Matthew 9:23

Mat_9:23-25

The maid is not dead, but sleepeth.

The healing of Jairuss daughter

On His way to perform one act of love, He turned aside to give His attention to another; He had a heart ready to respond to every species of need. Love is universal, humanity is the sphere of its activity. Delay was only apparent; it was impossible to convey a spiritual blessing to one who was not spiritually susceptible. The soul of Jairus by the miracle wrought on the woman was made more capable of blessing than before. This is the principle of the spiritual kingdom.

I. The uses of adversity.

1. The simplest and most obvious use of sorrow is to remind of God.

2. The misuse of sorrow. We may defeat the purposes of God in grief by forgetting it, or by over-indulging it. Sorrow is the school for all that is highest in us.

II. To come to the principles on which a miracle rests.

1. The perception of it was confined to the few. Peter, James, John, and the parents. Spiritual susceptibility necessary.

2. It is the intention of a miracle to manifest the Divine in the common and ordinary. They show that Christ is the Saviour of the body. (F. W. Robertson, M. A.)

God confers His gifts with distinct reminders that they are His

He gives us for a season spirits taken out of His universe brings them into temporary contact with us: and we call them father, mother, sister, child, friend. But just as in some places, on one day in the year, the way or path is closed in order to remind the public that they pass by sufferance and not by right, in order that no lapse of time may establish adverse possession, so does God give warning to us. Every ache and pain: every wrinkle you see stamping itself on parents brow: every accident which reveals the uncertain tenure of life and possessions: every funeral bell that tolls-are only Gods reminders that we are tenants at will and not by right-pensioners on the bounty of an hour. He is closing up the right of way, warning fairly that what we have is lent, not given: His, not ours. (F. W. Robertson, M. A.)

The shaggiest use of sorrow is to remind of God

Jairus and the woman, like many others, came to Christ from a sense of want. It would seem that a certain shock is needed to bring us into contact with reality, We are not conscious of our breathing till obstruction makes it felt. We are not aware of the possession of a heart till some disease, some sudden joy or sorrow, rouses it into extraordinary action. And we are not conscious of the mighty cravings of our half Divine humanity; we are not aware of the God within us, till some chasm yawns which must be filled, or till the rending asunder of our affections forces us to become fearfully conscious of a need. (F. W. Robertson, M. A.)

Jesus moved by all kinds of sorrow

Here, too, we find the Son of man the pattern of our humanity. His bosom was to mankind what the ocean is to the world. The ocean has its own mighty tide; but it receives and responds to, in exact proportion, the tidal influences of every estuary, and river, and small creek which pours into its bosom. So it was in Christ; His bosom heaved with the tides of our humanity: but every separate sorrow, pain, anti joy gave its pulsation, and received back influence from the sea of His being. (F. W. Robertson, M. A.)

The rulers daughter

1. On the way to the Rulers house, Jesus meets with an unlooked-for cause of delay. It must have been trying for the ruler to see Jesus stop and ask, Who touched Me? But he is patient.

2. Meanwhile chose at home are witnessing the death of the child. Unbelief says it is useless to trouble the Master any more. On our providential blessings the Lord writes death before He grants resurrection and life. Sight has gone; he must walk by faith.

The dead child restored:-

1. Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life, and He restores out of death in all its stages.

2. Jesus bid them not to weep, because the maiden is not dead, but only asleep. The body sleeps, not the soul.

3. Christ raises her with His word; for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live.

4. Jesus commands that something be given her to eat. Let young converts be duly nourished by word and doctrine, then let them go and work for Christ.

5. The parents are enjoined to tell no man; they are to make no noise about her, but to keep the child and the matter quiet. She was to be brought up quietly in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (A. M. Stuart.)

