Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 9:24

"he said, Give place: for the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn." — Matthew 9:24 (ASV)

Flute players (v.23) were employed both on festive occasions (Revelation 18:22) and at funerals. Matthew alone mentions them in the ruler’s house, probably out of personal recollection. Jesus was about to reverse funeral symbolism of the finality of death (on funeral customs, see comments on Mk 5:38). His miracle not only brought a corpse to life but hope to despair.

The crowd mocked Jesus, not just because he had said, “The girl is not dead but asleep,” but even more because they thought that this great healer had arrived too late. Now he was going too far; carried away by his own success, he would try his skill on a corpse and make a fool of himself. In such a situation Jesus’ words became, in retrospect, all the more profound. Jesus touched the corpse; and the body, rather than defiling him, came to life. For Matthew the miracle showed that Jesus’ authority as the Christ extended even over the dead.