Marcos 5:41

41 Y tomando la mano de la muchacha, le dice: Talitha cumi; que es, si lo interpretares: Muchacha, á ti digo, levántate.

Marcos 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.

Marcos 5:41 In-Context

39 Y entrando, les dice: ¿Por qué alborotáis y lloráis? La muchacha no es muerta, mas duerme.

40 Y hacían burla de él: mas él, echados fuera todos, toma al padre y á la madre de la muchacha, y á los que estaban con él, y entra donde la muchacha estaba.

41 Y tomando la mano de la muchacha, le dice: Talitha cumi; que es, si lo interpretares: Muchacha, á ti digo, levántate.

42 Y luego la muchacha se levantó, y andaba; porque tenía doce años. Y se espantaron de grande espanto.

43 Mas él les mandó mucho que nadie lo supiese, y dijo que le diesen de comer.