TRV
See on the biblical-era map
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Mark 5:35–43. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Diseases and deaths came into the world by the sin and disobedience of the first Adam; but by the grace of the second Adam both are conquered. Christ, having healed an incurable disease, here goes on to triumph over death, as in the beginning of the chapter he had triumphed over an outrageous devil.
I.The melancholy news is brought to Jairus, that his daughter is dead, and therefore, if Christ be as other physicians, he comes too late.
While there is life, there is hope, and room for the use of means; but when life is gone, it is past recall; Why troublest thou the Master any further? Mar 5:35. Ordinarily, the proper thought in this case, is, "The matter is determined, the will of God is done, and I submit, I acquiesce; The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, Who can tell but God will yet be gracious to me, and the child shall live? But now that it is dead, wherefore should I weep? I shall go to it, but it shall not return to me." With such words we should quiet ourselves at such a time, that our souls may be as a child that is weaned from his mother: but there the case was extraordinary; the death of the child doth not, as usually, put an end to the narrative.
II.Christ encourageth the afflicted father yet to hope that his application to Christ on the behalf of his child should not be in vain.
Christ had staid to work a cure by the way, but he shall be no sufferer by that, nor loser by the gain of others; Be not afraid, only believe. We may suppose Jairus at a pause, whether he should ask Christ to go on or no; but have we not as much occasion for the grace of God, and his consolations, and consequently of the prayers of our ministers and Christian friends, when death is in the house, as when sickness is? Christ therefore soon determines this matter; "Be not afraid that my coming will be to no purpose, only believe that I will make it turn to a good account." Note,
1.We must not despair concerning our relations that are dead, nor sorrow for them as those that have no hope. See what is said to Rachel, who refused to be comforted concerning her children, upon the presumption that they were not; Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears; for there is hope in thine end, that thy children shall come again, Jer 31:16, Jer 31:17. Therefore fear not, faint not.
2.Faith is the only remedy against disquieting grief and fear at such a time: let that silence them, Only believe. Keep up a confidence in Christ, and a dependence upon him, and he will do what is for the best. Believe the resurrection, and then be not afraid.
III.He went with a select company to the house where the dead child was.
He had, by the crowd that attended him, given advantage to the poor woman he last healed, and, having done that, now he shook off the crowd, and suffered no man to follow him (to follow with him, so the word is), but his three bosom-disciples, Peter, and James, and John; a competent number to be witnesses of the miracle, but not such a number as that his taking them with him might look like vainglory.
IV.He raised the dead child to life; the circumstances of the narrative here are much the same as we had them in Matthew; only here we may observe,
1.That the child was extremely well beloved, for the relations and neighbours wept and wailed greatly. It is very afflictive when that which is come forth like a flower is so soon cut down, and withereth before it is grown up; when that grieves us, of which we said, This same shall comfort us.
2.That it was evident beyond dispute, that the child was really and truly dead. Their laughing Christ to scorn, for saying, She is not dead, but sleepeth, though highly reprehensible, serves for the proof of this.
3.That Christ put those out as unworthy to be witnesses of the miracle, who were noisy in their sorrow, and were so ignorant in the things of God, as not to understand him when he spoke of death as a sleep, or so scornful, as to ridicule him for it.
4.That he took the parents of the child to be witnesses of the miracle, because in it he had an eye to their faith, and designed it for their comfort, who were the true, for they were the silent mourners.
5.That Christ raised the child to life by a word of power, which is recorded here, and recorded in Syriac, the language in which Christ spoke, for the greater certainty of the thing; Talitha, cumi; Damsel, I say unto thee, Arise. Dr. Lightfoot saith, It was customary with the Jews, when they gave physic to one that was sick, to say, Arise from thy disease; meaning, We wish thou mayest arise: but to one that was dead, Christ said, Arise from the dead; meaning, I command that thou arise; nay, there is more in it - the dead have not power to arise, therefore power goes along with this word, to make it effectual. Da quod jubes, et jube quod vis - Give what thou commandest, and command what thou wilt. Christ works while he commands, and works by the command, and therefore may command what he pleaseth, even the dead to arise. Such is the gospel call to those that are by nature dead in trespasses and sins, and can no more rise from that death by their own power, than this child could; and yet that word, Awake, and arise from the dead, is neither vain, nor in vain, when it follows immediately, Christ shall give thee light, Eph 5:14. It is by the word of Christ that spiritual life is given, I said unto thee, Live, Eze 16:6.
