Church Fathers Commentary Mark 5:35-43

"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? But Jesus, not heeding the word spoken, saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Fear not, only believe. And he suffered no man to follow with him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. And they come to the house of the ruler of the synagogue; and he beholdeth a tumult, and [many] weeping and wailing greatly. And when he was entered in, he saith unto them, Why make ye a tumult, and weep? the child is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But he, having put them all forth, taketh the father of the child and her mother and them that were with him, and goeth in where the child was. And taking the child by the hand, he saith unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, Arise. And straightway the damsel rose up, and walked; for she was twelve years old. And they were amazed straightway with a great amazement. And he charged them much that no man should know this: and he commanded that [something] should be given her to eat." — Mark 5:35-43 (ASV)

Theophylact of Ohrid: Those who were with the ruler of the synagogue thought that Christ was one of the prophets. For this reason, they believed they should ask Him to come and pray over the girl. But because she had already died, they thought He should no longer be asked to come.

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."

St. Augustine of Hippo: It is not said that the ruler assented to his friends who brought the news and wished to prevent the Master from coming. Therefore, our Lord's statement, "Fear not, only believe," is not a rebuke for a lack of faith, but was intended to strengthen the belief he already had. However, if the Evangelist had reported that the ruler of the synagogue joined his friends in saying that Jesus should not be troubled, then the words Matthew attributes to him—namely, that the girl was dead—would have contradicted 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."

Theophylact of Ohrid: For Christ in His humility would not do anything 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."

Pseudo-Chrysostom: But He Himself commands them not to wail, as if the girl was not dead, but only sleeping.¹

Therefore 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."

Pseudo-Jerome: It was told the ruler of the synagogue, "Your daughter is dead." But Jesus said to him, "She is not dead, but sleepeth." Both are true. The meaning is, "She is dead to you, but to Me she is asleep."

The Venerable Bede: For to men, who were unable to raise her, she was dead. But to God she was asleep, for in His divine purpose her soul was living and her flesh was merely resting, waiting to rise again. From this, it became a custom among Christians to say that the dead, who they do not doubt will rise again, are "sleeping."

It goes on, "And they laughed Him to scorn."

Theophylact of Ohrid: But they laugh at Him, as if He were unable to do anything more. In this, however, He convicts them of involuntarily testifying that the one He raised was truly dead, which means that raising her would indeed be a miracle.

The Venerable Bede: Because they chose to laugh at this statement about her resurrection rather than believe it, they were deservedly excluded from the room, being unworthy to witness His power in raising her and the mystery of her rising.

Therefore 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."

St. John Chrysostom: Alternatively, to avoid all display, He did not allow everyone to be with Him. However, so that He might leave behind witnesses of His divine power, He chose His three chief disciples and the father and mother of the girl, as they were necessary above all. And He restores life to the girl both by His hand and by His word.

Therefore it says, "And He took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, Arise."

For the hand of Jesus, having a life-giving power, quickens the dead body, and His voice raises her as she is lying there.

Therefore it follows, "And straightway the damsel arose and walked."

St. Jerome: Someone might accuse the Evangelist of a falsehood in his explanation, since he added, "I say to you," when the Aramaic "Talitha cumi" only means, "Girl, arise." But the Evangelist adds "I say to you" to express that Jesus's meaning was to both call and command her.²

It goes on, "For she was of the age of twelve years."

Glossa Ordinaria: The Evangelist added this to show that she was old enough to walk. By her walking, she is shown to have been not only raised up but also perfectly cured.

It continues, "And they were astonished with a great astonishment."

St. John Chrysostom: This was to show that He had truly raised her, and not just in appearance.³

The Venerable Bede: Mystically, the woman was cured of a flow of blood, and immediately afterward the daughter of the synagogue ruler is reported to be dead. This is because as soon as the Church of the Gentiles is washed from the stain of vice and is called a daughter by the merits of her faith, the synagogue is at once broken up on account of its zealous treachery and envy. It was treachery because it did not choose to believe in Christ, and envy because it was distressed at the faith of the Church.

What the messengers told the ruler of the synagogue, "Why troublest thou the Master any further?", is said by people today who, seeing the state of the synagogue deserted by God, believe it cannot be restored. They therefore think we should not pray for its restoration. But if the ruler of the synagogue—that is, the assembly of the teachers of the Law—decides to believe, then the synagogue, which is subject to them, will also be saved.

Furthermore, because the synagogue lost the joy of having Christ dwell in it, as its unbelief deserved, it lies dead, as it were, among people weeping and wailing. Again, our Lord raised the girl by taking her hand, because the hands of the Jews, which are full of blood, must first be cleansed; otherwise, the synagogue, which is dead, cannot rise again. But in the woman with the flow of blood and the raising of the girl is shown the salvation of the human race, which was so ordered by the Lord that first some from Judea, then the fullness of the Gentiles, might come in, and so all Israel might be saved. Again, the girl was twelve years old, and the woman had suffered for twelve years, because the sin of unbelievers was contemporary with the beginning of the faith of believers.

Therefore it is said, "Abraham believed on God, and it was counted to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:6).ⁱ

St. Gregory the Great: Morally, our Redeemer raised the girl in the house, the young man outside the gate, and Lazarus in the tomb. A person whose sin is concealed still lies dead in the house. A person whose sin has broken out into the open is carried outside the gate. A person who, in committing sin, lies powerless beneath the weight of habit is crushed under the mound of the tomb.⁴

The Venerable Bede: We may also remark that lighter, daily errors can be cured by the remedy of a lighter penance. Therefore, the Lord raises the girl, lying in an inner room, with a simple command, saying, "Damsel, arise." But for the man who had been dead four days to leave the prison of the tomb, He groaned in spirit, was troubled, and shed tears. Therefore, the more heavily the death of the soul presses down, the more fervently must the penitent press forward.

But this must also be observed: a public crime requires public reparation. This is why Lazarus, when called from the tomb, was placed before the eyes of the people. Slight sins, however, require cleansing by a secret penance, which is why the girl lying in the house is raised before few witnesses, who are then asked to tell no one.

The crowd is also put out before the girl is raised. For if a crowd of worldly thoughts is not first cast out from the hidden parts of the heart, the soul that lies dead within cannot rise.

It is fitting that she arose and walked, for a soul raised from sin ought not only to rise from the filth of its crimes but also to advance in good works. Soon, it is necessary that it be filled with heavenly bread—that is, to partake of the Divine Word and of the Altar.

1. Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.
2. Hier. ad Pam., Ep. 57
3. Hom. in Matt., 81
4. Mor. 4, 27