Luke

8:40-42, 49-56

The mission of Messiah, 1:5-9:50

5. The words of Messiah, 8:1-56

vi] Raising an elder's daughter

On returning, presumably to the western shore of lake Galilee, Jesus meets Jairus, an official of the local synagogue. Jairus wants Jesus to come and heal his daughter who is dying. Along with a large crowd, Jesus sets off for his home. On the way, a woman suffering from an ongoing haemorrhage touches Jesus' robe for healing, and is healed. At that moment, word comes from the home of Jairus that his daughter has died. Jesus replies, "Do not fear, only believe." On reaching the home, Jesus is met by a wall of wailing relatives, but he assures them that "she is not dead but sleeping." The mourners laugh in response. Entering the home, Jesus takes the child by her hand and says "Child, get up!" The child gets up, and Jesus directs that she be given something to eat. Her parents are amazed, but Jesus tells them not to broadcast what has happened.

In the dawning of the messianic age of the kingdom, faith in the authoritative word of Jesus saves.

i] Context: See 8:1-18. The raising of an Elder's daughter is the sixth episode of The dawning of the kingdom in the words of Messiah, 8:1-56, and furthers the theme of the authoritative word of the messiah. As Ellis puts it, "the new creation, like the old, comes into being by a word. Jesus speaks to the wind, the demons, the dead - and they obey!"

ii] Structure: The raising of an Elder's daughter:

iii] Interpretation:

iv] Synoptics : See 8:43-48.

The raising of the Elder's daughter, v40-41, 49-56. i] The setting, v40. Jesus and the disciples return from Gerasa, presumably to the Western shore of Lake Galilee. As is typical during Jesus' early Galilean ministry, the crowds are welcoming, in fact, they are waiting for him.

de "Now" - but/and. Transitional, indicating a step in the narrative.

en tw/ + inf. "when" - in the [jesus to return]. This construction introduces a temporal clause, contemporaneous time, "while, during, when". The accusative ton Ihsoun, "Jesus", serves as the accusative subject of the infinitive. "When Jesus got back, the people were all awaiting him", Rieu.

gar "for" - [the crowd welcomed him] because. Introducing a causal clause explaining why the crowed welcomed Jesus.

h\san .... prosdekwnteV (prosdokaw) pres. part. "they were [all] expecting [him]" - they were [all] waiting for [him to return]. The participle with the imperfect verb to-be forms an periphrastic imperfect construction, possibly emphasising aspect; "they were all waiting eagerly for him", Barclay.

ii] Jairus makes his request, v41-42. Jairus (Greek for the Hebrew "Jair") pleads for Jesus to come to his house and heal his twelve year old daughter (Luke emphasises the problem by adding to Matthew and Mark's account, "only" daughter). She is dying, "even now dead", Matt:9:18. It is unclear what is meant by "ruler of the synagogue", although more helpful than Matthew's "ruler". Jairus is obviously an official of some sort, or board member of the local synagogue, an elder, and so represents the Jewish religious establishment. What is not clear, is that his approach rests on faith. Jesus will soon call on Jairus to exercise faith, but there is no evidence that he, or his family, respond in faith. The signs of the messianic age ultimately rest on the divine will, rather than on our appropriation of that will. Jairus and his wife are able, by faith, to place themselves in the centre of that will, or stand outside it and be exesthsan, "amazed", v56. Unlike Jairus, the woman with the haemorrhage, by faith, placed herself in the centre of the divine will such that her faith seswken, "healed / saved", her and she went away in eirhnhn, "peace".

kai idou "Then" - and behold. Transitional, see kai idou, 1:31.

tw|/ dat. pro. "-" - [a man] to whom [name jairus]. The dative is adverbial, reference / respect, "with respect to the name, Jairus", or possessive, "whose name was Jairus."

thV sunagwghV (h) gen. "synagogue [leader]" - [and this one = he existed = was ruler] of the synagogue. The genitive is adjectival, idiomatic / subordination, "ruler over the synagogue."

peswn (piptw) aor. part. "fell" - [came and] falling [close to = at the feet of jesus]. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to come"; "a man name Jairus, a director of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet and requested him to come to his home", Berkeley.

parekalei (parakalew) "pleading" - was imploring, exhorting [him]. The imperfect is often treated here are inceptive; "and he began to implore him ...."

eiselqein (eisercomai) aor. inf. "to come" - to enter into [into the house of him]. The infinitive introduces an object clause / dependent statement of indirect speech expressing what Jairus implored of Jesus. Note the idiomatic repetition of the prepositional prefix eiV.

oJti "because" - because. Introducing a causal clause explaining why Jairus wanted Jesus to visit his home.

autw/ dat. pro. "his" - [an only daughter was] to him. Possessive dative.

wJV "about" - as = about. When this particle is used with numbers it expresses approximation, as NIV.

