Mark 05.41 (AV)
And he took the damsel¹ by the hand²,
and said unto her,
Talitha cumi³;
which is, being interpreted,
Damsel¹, (I say unto thee), arise
¹) Literally: A young child, a little boy, or like in this case: a little girl.
²) The same word is figuratively applied to God symbolising his might, activity, and power.
³) Literally: Little Girl arise. According to some sources it could also be translated with: “Little lamb arise”.
Other translations:
Mark.5.41 – Gripping her [firmly] by the hand, He said to her, Talitha cumi – which translated is, Little girl, I say to you, arise [from the sleep of death]! [AMP]
Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” [ESV]
He clasped the girl’s hand and said, “Talitha koum,” which means, “Little girl, get up.” [MSB]
And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. [KJV]
After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” ). [NIV]
Holding her hand, he said to her, “Get up, little girl!” [NLT]
Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” [NKJV]
Some further information:
And he took the damsel by the hand
as He did Peter’s mother-in-law ( Mark 1:31 ).
and said unto her, Talitha cumi
The words are Aramaic, or Syro-Chaldaic, the then language of Palestine.
Mark loves to give such wonderful words just as they were spoken. (See Mark 7:34, 14:36)
Talitha cumi.
Words from the common language of the people of Palestine in that age, meaning, “Damsel (or little girl), arise.”
“Rabbi Jochanan saith, We remember when boys and girls of sixteen and seventeen years old played in the streets, and nobody was offended with them.”
Where the Gloss is, Tali and Talitha is a boy and a girl.
Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.
Talitha kumi signifies only “Girl, arise”.
From where comes the clause then, “I say unto thee”, how come this was inserted?
- You may recollect here, and perhaps not without profit, that which was alleged before; namely, that it was customary among the Jews, that, when they applied physical help to a woman, they said, “Arise from thy flux”; which very probably, they used in other diseases too.
- Christ said nothing else than what sounded, Girl, arise: but in the pronouncing and uttering those words that authority and commanding power shined forth, that they sounded no less than if he had said, “Girl, I say to thee, or I command thee, arise.”
They were used to say, “Arise from your disease”; that is, “I wish thou would arise from your illness”: but Christ saith, Girl, arise; that is, “Girl, I command thee, arise.”
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Observe that Christ raised the child to life by a word of power, which is recorded here, and recorded in Syriac, the language in which Christ spoke, for the greater certainty of the thing; Talitha, cumi; Girl, I say unto thee, Arise.
Dr. Lightfoot said, It was customary with the Jews, when they gave physical help to one that was sick, to say, “Arise from your disease”; meaning, We wish that you may arise from your illness: But to one that was dead, the Christ said, “Arise from the dead”; meaning, I command that you arise.
There is even more in it – the dead have not the power to arise, therefore power goes along with this word, to make it effectual.
Da quod jubes, et jube quod vis – Give what you command, and command what you will.
Christ works while he commands, and works by the command, and therefore may command what he pleases, even the dead to arise.
Such is the gospel call to those that are by nature dead in trespasses and sins, and can no more rise from that death by their own power, than this child could; and yet that word, “Awake, and arise from the dead”, is neither vain, nor in vain, when it is followed immediately with, “Christ shall give thee light” (Ephesians 5:14). It is by the word of Christ that spiritual life is given, I said unto thee, Live (Ezekiel. 16:6).
Now let us reflect on this
We read here of a great miracle. The daughter of Jairus who had already died is brought back to life at the word of Jesus, with His power of Savior.
When she is raised from the dead by Him, she is given back to her father and her mother. So great is the Savior’s power that he raises the dead.
Surely this must give courage to all who know that they are spiritually dead because of their sinful nature. It is true that they cannot give life to themselves, but even in the deep sleep of death, they are in, the Lord Jesus can give them true life.
He alone gives life to the dead.
This comes from Him alone.
What a miracle that He gives life to the dead, and that He is a willing Savior to bring the dead to life. He can do all this by virtue of His work.
It still happens today that the dead are raised. For we read in the Word that the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear Him will live.
Have you, by grace, also heard His voice, calling you to true life?
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