Mark 5:39

KJV

And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.

KJV (with Strong's)

And {G2532} when he was come in {G1525}, he saith {G3004} unto them {G846}, Why {G5101} make ye this ado {G2350}, and {G2532} weep {G2799}? the damsel {G3813} is {G599} not {G3756} dead {G599}, but {G235} sleepeth {G2518}.

Complete Jewish Bible

On entering, he said to them, "Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn't dead, she's just asleep!"

Berean Standard Bible

He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but asleep.”

American Standard Version

And when he was entered in, he saith unto them, Why make ye a tumult, and weep? the child is not dead, but sleepeth.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Mark 5:39 captures a pivotal moment in Jesus's ministry as He enters the home of Jairus, a synagogue official, whose daughter has just died. Amidst the professional mourners and the profound grief of the family, Jesus speaks words that challenge the human perception of death, declaring that the child is "not dead, but sleepeth." This statement not only sets the stage for a miraculous demonstration of His divine authority over life and death but also offers a profound theological redefinition of death for those who believe in Him.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated within a series of powerful miracles in Mark's Gospel that demonstrate Jesus's authority over various realms: unclean spirits ([Mark 5:1-20](/mark/5-1-20 "Mark 5:1-20 - The Gerasene Demoniac")), disease ([Mark 5:25-34](/mark/5-25-34 "Mark 5:25-34 - The Woman with the Issue of Blood")), and now, death itself. The narrative immediately preceding [Mark 5:39](/mark/5-39 "Mark 5:39 - Jesus Declares the Girl is Asleep") details Jairus's desperate plea for his dying daughter ([Mark 5:22-23](/mark/5-22-23 "Mark 5:22-23 - Jairus's Plea for His Daughter")). While Jesus is en route, He is interrupted by the healing of a woman with a chronic hemorrhage, a delay that proves critical as news arrives that Jairus's daughter has died ([Mark 5:35](/mark/5-35 "Mark 5:35 - News of the Girl's Death")). Despite the grim report, Jesus immediately reassures Jairus with the transformative command, "[Be not afraid, only believe](/mark/5-36 "Mark 5:36 - Jesus's Encouragement to Jairus")" ([Mark 5:36](/mark/5-36 "Mark 5:36 - Jesus's Encouragement to Jairus")), setting the stage for His profound declaration upon entering the house.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In first-century Jewish society, death was met with elaborate and public mourning rituals. Upon a death, families would immediately hire professional mourners, typically women who would wail loudly, beat their breasts, and play flutes to express extreme sorrow and announce the tragedy to the community. This "ado" (commotion) and weeping were not merely spontaneous expressions but a culturally prescribed and expected part of the grieving process, often beginning immediately after death was confirmed. The intensity of the mourning was often seen as a measure of the deceased's importance or the family's grief. Jesus's arrival amidst this chaotic scene, and His calm, counter-cultural declaration, would have been deeply unsettling and even offensive to those present who were steeped in these traditions and convinced of the finality of death.
* **Key Themes:** The central themes emerging from this verse and its immediate context include Jesus's **Sovereignty Over Death**, presenting Him as the ultimate Lord of life who can reverse even the most final human experience. His statement challenges the prevailing human understanding of death as an absolute end, instead portraying it as a temporary state, akin to sleep, from which He alone possesses the power to awaken. This directly contrasts with the **Human Perspective of Despair** in the face of death, as evidenced by the intense mourning. Furthermore, the passage underscores the critical theme of **Faith Versus Unbelief**, as Jesus's words demand a radical shift from a natural, hopeless reaction to death to a supernatural trust in His divine authority, echoing His earlier instruction to Jairus, "[Do not be afraid; only believe](/mark/5-36 "Mark 5:36 - Jesus's Command to Believe")."