The insolence of sense, as opposed to faith

The eye of faith can discern what to the eye of sense is often invisible; and looks with simple conviction to what the other as simply rejects. They laughed Him to scorn, etc. And were they not right as far as their knowledge went? Could not Jesus who had opened the eyes of the blind raise the dead? They might have reasoned thus. They were too wise in their own conceit to think of looking with the eye of faith. How often does this strange levity of the people of Capernaum take the rein of mens thoughts even in the most solemn subjects-the doctrines of Christianity; the sacraments-which appeal to no outward sense-they will augh to scorn. So to with the humble duties of the Christian and the lowly means with which he works; how often treated with contempt. How much there is in which a devoutly-trained faith may discern truth and comfort and promise of good, where the mere human eye might discover nothing but perplexity or disappointment. (J. Puckle, M. A.)

A science of palmistry

Thy hand-are not all hands alike.) Is there a science of Palmistry-are there those who read the man in the hand-are not all grips of the same intensity? Why say, Thy hand-could no other hand be found? We are sometimes shut up to the help of one man, even in our lower life. O for our own doctor: his very voice would do the patient good. O for our own physician; he knows just what to give when the sufferer is in this crisis of agony. O for our old mother: there was healing, there was comfort in her gentle hand. O for the old father-if he had been here he would have found the key to open this gate. O for the old pastor that first showed us the light and brought us to prayer-he would know what to say to us just now. We have, therefore, analogy to help us in this matter. In the great crises of life there is often only one hand that can help us. (J. Parker, D. D.)

Hired mourners

I joined the mourners on the third day. Directly I entered the house, I heard the minstrels and the loud cries of the people. Professional mourners were in constant attendance to keep up the excitement, and dances and dirges succeeded each other, with intervals of wild and hysterical weeping and shrieking. There are girls who have a morbid taste for the excitement, and are celebrated for the facility with which they fall into fits of uncontrollable weeping. The real mourners and the amateur actresses in these scenes are usually ill afterwards, but the professional assistants do not appear to suffer from the fatigue or excitement, and they do not lose their self-control for a moment (Mrs. Rogers.)

Differing expressions of grief

The South and North differ greatly from each other in this respect. The nations of the North restrain their grief-affect the tearless eye, and the stern look. The expressive South, and all the nations whose origin is from thence, are demonstrative in grief. They beat their breasts, tear their hair, throw dust upon their heads. It would be unwise were either to blame or ridicule the other, so long as each is true to Nature. Unwise for the nations of the South to deny the reality of the grief which is repressed and silent. Unjust in the denizen of the North were he to scorn the violence of the Southern grief, or call its uncontrollable demonstrations unmanly. Much must be allowed for temperament. (F. W. Robertson.)

The death of children

Ah! we sometimes, I fear, compel Jesus to take away our children, that through the bereavement He may overcome and melt savingly our callous hearts. It mindeth one of another little story worth telling. A shepherd had folded safely and well a flock of ewes-all save one, which would not enter, do what he would. The gate was flung wide open, and with all gentle restraint he sought to guide it in, sparing it the rough bark of his dog. But no! still it would run back. At last, for the shades of evening were falling, and folded all must be, if he were not to be too late for home himself, he sprang out, seized her lamb, raised it tenderly to his bosom, laid it right upon his heart, as he would his own nestling babe, and carrying it within the fold placed it down there. Then, ah! then, the poor ewe ran in after her little lamb, and was saved with it. It is a parable. But fathers, mothers, still away from the Good Shepherd, and grieving sorely over your Willie or Mary, will you not run in after your little lamb? Will you compel Him to take another and another? (Grosart.)

A dying daughter

As a little girl of four lay dying, the following conversation took place between her father and herself. Papa, does the doctor think I am going to die? With a bursting heart, her father told her the truth. Papa, the grave looks very dark. Wont you go down with me into it? I cannot go until the Lord calls me. Then, papa, wont you let mamma go with me? It almost broke the fathers heart to utter the same truth as before. Turning her face to the wall, she wept; but then, having before this been taught of God, prayed. Soon, therefore, she looked up with a joyful face and said, Papa, the grave is not dark now, Jesus will go with me!

