Mark 5:41

41 And he held the hand of the damsel, and said to her, Talitha, cumi, that is to say [that is interpreted], Damsel, I say to thee, arise.

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 he went in, and said to them [And he gone in, saith to them], What be ye troubled, and weep? The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.

40 And they scorned him. But when all were put out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and they entered [and they enter in], where the damsel lay.

41 And he held the hand of the damsel, and said to her, Talitha, cumi, that is to say [that is interpreted], Damsel, I say to thee, arise.

42 And at once [And anon] the damsel rose, and walked; and she was of twelve years. And they were abashed with a great astonishing.

43 And he commanded to them greatly, that no man should know it. And he commanded to give to her meat [And he commanded to give to her for to eat].