Mark 5:41

5:41 Mark translates Talitha koum for his Greek-speaking readers as Little girl, get up! The Aramaic terms are not magical; they are simply the actual words Jesus spoke when he raised the little girl, since Aramaic was his native language. The Aramaic terms that Mark records probably come from learning the story in Aramaic in Jerusalem.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mar 5:41. Ταλιθὰ κοῦμι, Talitha Cumi) Peter had remembered the precise words used by the Saviour; and it was from his mouth [dictation] that Mark is said to have written. Talitha was used but once; for Jesus, in raising the dead, did not employ Epizeuxis [repetition of the same word; see Append.], Luk 7:14; Joh 11:43. For His power was always instantaneous in its effect; comp. Num 20:11.—σοὶ λέγω, I say unto thee) This is not contained in Talitha Cumi, and yet it is with truth added.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mar 5:41 . Ταλιθά , κοῦμ , maiden, rise! first instance in which the words of Jesus, as spoken in Aramaic, are given. Jesus may have been a bilingual, sometimes using Greek, sometimes Syriac. He would use the vernacular on a pathetic occasion like this. The word Ταλιθά , feminine of Teli ( טְלִי ), is found in the Hebrew only in the plural ( טְלָאִים ).

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 41. Talitha cumi] [Syriac], This is mere Syriac, the proper translation of which the evangelist has given. The Codex Bezae has a very odd and unaccountable reading here, ραββι θαβιτα κουμι, My master. Damsel arise. Suidas quotes this place under the word αββακουμ thus ταληθα κουμ. κουμ is the reading of several ancient MSS., but it is certainly a faulty one.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(41) Talitha cumi.—Here, as in the Ephphatha of Mar_7:34, the Evangelist gives the very syllables which had fallen from the lips of the Healer, and been proved to be words of power. It would probably be too wide an inference to assume from this that our Lord commonly spoke to His disciples and others in Greek, but we know that that language was then current throughout Palestine, and the stress laid on the Aramaic words in these instances, as in the Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani on the cross, shows that they attracted a special notice.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

41. Talitha cumi] = “Little Maid, arise.” Doubtless St Peter, who was now present, often recalled the actual words used on this memorable occasion by our Lord, and told them to his friend and kinsman St Mark. So it is the same Evangelist, who preserves the very word, which our Lord used, when He opened the ears of the deaf man, Ephphatha (Mar_7:34). The mention of these words goes to prove that in ordinary life our Lord availed Himself of the popular Aramaic dialect.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he took the damsel by the hand,.... See Gill on Mat 9:25.

And said unto 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 Act 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 unto thee) arise. The phrase, "I say unto thee", 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, "Tali", signifies a "boy", and "Talitha", a "girl"; and so they are often used in the Targums (w), and in the Talmud: the one is used for a boy of seventeen years of age (x), and the other for a girl of sixteen or seventeen years of age (y); so that this child might well be called by this name, since she was but twelve years of age; and "Cumi", is the imperative "to arise".

(w) Targum Hieres in Deut. xxii. 21. & Targum Sheni in Esther ii. 9. (x) T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 142. 2. Gloss. in ib. (y) lb. fol. 91. 2.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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

Ver. 41. Tabitha cumi] The Syriac was then the vernacular or common tongue; for the Jews had lost their ancient language, in that seventy years’ continuance in Babylon.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Only three resurrections from the dead are mentioned as performed by our Saviour: one just dead; one carried out to be buried; and Lazarus, already in his tomb. These represent the different states of sinners dead in sin, some more desperate than others. To such as have been for years in sin, and have none to intercede for them, we must apply the words of Christ, suffer the dead to bury the dead. (Ven. Bede, and St. Augustine, de verb. Dom. serm. 44.)

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George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

41. Talitha cumi — This is in the Syro-Chaldaic language, which our Lord usually spoke. Mark alone gives the express words as a memorable reminiscence.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The house was now set free from the perfunctory and noisy crowd; and he goes up to the dead child, and takes her by the hand and says, Talitha cumi; literally Little maid, arise. The evangelist gives the words in the very language used by our Lord the ipsissima verba, remembered no doubt and recorded by St. Peter; just as he gives "Ephpbatba" in another miracle.

The dead maiden.