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **make ye this ado (Greek, _thorybéō'_):** From θόρυβος, meaning "to be in tumult, i.e. disturb, clamor." This word perfectly captures the loud, chaotic, and public display of grief that characterized Jewish mourning rituals. It refers to the noisy commotion and wailing made by professional mourners and grieving family members, indicating a scene of intense lamentation and distress.
* **dead (Greek, _apothnḗskō'_):** From ἀπό and θνήσκω, meaning "to die off (literally or figuratively)." This is the standard Greek term for physical death, signifying the cessation of life. The mourners and the messenger understood the damsel to be definitively in this state, making Jesus's subsequent statement all the more startling and counter-intuitive from their perspective.
* **sleepeth (Greek, _katheúdō'_):** From κατά and (to sleep), meaning "to lie down to rest, i.e. (by implication) to fall asleep (literally or figuratively)." While literally meaning to slumber, in this context, Jesus employs it as a profound euphemism for death. This choice of word does not deny the physical reality of the girl's death but asserts His unique power to awaken her from it, treating it as a temporary, reversible state, much like one awakens from natural sleep.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And when he was come in":** This phrase marks Jesus's physical entry into the private space of Jairus's home, a place of intense grief and mourning. His presence immediately shifts the spiritual atmosphere, bringing the power of God into a scene dominated by human despair.
* **"he saith unto them":** Jesus addresses the assembled crowd, specifically the professional mourners and grieving family members who were engaged in their loud lamentations. His words are a direct challenge to their actions and their understanding of the situation.
* **"Why make ye this ado, and weep?":** This is a rhetorical question, not seeking information but challenging the appropriateness and underlying assumption of their intense, despairing mourning. Jesus confronts their outward display of grief, implying that their reaction is based on an incomplete or mistaken understanding of the situation. He questions the very premise of their sorrow, which assumes an irreversible end.
* **"the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.":** This is the core declaration of the verse, a profound statement that redefines the girl's state. Jesus does not deny the physical cessation of life as others perceived it, but He reframes it from a divine perspective. By comparing death to "sleep," He asserts His ultimate authority over it, indicating that her state is temporary and subject to His power to awaken. This statement is a direct theological challenge to the finality of death as understood by humanity.

#### Literary Devices
Mark 5:39 employs several powerful **literary devices**. The most prominent is **Euphemism**, where Jesus refers to the girl's death as "sleep." This is not to suggest she was merely unconscious, but to convey a profound theological truth: for Him, death is not an insurmountable end but a temporary state from which He can awaken individuals, much like one awakens from slumber. This euphemism foreshadows the resurrection and highlights His divine power. Jesus also uses a **Rhetorical Question** ("Why make ye this ado, and weep?"), which serves not to elicit an answer but to challenge the crowd's despairing reaction and their limited understanding of death. Furthermore, there is a striking **Contrast** between the human perception of death as final ("dead") and Jesus's divine perspective of it as temporary ("sleepeth"). This contrast underscores the radical nature of Jesus's authority and His unique relationship with life itself. Underlying these is a subtle **Irony**, as the mourners believe they are witnessing an irreversible tragedy, while Jesus, with divine insight, knows it is merely a prelude to a miracle.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Jesus's declaration in Mark 5:39 that the girl is "not dead, but sleepeth" is a profound theological statement that redefines death from a human tragedy to a temporary state under divine sovereignty. This perspective is foundational to Christian hope, transforming the fear of death into an anticipation of awakening. It underscores Jesus's unique authority not only over sickness and demons but also over the ultimate enemy, death itself. For believers, this redefinition means that physical death is not an extinguishing of existence but a transition, a "sleep" from which Christ promises a future resurrection. This concept offers immense comfort and radically alters the believer's view of mortality, aligning it with God's eternal purposes rather than human despair.