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 9:23. When Jesus came into the ruler’s house — It appears from the parallel places in Mark and Luke, that while Jesus spake the last-mentioned words to the woman healed by touching his garment, a messenger came from the ruler’s house to inform him that his daughter, whom he had left at the point of death, was now actually dead, and that therefore he did not need to trouble our Lord any further, her case being now determined and hopeless. This affecting news no doubt moved her father greatly: but Jesus, pitying his grief, bid him not fear, but only believe, and she should be made whole — He did not say she should be raised from the dead, but expressed himself as if she had not been dead, but only sick; for, as he was infinitely above praise, so he never courted it. On the contrary, he generally refused those honours which, as it were, obtruded themselves upon him. Thus, when he came to the ruler’s house, though a great many friends and others accompanied him, he suffered none of them to go in with him except the three disciples whom he treated with the greatest familiarity, namely, Peter, James, and John, with the father and mother of the maiden. And even these he admitted for no other reason but that the miracle might have proper witnesses, who should publish it in due time for the benefit of mankind. With these attendants, having entered the house, he saw the minstrels and the people making a noise — Or, as Mark expresses it, he saw the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. — By minstrels, musicians are meant. The original word means flute-players. Musical instruments were used by the Jews, as well as the heathens, in their lamentations for the dead, to sooth the melancholy of surviving friends by soft and solemn notes. And there were persons who made it their business to perform this, while others sung to their music. Flutes were used especially on the death of children; louder instruments on the death of grown persons. Chardin says, that even now, in the East, the concourse of people where persons lie dead is incredible. Every body runs thither, the poor and the rich: and the former more especially make a strange noise.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

9:23 noisy crowd . . . funeral music: Sorrow over the death of a family member was publicly expressed, with musical accompaniment and dirges by professional mourners. “Even the poorest in Israel should hire not less than two flutes and one wailing woman” (Mishnah Ketubbot 4:4).

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

Mat 9:23. Τοὺς αὐλητὰς, the flute-players) It was the custom to employ flutes at funerals, especially those of the young.—τὸν ὄχλον, the crowd) See Luk 7:12.

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

Mat_9:23. The use of the lugubrious strains of flutes (and horns), such as accompanied the funerals of the Jews (Lightfoot on this passage; Geier, de luctu Hebr. v. § 16; Grundt, die Trauergebräuche d. Hebr. 1868), was known also among Greeks and Romans.

ὄχλον] consisting partly of the women hired to mourn, partly of the friends and relations of the president.

θορυβούμ.] did not require an article, as being a mere qualifying attribute. Therefore θορυβ. is not, with Fritzsche, Ewald, to be referred to ἰδών.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 9:23-26 . The narrative returns to the case of Jairus’ daughter.

Mat 9:23 , ἐλθὼν … καὶ ἰδὼν , circumstantial participles leading up to what Jesus said, the main fact. τοὺς αὐλητὰς , etc.: the girl was only just dead, yet already a crowd had gathered about the house, brought together by various motives, sympathy, money, desire to share in the meat and drink going at such a time (so Lightfoot, Hor. Heb., ut ederent et biberent ), and of course making a confused din. θορυβούμενον , the part. = a relative with finite verb = the crowd which was making a din. The crowd, besides the αὐληταί , tibicines, flute-players, would include some hired mourning women (Jer 9:17 ), præficæ , whose duty it was to sing nænia in praise of the dead. Mourning, like everything else, had been reduced to system, two flutes and one mourning woman at the burial of a wife incumbent on the poorest man (Lightfoot, Hor. Heb.). The practice in Greece and Rome was similar; proofs in Grotius, Elsner, Wetstein. Vide also Marquardt, Handbuch der Röm. Alterthümer , vol. vii., p. 341, where it is stated that by the twelve Tables the number of tibicines was limited to ten, and that before the Punic war, at least, præficæ were employed.

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

It appeareth that they used minstrels at their mournings.