There are three instances of Christ"s raising the dead recorded by the evangelists. In them a suggestive progression may be observed. On this occasion, a child had but recently died, and was laid upon the bed in her own home, amongst those who could still see the dear face, which was now void and irresponsive. On another occasion a young man had been dead long enough for his funeral to have begun, and he was being carried forth on a bier through the village in which he had lived. On the third occasion we read that when Jesus came to Bethany he found that Lazarus "had been dead three days already," and that the grave had closed on him. In all these he gave evidences of his life-giving power, and this with ever-growing intensity until that glorious day when he himself, in spite of the Sanhedrim"s seal and the Roman guard, appeared as being in his own person the Conqueror of death and the grave. In answer to the prayer of Jairus, and perhaps to the prayer of his child before she died, Jesus came into the ruler"s house. He found it filled with hired mourners, and heard the music of their flutes, the droning of liturgical chants, the wails and cries by which they sought, not only to express grief, but further to excite it. There was something stern about his utterance place!" Such an exhibition Could not be other than offensive to One so sincere and true and natural as he was. And they who have his Spirit would rather be lamented by the few whose hearts are really touched with sadness, than by a multitude who offer ceremonial lamentation. Christ Jesus "put them all out." And we must get rid of all that is artificial and false if we would feel that Jesus is near, and we must be out of the company of the mockers who "laugh him to scorn" if we would hear his voice. It is in the quiet hour that he speaks, and we then can say"In secret silence of the mind, My God and there my heaven I find.

We may look upon that dead maiden

I AS AN EXAMPLE OF PHYSICAL DEATH. When Jesus said, "She is not dead," he did not mean, as some suppose, that she was in a trance. He spoke metaphorically, just as he did when he said, "Our friend lazarus sleepeth," though immediately afterwards he said "plainly, lazarus is dead." A boaster would have laid stress on the fact of her death in order to exalt his own power in restoring her, but Christ spoke of it as a sleep, because he wished, not to magnify himself, but lovingly to prepare her friends for the overwhelming joy that awaited them. Sleep is a true image of death. like it, death follows weariness when the work of life has been hard and its sorrows many; it gives quietude of which the stillness of the body is but an outward sign; and it will be followed by a glorious awakening on the morning of the eternal day. Christ is "the resurrection and the life." He who gave this child back to her parents, and the lad at Nain back to his widowed mother, and lazarus back to his sisters, will restore to us all those dear ones who now "through faith and patience inherit the promises.

II A SYMBOL OF SPIRITUAL DEATH. The child lay there, unconscious that her friends were weeping for her, and that Jesus Christ was near. But suddenly she felt the touch of his hand. She heard his voice in language such as her mother and nurse used the language of the children saying, Talitha cumi! child, arise!" and she opened her eyes and saw Jesus, and from that moment her heart was his. As truly he speaks now, in the stirring of sacred feeling, in the revival of old memories, in the loving influence of Christian friends; and they who obey his voice begin from that moment a happier life than they ever knew before. Very significant is the command of Christ "that something should be given her to eat." It was a reminder that she really lived, that she had natural appetite, that he lovingly thought of the little things his dear ones needed, and that she was back again in the old life and home, though with a new love in her heart. So, many now who are dead to the old life and alive unto righteousness are called upon by their Lord to go back to their former work and companionship, but to serve him by shedding on these the light of holiness and love. From some he demands the public confession that they are on his side which he asked of the woman who had been secretly cured; but there are others to whom publicity is painful, whose experience is not to be blazed abroad, lest the beauty of childlike trust and the bloom of early piety be destroyed. A.R.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

41. Talitha cumi. Words from the common language of the people of Palestine in that age, meaning, “Damsel, arise.”

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

Talitha, koum

This is an Aramaic sentence, which Jesus spoke to the little girl in her language. Write these words as is with your alphabet. (See: Copy or Borrow Words)

she was twelve years of age

"she was 12 years old" (See: Numbers)

He strictly ordered them that no one should know about this. Then

This can be stated as a direct quote. AT: "He ordered them strictly, 'No one should know about this!' Then" or "He ordered them strictly, 'Do not tell anyone about what I have done!' Then" (See: Direct and Indirect Quotations)

He strictly ordered them

"He strongly commanded them"

Then he told them to give her something to eat.

