John Gill Commentary Mark 5:41

"And taking the child by the hand, he saith unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, Arise." — Mark 5:41 (ASV)

And he took the damsel by the hand
(See Gill on Matthew 9:25).

And said to her ;
in the Syriac language, which was then commonly spoken by the Jews, and well understood: hence the Syriac version expresses the following words without an interpretation,

Talitha Cumi .
The Ethiopic version reads it, "Tabitha Cumi"; and so do some Greek copies, and Latin versions, taking it to be the same word as in (Acts 9:36) whereas that signifies "Dorcas, a roe"; but this word is of another signification, as here explained,

which is, being interpreted, damsel (I say to you) arise .
The phrase, "I say to you", is no part of the interpretation of the above Syriac words; but is added, by the evangelist, as being what was expressed by Christ at the same time, signifying his authority and power over death; only "damsel arise", is the interpretation of them.

(ylj) , "Tali", signifies a "boy", and (atylj) , "Talitha", a "girl"; and so they are often used in the Targums ^F23 , and in the Talmud: the one is used for a boy of seventeen years of age ^F24 , and the other for a girl of sixteen or seventeen years of age ^F25 ; so that this child might well be called by this name, since she was but twelve years of age; and (ymwq) , "Cumi", is the imperative (Mwq) , "to arise".

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FOOTNOTES:

• F23: Targum Hieres in Deut. xxii. 21. & Targum Sheni in Esther ii. 9.
• F24: T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 142. 2. Gloss. in ib.
• F25: lb. fol. 91. 2.