Mark 5:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet

NIV: Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet.

NASB: And one of the synagogue officials, named Jairus, *came, and upon seeing Him, *fell at His feet

CSB: One of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet

NLT: Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet,

KJV: And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,

NKJV: And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet

This is likely in or near Capernaum, where Jesus is familiar with the synagogue (Mark 1:21–28). It's even possible that this leader was there when Jesus freed a man possessed by a demon.

The ruler of the synagogue, a word taken from the Greek root archisunagogos, does not always teach, but he is one of the supervisors who chooses the readers and teachers. It is his responsibility to make sure the teaching is accurate and in accordance with tradition. He very well may have been the one who allowed Jesus to teach in Mark 1:21–28.

Where the legion of demons prostrate themselves in recognition of Jesus' rank (Mark 5:6) and the woman with an issue of blood will fall in fear and homage, the synagogue leader falls at Jesus' feet in a more calculated but still sincere manner. From the Greek root word pipto, the man voluntarily lowers himself from a position of authority to one of submission, not necessarily because he believes Jesus to be higher than him, but because he believes Jesus can do something for him.

God often uses great need to get us past our prejudices and pride so that we will come to Him. The Pharisees from Galilee had joined with the Herodians to destroy Jesus (Mark 3:1–6) and the Pharisees from Jerusalem had condemned Jesus (Mark 3:22–30). This synagogue leader might have held the same attitude in the past—we don't know for sure—but right now he just wants his daughter to be healed.

Jairus is one of the few people named outside the disciples in Mark. His name means "one whom God enlightens."

Mark 5:21–24 describes a synagogue leader, Jairus, asking Jesus to heal his daughter. After freeing a man who is possessed by a legion of demons, Jesus and the disciples return to the Jewish side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus is again met by a mob seeking healing. The story of Jesus resurrecting this synagogue leader's daughter is divided by the account of the healing of a woman with an issue of blood (Mark 5:25–34). This literary device leads us to compare the honorable leader and his beloved daughter to the unclean, destitute, and most likely abandoned woman. It also shows us that to Jesus, there is no difference. This incident is also described in Matthew 9:18–19 and Luke 8:40–42.

Jesus arrives on the other side of the Sea of Galilee and heals a man afflicted by a ''legion'' of demons. In the aftermath of this event, Jesus once again crosses the waters within this region, known as the Decapolis. There, He is approached by a synagogue leader, begging Him to come and save a dying girl. In the midst of this trip, Jesus stops the crowd to identify a woman who attempted to covertly touch his robes; her faithful act results in healing. Jesus then continues on to the home of the synagogue leader and resurrects his recently-deceased child.

Mark 4:35—5:43 sees an increase in the scope of Jesus' miracles. He has just calmed a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee. Now, He expels a legion of demons, heals a woman without overtly acting, and brings a girl back to life. All three situations—related to tombs, blood, and death—show Jesus bringing healing to unclean circumstances. In chapter 6, the tone of His ministry will develop. He will be rejected by those who should know Him best, He will send out His followers to do His work, and His direct link to the Old Testament prophets will be explained.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.