Mark 5:22-43

See the account of the raising of Jairus’ daughter, and the healing of the woman with an issue of blood, fully explained in the notes at Matthew 9:18.

Mark 5:23

Lieth at the point of death - Is dying; in the last agonies.

Mark 5:26

Had suffered many things - Had resorted to many things painful, by the direction of the physicians, in order to be healed.

Mark 5:27

Came in the press behind - In the crowd that pressed upon him. This was done to avoid being noticed. It was an act of faith. She was full of confidence that Jesus was able to heal, but she trembled on account of her conscious unworthiness, thus illustrating the humility and confidence of a sinner coming to God for pardon and life.

Mark 5:30

Virtue had gone out of him - Power to heal. The word in the original means power.

Who touched my clothes? - This be said, not to obtain information, for he had healed her, and must have known on whom the blessing was conferred; but he did it that the woman might herself make a confession of the whole matter, so that the power of her faith and the greatness of the miracle might be manifested to the praise of God.

Mark 5:34

Daughter - A word of kindness, tending to inspire confidence and to dissipate her fears.

Be whole - That is, continue to be whole, for she was already cured.

Of thy plague - Thy disease; literally, thy “scourge.” So a word from Jesus heals the moral malady of the sinner.

Mark 5:35, Mark 5:36

Why troublest thou ... - It seems that the people had not yet confidence that Jesus could raise the dead. He had not yet done it; and as the child was now dead, and as they supposed that his power over her was at an end, they wished no farther to trouble him. Jesus kindly set the fears of the ruler at rest, and assured him that he had equal power over the dead and the living, and could as easily raise those who had expired as those who were expiring.

Mark 5:38

The tumult - The confusion and weeping of the assembled people.

Wailed - Making inarticulate, mournful sounds; howling for the dead.

Mark 5:39

This ado - This tumult, this bustle or confusion.

And weep - Weep in this inordinate and improper manner. See the notes at Matthew 9:23.

But sleepeth - See the notes at Matthew 9:24.

Mark 5:41

Talitha cumi - This is the language which our Saviour commonly spoke. It is a mixture of Syriac and Chaldee, called Syro-Chaldaic. The proper translation is given by the evangelist - “Damsel, arise.”

Mark 5:43

Something should be given her to eat - “He had raised her by extraordinary power, but he willed that she should be sustained by ordinary means.” He also in this gave full evidence that she was really restored to life and health. The changes were great, sudden, and certain. There could be no illusion. So, when the Saviour had risen, he gave evidence of his own resurrection by eating with his disciples, John 21:1.