This can be stated as a direct quote. AT: "And he told them, 'Give her something to eat.'" (See: Direct and Indirect Quotations)

translationWords

amazed

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

41. κούμ ([1047][1048][1049][1050][1051][1052] rather than κοῦμι ([1053][1054][1055]).

[1047] Codex Sinaiticus. 4th cent. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the Monastery of St Katharine on Mount Sinai. Now at St Petersburg. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1911.

[1048] Codex Vaticanus. 4th cent., but perhaps a little later than א. In the Vatican Library almost since its foundation by Pope Nicolas V., and one of its greatest treasures. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1889.

[1049] Codex Ephraemi. 5th cent. A palimpsest: the original writing has been partially rubbed out, and the works of Ephraem the Syrian have been written over it; but a great deal of the original writing has been recovered; of Mark we have Mar 1:17 to Mar 6:31, Mar 8:5 to Mar 12:29, Mar 13:19 to Mar 16:20. In the National Library at Paris.

[1050] Codex Regius. 8th cent. An important witness. At Paris. Contains Mar 1:1 to Mar 10:15; Mar 10:30 to Mar 15:1; Mar 15:20 to Mar 16:20, but the shorter ending is inserted between Mar 16:8 and Mar 16:9, showing that the scribe preferred it to the longer one.

[1051] Codex Campianus. 9th cent. At Paris. Gospels complete.

[1052] Codex Purpureus. 6th cent. Full text in Texts and Studies v. No. 4, 1899. Contains Mar 5:20 to Mar 7:4; Mar 7:20 to Mar 8:32; Mar 9:1 to Mar 10:43; Mar 11:7 to Mar 12:19; Mar 14:25 to Mar 15:23; Mar 15:33-42. See below on Ψ.

[1053] Codex Bezae. 6th cent. Has a Latin translation (d) side by side with the Greek text, and the two do not quite always agree. Presented by Beza to the University Library of Cambridge in 1581. Remarkable for its frequent divergences from other texts. Contains Mark, except Mar 16:15-20, which has been added by a later hand. Photographic facsimile, 1899.

[1054] Codex Sangallensis. 9th or 10th cent. Contains the Gospels nearly complete, with an interlinear Latin translation. The text of Mark is specially good, agreeing often with CL. At St Gall.

[1055] Codex Petropolitanus. 9th cent. Gospels almost complete. Mar 16:18-20 is in a later hand.

41. κρατήσας τῆς χειρός. See on Mar 1:31.

Ταλειθά, κούμ. See crit. note. The extraordinary shapes which these Aramaic words are made to assume in some texts may be ignored. English Versions have not escaped; Wiclif has Tabita, Tyndale has Tabitha, and Coverdale Thabitha. Cf. Mar 7:34, Mar 11:9, Mar 14:36, Mar 15:34. On the Aramaic expressions preserved in the Gospels, esp. in Mk and Jn, see Zahn, Intr. to N.T., I. pp. 2 f. Both Christ and His disciples habitually spoke Aramaic, although He, and perhaps most of them, sometimes spoke Greek. G. Milligan, N.T. Documents, p. 36.

Τὸ κοράσιον. See on Mar 5:8; Lk. ἡ παῖς. The diminutive occurs only in Mk and Mt., and only of this maiden and the dancing girl (Mar 6:22). The Aramaic hardly justifies the insertion of σοὶ λέγω. As in Mar 3:17 and Mar 15:34, the rendering of Aramaic given by Mk raises questions.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

41. Ταλιθά, κούμ—Maiden, arise. Ταλιθά is the Chaldaic טַלְיְתָא, fem. of טַלְיָא, a youth. κούμ is the Heb. imp. קוּם. κοῦμι of the TR. is the proper fem. form. κούμ is the masc. used as an interjection. The language of Jesus reproduced here is an indication that he spoke in Aramaic, the language of Palestine at the time.

Κούμ (Κοῦμ, Treg.), Tisch. WH. א BCLM 1, 33, 271, one ms. Lat. Vet. ἔγειρε, instead of ἔγειραι, Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. א ABCDL ΔΠ etc.

Τὸ κοράσιον—Maiden.1

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Maid (korasion). Not a classical word, but used also by Matthew.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.