Even death itself giveth place to the power of Christ.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 23. Saw the minstrels and the people making a noise] αυλητας, pipers; Anglo-Saxon, [Anglo-Saxon] the whistlers; Gothic, haurngans haurngandans, the horn-blowers blowing with their horns. Nearly the same as the pipublasara, pipe-blowers of the Islandic: for among all those nations funeral lamentations accompanied with such rude instruments, were made at the death of relatives. That pipes were in use among the Jews, in times of calamity or death, is evident from Jer 48:36. And among the Greeks, and Romans, as well as among the Jews, persons were hired on purpose to follow the funeral processions with lamentations. See Jer 9:17-21; Am 5:16. Even the poorest among the Jews were required to have two pipers, and one mourning woman. At these funeral solemnities it was usual with them to drink considerably; even ten cups of wine each, where it could be got. See Lightfoot. This custom is observed among the native Irish to this day, in what is called their CAOINAN. The body of the deceased, dressed in grave-clothes and ornamented with flowers, is placed in some eminent place; the relations and caoiners range themselves in two divisions, one at the head and the other at the feet of the corpse. Anciently, where the deceased was a great personage, the bards and croteries prepared the caoinan. The chief bard of the head chorus began by singing the first stanza in a low doleful tone; which was softly accompanied by the harp. At the conclusion, the foot semichorus began the lamentation, or ULLALOO, from the final note of the preceding stanza, in which they were answered by the head semichorus; then both united in one general chorus.

The chorus of the first stanza being ended, the chief bard of the foot semichorus sung the second stanza, the strain of which was taken from the concluding note of the preceding chorus, which ended, the head semichorus began the GOL, or lamentation, in which they were answered by that of the foot, and then, as before, both united in the general full chorus. Thus alternately were the song and choruses performed during the night. I have seen a number of women, sometimes fourteen, twenty-four, or more, accompany the deceased from his late house to the grave-yard, divided into two parties on each side the corpse, singing the ULLALOO, alternately, all the way. That drinking, in what is called the wake, or watching with the body of the deceased, is practised, and often carried to a shameful excess, needs little proof. This kind of intemperance proceeded to such great lengths among the Jews that the Sanhedrin were obliged to make a decree, to restrain the drinking to ten cups each. I mention these things more particularly, because I have often observed that the customs of the aboriginal Irish bear, a very striking resemblance to those of the ancient Jews, and other Asiatic nations. The application of these observations I leave to others.

It was a custom with the Greeks to make a great noise with brazen vessels; and the Romans made a general outcry, called conclamatio, hoping either to stop the soul which was now taking its flight, or to awaken the person, if only in a state of torpor. This they did for eight days together, calling the person incessantly by his name; at the expiration of which term the phrase, Conclamatum est-all is over-there is no hope-was used. See the words used in this sense by Terence, EUN. l. 347. In all probability this was the θορυβουμενον, the making a violent outcry, mentioned here by the evangelist. How often, on the death of relatives, do men incumber and perplex themselves with vain, worldly, and tumultuous ceremonies, instead of making profitable reflections on death!

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

(23-26) The other Gospels fill up the gap. While our Lord was speaking the words of promise to the woman, messengers came from the house of Jairus, reporting that the child was dead. They whisper to him, using the self-same words as had been used by the friends of the centurion, “Why troublest thou the Teacher any further?” And Jesus turns, and speaks words of comfort to the father’s heart: “Be not afraid, only believe.” They come to the house, and He suffers none to enter but the father and mother, and Peter, James, and John, who now, for the first time, are chosen from among the chosen, for the special blessedness of being with Him in the greater and more solemn moments of His ministry; and as they enter, the preparations for the funeral—always following in the East a few hours after death—are already begun. Minstrels are there, with a crowd of real or hired mourners, raising their wailing cries. And then, in the calmness of conscious power, He bids them withdraw, “for the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.” To Him the death, though real, was yet but as a sleep, for He, as afterwards in the case of Lazarus (Joh_11:11), had come to awaken her even out of that sleep. And then, with the heartlessness and unbelief natural to hireling mourners, they “laughed Him to scorn.” They were too familiar with many forms of death to be mistaken as to its outward signs. And then He entered, with the five, as before, into the chamber of death, where the body was laid out for the burial, and grasped her hands, and uttered the words, of which St. Mark gives the Aramaic form, Talitha cumi, “Damsel, I say to thee, Arise,” and “immediately she arose, and walked.” St. Luke, again with a touch of medical precision, reports the fact in the form, “her spirit,” or “her breath, returned,” and, with St. Mark, records that our Lord commanded that “something should be given her to eat.” The restored life was dependent, after the supernatural work had been completed, upon natural laws, and there was the risk of renewed exhaustion. As in other cases, He charged the parents that they should not make it known. It was not good for the spiritual or the bodily life of the girl that she should be the object of the visits of an idle curiosity; and yet, in spite of the command, the fame of the act spread abroad through all that country.