6.That the damsel, as soon as life returned, arose, and walked, Mar 5:42. Spiritual life will appear by our rising from the bed of sloth and carelessness, and our walking in a religious conversation, our walking up and down in Christ's name and strength; even from those that are of the age of twelve years, it may be expected that they should walk as those whom Christ has raised to life, otherwise than in the native vanity of their minds.
7.That all who saw it, and heard of it, admired the miracle, and him that wrought it; They were astonished with a great astonishment. They could not but acknowledge that there was something in it extraordinary and very great, and yet they knew not what to make of it, or to infer from it. Their wonder should have worked forward to a lively faith, but it rested in a stupor or astonishment.
8.That Christ endeavoured to conceal it; He charged them straitly, that no man should know it. It was sufficiently known to a competent number, but he would not have it as yet proclaimed any further; because his own resurrection was to be the great instance of his power over death, and therefore the divulging of other instances must be reserved till that great proof was given: let one part of the evidence be kept private, till the other part, on which the main stress lies, be made ready.
9.That Christ took care something should be given her to eat. By this it appeared that she was raised not only to life, but to a good state of health, that she had an appetite to her meat; even the new-born babes in Christ's house desire the sincere milk, Pe1 2:1, Pe1 2:2. And it is observable, that, as Christ, when at first he had made man, presently provided food for him, and food out of the earth of which he was made (Gen 1:29), so now when he had given a new life, he took care that something should be given to eat; for is he has given life, he may be trusted to give livelihood, because the life is more than meat, Mat 6:25. Where Christ hath given spiritual life, he will provide food for the support and nourishment of it unto life eternal, for he will never forsake, or be wanting to, the work of his own hands.
Historical interpretation
Nine Centuries of Reception
8 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
It was told the ruler of the synagogue, Thy daughter is dead. But Jesus said to him, She is not dead, but sleepeth. Both are true, for the meaning is, She is dead to you, but to Me she is asleep.
(ad Pam. Ep. 57) Some one may accuse the Evangelist of a falsehood in his explanation, in that he has added, I say unto thee, when in Hebrew, Talitha cumi only means, Damsel, arise; but He adds, I say unto thee, Arise, to express that His meaning was to call and command her. It goes on, For she was of the age of twelve years.
(ubi sup.) It is not said that he assented to his friends who brought the tidings and wished to prevent the Master from coming, so that our Lord's saying, Fear not, only believe, is not a rebuke for his want of faith, but was intended to strengthen the belief which he had already. But if the Evangelist had related, that the ruler of the synagogue joined the friends who came from his house, in saying that Jesus should not be troubled, the words which Matthew relates him to have said, namely, that the damsel was dead, would then have been contrary to what was in his mind. It goes on, And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.
(Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) But He Himself commands them not to wail, as if the damsel was not dead, but sleeping; wherefore it says, And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.
(Mor. 4, 27) Morally again, our Redeemer raised the damsel in the house, the young man without the gate, Lazarus in the tomb; he still lies dead in the house, whose sin is concealed; he is carried without the gate, whose sin has broken forth into the madness of an open deed; he lies crushed under the mound of the tomb, who in the commission of sin, lies powerless beneath the weight of habit.
(ubi sup.) Wherefore one believing woman touches the Lord, whilst the crowd throngs Him, because He, who is grieved by divers heresies, or by wicked habits, is worshipped faithfully with the heart of the Catholic Church alone. But the Church of the Gentiles came behind Him; because though it did not see the Lord present in the flesh, for the mysteries of His Incarnation had been gone through, yet it attained to the grace of His faith, and so when by partaking of His sacraments, it merited salvation from its sins, as it were the fountain of its blood was dried up by the touch of His garments. And the Lord looked round about to see her who had done this, because He judges that all who deserve to be saved are worthy of His look and of His pity.
(ubi sup.) For to men she was dead, who were unable to raise her up; but to God she was asleep, in whose purpose both the soul was living, and the flesh was resting, to rise again. Whence it became a custom amongst Christians, that the dead, who, they doubt not, will rise again, should be said to sleep. It goes on, And they laughed him to scorn.