* [John 11:11-14](/john/11-11-14 "John 11:11-14 - Jesus Calls Lazarus's Death Sleep")
* [1 Corinthians 15:20-22](/1_corinthians/15-20-22 "1 Corinthians 15:20-22 - Christ as the Firstfruits of Resurrection")
* [1 Thessalonians 4:13-14](/1_thessalonians/4-13-14 "1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 - Believers Who Sleep in Jesus")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Mark 5:39 offers profound comfort and a powerful challenge to our human understanding of loss and finality. In a world where death often feels like the ultimate defeat, Jesus's words remind us that for those in Him, physical death is not the end but a temporary state, a "sleep" from which He has the power to awaken. This perspective encourages us to cultivate a faith that transcends immediate circumstances and human despair. It calls us to trust in Jesus's ultimate authority over all things, including the seemingly insurmountable barrier of death. For those grieving the loss of loved ones who died in Christ, this verse, coupled with the promise of resurrection, transforms sorrow into hopeful anticipation. It prompts us to view life and death through the lens of God's eternal plan and Christ's triumph, fostering a heavenly perspective that shapes our priorities, alleviates our fears, and deepens our reliance on the One who holds the keys to life and death.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does Jesus's statement, "the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth," challenge your own perceptions or fears about death?**
* **In what areas of your life do you need to shift from a human, despairing perspective to a divine, faith-filled one, as Jairus was called to do?**
* **How can the Christian understanding of death as "sleep" bring comfort and hope to those grieving the loss of a loved one?**
* **What practical steps can you take to live with a greater awareness of Christ's ultimate authority over life and death?**

### FAQ

**Did Jesus mean the girl was only unconscious, not truly dead?**

Answer: No, Jesus did not mean the girl was merely unconscious. The context clearly indicates she was physically dead, as evidenced by the arrival of the messenger stating, "[Thy daughter is dead](/mark/5-35 "Mark 5:35 - News of the Girl's Death")" ([Mark 5:35](/mark/5-35 "Mark 5:35 - News of the Girl's Death")), and the presence of professional mourners who were already performing their rituals for the deceased. Jesus's use of "sleepeth" is a profound theological euphemism, not a medical diagnosis. He uses it to convey His divine power to reverse death, treating it as a temporary state from which He can awaken her, much like one awakens from natural sleep. This is consistent with His teaching elsewhere, such as when He referred to Lazarus's death as sleep before raising him ([John 11:11-14](/john/11-11-14 "John 11:11-14 - Jesus Calls Lazarus's Death Sleep")).

**Why did Jesus tell the crowd to stop their "ado" and weeping?**

Answer: Jesus challenged their "ado" and weeping not because He lacked compassion for their grief, but because their lamentation was rooted in a belief in death's finality, which contradicted His divine perspective and power. Their loud, despairing mourning indicated a lack of faith in His ability to intervene and overcome death. By telling them to stop, Jesus was essentially saying, "Your reaction is based on a misunderstanding; this is not the end you perceive it to be." He was preparing the way for a demonstration of His authority, which would render their mourning premature and misplaced. His words were a call to shift from a human, hopeless response to a divine, faith-filled expectation.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Mark 5:39, with Jesus's profound declaration that the damsel is "not dead, but sleepeth," finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Himself as the conqueror of death. This miracle is a powerful foreshadowing of Christ's own victory over the grave, demonstrating that death, for those in Him, is not an insurmountable end but a temporary slumber awaiting awakening. Jesus, as "the resurrection and the life" ([John 11:25](/john/11-25 "John 11:25 - Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life")), embodies the power He displayed in Jairus's home. His own resurrection from the dead ([Mark 16:6](/mark/16-6 "Mark 16:6 - The Resurrection of Jesus")) serves as the definitive proof of His authority over death, guaranteeing that all who believe in Him will likewise be raised. The New Testament consistently refers to the death of believers as "sleep" ([1 Thessalonians 4:13-14](/1_thessalonians/4-13-14 "1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 - Believers Who Sleep in Jesus")), a direct echo of Jesus's words here, assuring us that our ultimate destiny is not the grave but a glorious resurrection into eternal life with Christ ([1 Corinthians 15:54-57](/1_corinthians/15-54-57 "1 Corinthians 15:54-57 - Victory Over Death Through Christ")). Thus, Jairus's daughter's awakening points directly to the greater spiritual awakening and physical resurrection promised to all who are united with Christ through faith.

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

Acts 20:10

And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing [him] said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.

1 Thessalonians 5:10

Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

John 11:11

These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

John 11:13

Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

1 Corinthians 11:30

For this cause many [are] weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

1 Thessalonians 4:13

¶ But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

1 Thessalonians 4:14

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.