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

23. St Mark and St Luke mention the message to Jairus on the way, that his daughter was already dead, and name the three disciples whom Jesus permits to enter the house with him.

the minstrels and the people making a noise] The minstrels are mentioned by St Matthew only. Cp. 2Ch_35:25, “all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day.” Lane (Modern Egyptians) says “the women of the family raise the cries of lamentations called ‘welweleh’ or ‘wilwal;’ uttering the most piercing shrieks and calling upon the name of the deceased.”

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 said unto them, give place,.... Depart, be gone; for he put them out of the room, and suffered none to be with him, when he raised her from the dead, but Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the child, who were witnesses enough of this miracle.

For the maid is not dead, but sleepeth: not but that she was really dead; and Christ signifies as much, when he says, she "sleepeth"; a phrase that is often used in (e) Talmudic writings, for one that is dead: but Christ's meaning is, that she was not so dead as the company thought; as always to remain in the state of the dead, and not to be restored to life again: whereas our Lord signifies, it would be seen in a very little time, that she should be raised again, just as a person is awaked out of sleep; so that there was no occasion to make such funeral preparations as they did. The Jews say (f) of some of their dead, that they are asleep, and not dead: it is said, Isa 26:19 "Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust".

"These, say they, are they that sleep and die not; and such are they that sleep in Hebron, for they , "do not die, but sleep", --the four couples in Hebron (Adam and Eve, &c.) they "sleep, but are not dead".''

And they laughed him to scorn; they mocked at his words, and had him in the utmost contempt, as a very weak silly man; taking him either to be a madman, or a fool; knowing that she was really dead, of which they had all the evidence they could have; and having no faith at all in him, and in his power to raise her from the dead.

(e) T. Hieros. Beracot, fol. 6. 1. Avoda Zara, fol. 42. 3. Bereshit Rabba Parash. 91. fol. 79. 3. (f) Zohar in Exod. fol. 62. 4.

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

23 And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,

Ver. 23. He saw the minstrels, &c.] A heathenish custom crept in among the Jews, as many the like are now among the Papists, who are therefore called heathens, Rev 11:2.

" Cantabat moestis tibia funeribus." Ovid.

The maid is not dead, but sleepeth] Death is but a sleep to the saints; {a} and as the sleep of the labouring man is sweet unto him, so is death most welcome to such as have most suffered. {See Trapp on "Joh 11:11"}

{a} Plato Mortem ait esse οιον υπνον, in Apol. Socr.

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.

And when Jesus ... saw the minstrels. It was a custom among the Jews at funerals to hire persons to make some doleful music, and great lamentations. (Witham) --- Ovid also mentions the lugubrious music attendant on funerals. --- Cantabat mœstis tibia funeribus. (4. Fast.)

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).