(ubi sup.) Because they chose rather to laugh at than to believe in this saying concerning her resurrection, they are deservedly excluded from the place, as unworthy to witness His power in raising her, and the mystery of her rising; wherefore it goes on, But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.
(ubi sup.) Mystically; the woman was cured of a bloody flux, and immediately after the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue is reported to be dead, because as soon as the Church of the Gentiles is washed from the stain of vice, and called daughter by the merits of her faith, at once the synagogue is broken up on account of its zealous treachery and envy; treachery, because it did not choose to believe in Christ; envy, because it was vexed at the faith of the Church. What the messengers told the ruler of the synagogue, Why troublest thou the Master any more, is said by those in this day who, seeing the state of the synagogue, deserted by God, believe that it cannot be restored, and therefore think that we are not to pray that it should be restored. But if the ruler of the synagogue, that is, the assembly of the teachers of the Law, determine to believe, the synagogue also, which is subjected to them, will be saved. Further, because the synagogue lost the joy of having Christ to dwell in it, as its faithlessness deserved, it lies dead as it were, amongst persons weeping and wailing. Again, our Lord raised the damsel by taking hold of her hand, because the hands of the Jews, which are full of blood, must first be cleansed, else the synagogue, which is dead, cannot rise again. But in the woman with the bloody flux, and the raising of the damsel, is shown the salvation of the human race, which was so ordered by the Lord, that first some from Judæa, then the fulness of the Gentiles, might come in, and so all Israel might be saved. Again, the damsel was twelve years old, and the woman had suffered for twelve years, because the sinning of unbelievers was contemporary with the beginning of the faith of believers; wherefore it is said, Abraham believed on God, and it was counted to him for righteousnessu. (Gen. 15:6)
(ubi sup.) And we may remark, that lighter and daily errors may be cured by the remedy of a lighter penance. Wherefore the Lord raises the damsel, lying in the inner chamber with a very easy cry, saying, Damsel, arise; but that he who had been four days dead might quit the prison of the tomb, He groaned in spirit, He was troubled, He shed tears. In proportion, then, as the death of the soul presses the more heavily, so much the more ardently must the fervour of the penitent press forward. But this too must be observed, that a public crime requires a public reparation; wherefore Lazarus, when called from the sepulchre, was placed before the eyes of the people: but slight sins require to be washed out by a secret penance, wherefore the damsel lying in the house is raised up before few witnesses, and those are desired to tell no man. The crowd also is cast out before the damsel is raised; for if a crowd of worldly thoughts be not first cast out from the hidden parts of the heart, the soul, which lies dead within, cannot rise. Well too did she arise and walk, for the soul, raised from sin, ought not only to rise from the filth of its crimes, but also to make advances in good works, and soon it is necessary that it should be filled with heavenly bread, that is, made partaker of the Divine Word, and of the Altar.
Those who were about the ruler of the synagogue, thought that Christ was one of the prophets, and for this reason they thought that they should beg of Him to come and pray over the damsel. But because she had already expired, they thought that He ought not to be asked to do so. Therefore it is said, While he yet spake, there came messengers to the ruler of the synagogue, which said, Thy daughter is dead; why troublest thou the Master any further? But the Lord Himself persuades the father to have confidence. For it goes on, As soon as Jesus heard the word which was spoken, he saith to the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid; only believe.
For Christ in His lowliness would not do any thing for display. It goes on, And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.
But they laugh at Him, as if unable to do any thing farther; and in this He convicts them of bearing witness involuntarily, that she was really dead whom He raised up, and therefore, that it would be a miracle if He raised her.
(non occ.) The Evangelist added this, to show that she was of an age to walk. By her walking, she is shown to have been not only raised up, but also perfectly cured. It continues, And a they were astonished with a great astonishment.
Continue studying Mark 5:35 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
CNTR CollationThe earliest Greek manuscripts of this verse, collated letter by letter.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
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. 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 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, "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
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.
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.
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.
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
FAQ
Why did the messengers refer to Jesus as "the Master" and what does this imply about their understanding of Him?
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?"
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?
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). 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), 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) and Lazarus (John 11:1-44), serves as a powerful prefigurement of Jesus's own triumph over death on the cross and His glorious resurrection (Matthew 28:1-10). 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). 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), and death no longer has the final word (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).