Mark 5:41 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”

NIV: He took her by the hand and said to her, 'Talitha koum!' (which means 'Little girl, I say to you, get up!').

NASB: And taking the child by the hand, He *said to her, 'Talitha, kum!' (which translated means, 'Little girl, I say to you, get up!').

CSB: Then he took the child by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum" (which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, get up").

NLT: Holding her hand, he said to her, 'Talitha koum,' which means 'Little girl, get up!'

KJV: And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.

NKJV: Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”

When Jesus arrives at Jairus' house, He insists the girl is not dead but only "sleeping." This is meant for metaphorical intent: she had physically died, but Jesus fully intends for the girl's death to be temporary, like sleep. His actions now support His decision. He doesn't lay His hands on her or anoint her with oil and pray. He takes her hand and helps her up, as if she is already on the cusp of waking.

The Greek root word for "taking" is krateo and means to hold securely with power. "Hand" is from the Greek root word cheir which infers a power that is used to help. As casual as Jesus' words and gestures seem to be, the actual healing does take the power of the Holy Spirit. Changing the nature of this small piece of the universe is hard work.

The phrase talitha cumi is Aramaic and basically means "little girl, get up," or "child, arise," as Luke interprets it (Luke 8:54). It is thought that Mark included the literal Aramaic to prove that Jesus uses mere words, not a magical spell.

This inclusion is still relevant two thousand years later. Jesus did not raise the girl by His words but because He is the Word. "Word," as used in John 1, is from the Greek word logos and means word or principle or thought. It means the divine reason, the mind of God. Words have power and authority when they express the intent of God, not when they repeat particular phrases. "Amen," the text of the Lord's prayer, the sinner's prayer, even baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit get their significance from the intent of the speaker as they express the will of God, not the sounds made when the words are pronounced.

Our faith is not defined by standard prayers, liturgical readings, or magic words, but by our faith, God's grace, and Jesus' work.

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.