Neither Mark nor Luke speak any thing of the minstrels, but only of the people’s wailing. Amongst the Jews we read not in any part of the Old Testament of musical instruments used at funerals, but amongst the pagans it was usual, as we read in their writers. Amongst the Jews, they had some songs sang, as some gather from Jer 9:17; Jer 22:18; 34:5; Amo 5:16. It is very like that the Jews having long lived amongst the heathens, had learned this usage from them. Before this Mark addeth, Mar 5:35-40, that there came some from the ruler’s house, which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? But Jesus, as soon as he had heard the word that was spoken, said to the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. Matthew saith nothing of what happened in the way, neither the messengers’ coming, and telling Jairus that his daughter was dead, nor our Saviour’s comforting of him; but Luke mentions all, Luk 8:49,50. Matthew goes on with an account of what Christ did in the house, seeing the minstrels, and the tumult caused by the mourners there.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

And. During the incident of the healing of the woman news had come (parallel passages) to the ruler that his daughter was actually dead, and that it was useless to trouble the Teacher any more. But man"s extremity is ever Christ"s opportunity. When Jesus came into the ruler"s house. Accompanied by only Peter, James, and John (parallel passages), and the parents (Luke). And saw. Apparently from outside the room (of. ver. 25). The minstrels; flute-players (Revised Version); touv . For musicians as mourners, cf. 2Ch_35:25. The Mishna ("Kethub.," 4:4: vide Lightfoot, "Hor. Hebr.," in loc. ) says, "Even the poorest among the Israelites his wife being dead will afford her not less than two pipes, and one woman to make lamentation." And the people a mere crowd (Revised Version); oclovmaking a noise; tumult (Revised Version). There was confusion as well as sound, as Mark indicates still more dearly.

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

The minstrels - The musicians. The original word means flute players. Musical instruments were used by the Jews as well as the heathens, in their Lamentations for the dead, to soothe the melancholy of surviving friends, by soft and solemn notes. And there were persons who made it their business to perform this, while others sung to their music. Flutes were used especially on the death of children; louder instruments on the death of grown persons.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

At the house of Jairus:

v. 23. And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,

v. 24. He said unto them, Give place, for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed Him to scorn.

v. 25. But when the people were put forth, He went in, and took her by the hand; and the maid arose.

v. 26. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.

Jesus had purposely tarried and spent some time with the woman on the way over to the ruler’s house. But now, coming into the house and seeing the flute-players and the noisy crowd of professional mourners which had even then gathered, mainly in the desire to share in the meat and drink which was forthcoming at such occasions, and hearing the confused din which arose from the motley assembly, He sternly bids them: Retire, move away, do not stay here. Not dead is the young girl, but she sleeps. Before Christ she was not in the final power of death, to Him her lifeless form presented only a sleeping maiden. The death of all the faithful is merely a sleep for some little time in the bed of the grave, from which there will be a glorious awakening when God will reunite soul and body. "Thus we also shall learn to look upon our death in the right way that we do not become frightened before it as unbelief does: That it is truly in Christ not a death, but a fine, sweet, short sleep, in which we, delivered from this present misery, from sin and from the true death’s trouble and fear, safe and without all care, may rest a short moment as on a couch, until the time comes when He will wake and call us with all His dear children to eternal glory and joys."

The scornful laughter, the derisive jeering of the crowd did not deter the Lord. After the house had been cleared of their distasteful presence, He went into the chamber of death with the parents and with His three favorite disciples, Peter, James, and John, took hold of the little girl’s hand, and commanded her to arise. Here a body which had been claimed by death as its own was restored to life with all its manifestations. The maid could arise, she could walk, eat, and drink, perform all the usual acts of a living person. Christ, as the Fountain of life, can bring back to life even such as have submitted to the grim reaper. With His human voice He aroused the child from the sleep of death. Even in the state of humiliation the human nature of Christ is the source and the fountain of life.

Against the wishes of Jesus, who desired no notoriety for Himself, but wanted the parents of the maiden to contemplate the miracle in quiet thankfulness, the fame, the report of this resurrection spread through that entire region. It was a matter unheard of till now that a dead person was raised to life again. Jesus feared enthusiastic demonstrations.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Our Saviour being come to the ruler’s house, finds the people very busy preparing for the interment of the dead corpse with music and other solemnities. This custom of having music at funerals came from the heathens; no mention is made thereof in the Old Testament: we read of tearing the flesh, shaving the head, eating the bread of mourners, also of funeral songs, but these were only sung with the voice; but instruments of music at funerals came from the Pagans. Weeping and lamentation are the most proper funeral music; them nothing sounds so well as a sigh, nor is any thing so much in season as a tear: yet are all demonstrations of immoderate and excessive mourning both hurtful to the living and dishonourable to the dead; nor is it an argument of more love, but an evidence of less grace.

