Mark 5:35 - Printer Friendly

ESV: While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”

NIV: While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. 'Your daughter is dead,' they said. 'Why bother the teacher anymore?'

NASB: While He was still speaking, people *came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, 'Your daughter has died; why bother the Teacher further?'

CSB: While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue leader's house and said, "Your daughter is dead. Why bother the teacher anymore? "

NLT: While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, 'Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.'

KJV: While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?

NKJV: While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”

Jairus, a synagogue leader, has asked Jesus to heal his deathly-ill daughter. On His way to Jairus' house, Jesus heals a woman with an issue of blood, stopping the crowd to identify her (Mark 5:21–34). It is while He is speaking to the woman that Jairus learns that his daughter has died.

"Ruler of the synagogue" is taken from the Greek root word archisunagogos. Synagogues did not function like traditional Christian churches. Instead of pastors preaching every week, chosen men stand and read from the Torah, then explain what the passage means. Jairus is one of the supervisors who choose the readers and teachers and make sure the interpretation 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.

Jairus shows respect for Jesus. The person from his household calls Jesus "teacher" which comes from the Greek root word diadaskalos. The title can mean any teacher, but usually refers to an instructor of the Jewish religion. It infers the respect of the word "master" and equates to the Hebrew "rabbi."

There is some confusion regarding when Jairus knows his daughter was dead. In Matthew 9:18, he appears to tell Jesus his daughter had just died, before the woman with an issue of blood had touched Jesus. Here, Jairus doesn't appear to know until after that interaction. It is possible that Matthew wasn't close enough to hear when Jairus first approached Jesus, due to the crowd, and inferred what he said by the professional mourners he saw when they reached Jairus' house.

Another possibility has to do with the fact that biblical scholars suspect Peter gave Mark the information for his Gospel. Unlike Matthew, Peter follows Jesus into Jairus' house and on to the little girl's room. He hears Jesus downplay the girl's condition, treating her death as a temporary condition, and not acknowledging the beliefs of the members of Jairus' household who are convinced the girl is gone and Jesus is a fraud.

A third possibility is that Jairus first told Jesus his daughter is ill, and then his servant announced she is dead early on in Jesus' conversation with the woman. Matthew may have attributed the words of the servant to his master, which was common at that time.

Mark 5:35–43 returns to Jesus' encounter with a synagogue leader and his ailing daughter, after pausing to describe Jesus healing a woman who had suffered for years with a debilitating hemorrhage. The scope of Jesus' power and authority has built to this moment. He controlled a fierce storm (Mark 4:35–41), expelled a legion of demons (Mark 5:1–13), and healed a chronically ill woman without even trying (Mark 5:25–34). Now He will raise the dead. This is the first of three times Jesus is recorded as raising the dead (John 11:1–44; Luke 7:11–17). Despite this display, Jesus will soon go to His hometown of Nazareth where He will be rejected by the people who have known Him longest. This account can also be found in Matthew 9:23–26 and Luke 8:49–56.

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.