not in this verse, it is the direct consequence) and subsequent actions demonstrate that for Him, death is not an insurmountable barrier. He possesses authority over life and death, capable of raising the dead. This verse, therefore, sets up a powerful theological statement that death, from a divine perspective, is not the end, but rather a state over which the Lord of life has ultimate dominion, foreshadowing His own victory over the grave.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Mark 5:35, with its stark declaration of death and the accompanying human despair, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in Jesus's identity as the "Resurrection and the Life" ([John 11:25](/john/11-25 "John 11:25 - Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life")). The messengers' question, "why troublest thou the Master any further?", perfectly encapsulates humanity's limited understanding of God's power in the face of death, viewing it as an absolute and final barrier. Yet, Jesus's response to Jairus, "Do not fear, only believe" ([Mark 5:36](/mark/5-36 "Mark 5:36 - Jesus's Encouragement to Jairus")), immediately pivots from human despair to divine hope. This miracle, along with the raising of the widow of Nain's son ([Luke 7:11-17](/luke/7-11-17 "Luke 7:11-17 - Raising the Widow of Nain's Son")) and Lazarus ([John 11:1-44](/john/11-1-44 "John 11:1-44 - The Raising of Lazarus")), serves as a powerful prefigurement of Jesus's own triumph over death on the cross and His glorious resurrection ([Matthew 28:1-10](/matthew/28-1-10 "Matthew 28:1-10 - The Resurrection of Jesus")). He is not merely a teacher who heals, but the very source of life who holds the keys of death and Hades ([Revelation 1:18](/revelation/1-18 "Revelation 1:18 - Jesus Holds the Keys of Death")). Thus, Jairus's daughter's resurrection points directly to the ultimate hope of all believers: that because Christ lives, we too shall live ([John 14:19](/john/14-19 "John 14:19 - Because I Live, You Also Will Live")), and death no longer has the final word ([1 Corinthians 15:54-57](/1_corinthians/15-54-57 "1 Corinthians 15:54-57 - Victory Over Death")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Luke 8:49

While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's [house], saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.

John 11:39

Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been [dead] four days.

Mark 5:22

And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,

Luke 7:6

Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:

Luke 7:7

Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.

John 11:28

And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.

Mark 10:17

¶ And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?