Observe next, In what sense our Saviour affirms, that the damsel was not dead. Mortua est vobis, mihi dormit, says St. Jerome; She is dead to you, but asleep to me: I can as easily raise her from death, as you can awake her out of sleep. Her soul was separated from her body, but not yet fixed in its eternal mansion.

Souls departed are under the conduct of angels, good or bad, to their several places of bliss or misery. Probably the soul of this damsel was under the guard of angels mear her dead body, waiting the pleasure of Christ in reference to it; either to restore it again to the body, or to translate it to its eternal mansion.

Note here, That from these words of our Saviour, the maid is not dead, but sleepeth, the Jesuits plead for their doctrine of equivocations and mental reservations, alleging, that when Christ said, she is not dead, he reserved in his mind, in respect of my power. But the words of Christ were plainly spoken to those who were preparing for her interment and funeral rites, and accordingly only intimate, that she was not so dead as that they needed to make these preparations, he being come to awake her as out of sleep.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

23. And when Jesus came into the ruler's house. He healed the woman on the way. Saw the minstrels. The Jews, like other Orientals, were wont to employ professional mourners, minstrels who made plaintive music, or wailed.

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.

Connecting Statement:

This returns to the account of Jesus bringing the daughter of the Jewish official back to life.

the flute players and the crowds making much noise

This was a common way to mourn for someone who has died.

flute players

"people who play flutes"

Go away

Jesus was speaking to many people, so use the plural command form if your language has one.

the girl is not dead, but she is asleep

Jesus is using a play on words. It was common in Jesus' day to refer to a dead person as one who "sleeps." But here the dead girl will get up, as though she had only been sleeping. (See: Euphemism)

translationWords

flute

mock

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

23. St Mark and St Luke mention the message to Jairus on the way, that his daughter was already dead, and name the three disciples whom Jesus permits to enter the house with him.

τοὺς αὐλητάς. The minstrels are mentioned by St Matthew only. Lane (Modern Egyptians) says ‘the women of the family raise the cries of lamentations called ‘welweleh’ or ‘wilwal;’ uttering the most piercing shrieks and calling upon the name of the deceased.’ The employment of hired minstrels for funeral lamentations seems to have been universal in the ancient world. Cp. Cantabat mœstis tibia funeribus, Ov. Trist. 9:1. 14; τί με ὁ κωκυτὸς ὑμῶν ὀνίνησι, Lucian, de luctu. 10. ‘Even the poorest among the Israelites will afford her not less than two pipes and one woman to make lamentation.’ (Talmud.)

τὸν ὄχλον θορυβούμενον. To join in lamentation for the dead and to assist in the preparation for the funeral rites were reckoned among the most meritorious works of charity.

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.

(M) 23. And Jesus came into the house of the ruler, and saw the flute players and the multitude making a noise, and said.] Mk. has: “And they come into the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and He seeth the noise, and those who wept and bewailed much. And He entered in, and saith to them.”—ἐλθών] the editor avoids, as usual, Mk.’s historic present; cf. Introduction, p. xx.—τοὺς αὐλητάς] a touch of Jewish knowledge for Mk.’s vaguer κλαίοντας καὶ ἀλαλάζοντας. Cf. B. Chethuboth 46b, “Even the poorest in Israel will provide two flutes and a wailer.”—τὸν ὄχλον] Mt. here retains Mk.’s sing.; see Introduction, p. lxxxvi.

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

Minstrels [αυλητας] . More correctly, as Rev., flute - players, hired or volunteering as mourners.

Making a noise [θορυβουμενον] . Rev., tumult. Representing the loud screaming and wailing by the women. It is the word used in Act 17:5 : "Set the city in an uproar."

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