Mark 5:41

41 And taking hold of the child's hand, he said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"),

Mark 5:41 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 5:41

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, (ylj) , "Tali", signifies a "boy", and (atylj) , "Talitha", a "girl"; and so they are often used in the Targums ^F23, and in the Talmud: the one is used for a boy of seventeen years of age ^F24, and the other for a girl of sixteen or seventeen years of age ^F25; so that this child might well be called by this name, since she was but twelve years of age; and (ymwq) , "Cumi", is the imperative (Mwq) , "to arise".

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FOOTNOTES:

F23 Targum Hieres in Deut. xxii. 21. & Targum Sheni in Esther ii. 9.
F24 T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 142. 2. Gloss. in ib.
F25 lb. fol. 91. 2.

Mark 5:41 In-Context

39 And [when he] entered, he said to them, "Why are you agitated and weeping? The child is not dead, but is sleeping."

40 And they began laughing at him. But he sent [them] all out [and] took along the father and mother of the child, and those [who were] with him, and went in to where the child was.

41 And taking hold of the child's hand, he said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"),

42 and immediately the girl stood up and began walking around (for she was twelve years old). And {immediately they were utterly and completely astonished}.

43 And he commanded them strictly that no one should learn of this, and said to give her [something] to eat.