Mark 5:41

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

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(41) Talitha cumi.—Here, as in the Ephphatha of Mark 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.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

5:35-43 We may suppose Jairus hesitating whether he should ask Christ to go on or not, when told that his daughter was dead. But have we not as much occasion for the grace of God, and the comfort of his Spirit, for the prayers of our ministers and Christian friends, when death is in the house, as when sickness is there? Faith is the only remedy against grief and fear at such a time. Believe the resurrection, then fear not. He raised the dead child to life by a word of power. Such is the gospel call to those who are by nature dead in trespasses and sins. It is by the word of Christ that spiritual life is given. All who saw it, and heard of it, admired the miracle, and Him that wrought it. Though we cannot now expect to have our dead children or relatives restored, we may hope to find comfort under our trials.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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."

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

41. And he took the damsel by the hand—as He did Peter's mother-in-law (Mr 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 Mr 7:34; 14:36.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Ver. 41. See Poole on "Mark 5:35"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And he took the damsel by the hand,.... See Gill on Matthew 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 Acts 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 Deuteronomy 22.21. & Targum Sheni in Esther ii. 9. (x) T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 142. 2. Gloss. in ib. (y) lb. fol. 91. 2.

Geneva Study Bible

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

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Mark 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).

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

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 (Mark 7:34). The mention of these words goes to prove that in ordinary life our Lord availed Himself of the popular Aramaic dialect.

Bengel's Gnomen

Mark 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.], Luke 7:14; John 11:43. For His power was always instantaneous in its effect; comp. Numbers 20:11.—σοὶ λέγω, I say unto thee) This is not contained in Talitha Cumi, and yet it is with truth added.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 41. - 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 "Ephphatha" in another miracle. Mark 5:41

Vincent's Word Studies

Maid (κοράσιον)

Not a classical word, but used also by Matthew.