etwn (oV) gen. "-" - of years [twelve]. The genitive "twelve years" is usually classified as a genitive of time, although as Culy notes, it is probably a conventional way of expressing a person's age; "she was about of twelve years" = "about twelve years of age", ESV. Mark waits till the end of his record to tell us that she is twelve years old.

apeqnhsken (apoqnhskw) imperf. "was dying" - [and she] was dying. The imperfect may well be inceptive, "about to die"; "at death's door", HCSB.

de "-" - but/and. Transitional, indicating a step in the narrative. Usually indicated here by a new paragraph, and as such, providing the setting for Jesus' encounter with the ill woman.

en tw/ + inf. "As" - in the [he to go, the crowds were choking = pressing around him]. This construction introduces a temporal clause, contemporaneous time, "while, during." The accusative pronoun auton, "he", serves as the accusative subject of the infinitive "to go"; "While he / Jesus was going, the crowds were crushing in on him."

iii] Jesus receives a report that the girl has died, v49-50. The report that the girl has died is reinforced by the statement "do not trouble the Teacher any more", recorded by both Luke and Mark. The sense is, Jesus may be able to heal the sick, but not the dead. So, the point being made is that the young girl has definitely died. Jesus' euphemistic response ("a prognosis, not a diagnosis", Nolland) does not deny this fact, but points beyond to an alternate reality. Jairus is not to fobou, "fear" = doubt, but rather pisteuson, "believe" = have faith in Jesus. Mark uses a durative present for "believe", a more theologically acceptable tense for the act of believing, but Luke focuses the action on the present situation. The consequence of such faith (the object "in Jesus" is assumed) is that swqhsetai, "she will be well, healed / saved." In the present situation, resuscitation is inevitable, given the power and authority of Jesus' word, but salvation, and thus eternal life, will require faith.

lalountoV (lalew) pres. part. "While [Jesus] was [still] speaking" - [still he] speaking. The genitive participle and its genitive subject "he" forms a genitive absolute construction, temporal, as NIV. The adverb eti, "still", indicates that the action is contemporaneous.

para + gen. "from" - [a certain = someone comes] beside = from beside [the house of the synagogue ruler]. Here expressing source / origin.

legwn (legw) pres. part. "he said" - saying. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to come"; "came and said."

oJti "-" - that [the daughter of you has died, no longer trouble the teacher]. Introducing a dependent statement, direct speech.

oJ de "-" - but/and he. Transitional, here a change in subject from the messenger to Jesus; see oJ de, 1:29.

akousaV (akouw) aor. part. "hearing" - [jesus] hearing, [answered, replied]. The participle is probably adverbial, temporal; "But when Jesus heard it he said to him", Moffatt.

autw/ dat. pro. "to Jairus" - to him [do not fear, only believe, and she will be healed / saved]. Dative of indirect object.

iv] A select party witnesses the healing, v51-53. Only Luke mentions the presence of Peter, John, and James at the bedside with Jesus and the girl's father and mother. All gospels record the presence of the mourners, their laughing at Jesus' words, "she is not dead, but sleeping", and their being "put forth", Matt.9:25.

elqwn (ercomai) aor. part. "When he arrived" - [but/and] having come [into the house]. The participle is adverbial, best treated as temporal, as NIV.

eiselqein (eisercomai) aor. inf. "go in" - [he did not permit certain = anyone] to enter the house. The infinitive is usually classified as complementary, completing the sense of the negated verb "to permit."

sun + dat. "with" - with [him]. Expressing association / accompaniment.

ei mh + subj. "except" - except [he may permit peter and john and james and the father of the child and the mother to enter]. This construction introduces an exceptive clause establishing a contrast by designating an exception. "He allowed no one to go in with him but Peter, John and James, and the father and mother of the girl", Rieu.

oJ de "Jesus [said]" - [but/and all were weeping, crying and beating the breast = mourning her] but/and he [said, do not cry]. Transitional, indicating a change in subject from the crowd to Jesus.

gar "-" - because [she did not die]. Introducing a causal clause explaining why the mourners need not cry.

alla "but" - but [is sleeping]. Strong adversative standing in a counterpoint construction, "not ......, but ......."

autou gen. pro. "him" - [and they laughed at] him. Genitive of direct object after the kata prefix verb "to laugh at." "This drew a scornful laugh from them", Phillips. The imperfect verb "to laugh" is possibly inceptive, "they began to laugh."

eidonteV (oida) perf. part. "knowing" - knowing. The participle is adverbial, best treated as causal, "they laughed at him for they knew that she was dead", Barclay.

oJti "that" - that [she died]. Introducing an object clause / dependent statement of perception expressing what the mourners thought they knew.

v] Jesus raises the child to life, v54-55. At this point in the narrative, the powerful and authoritative word of Jesus is reinforced. Unlike Mark, Luke does not record the actual Aramaic used by Jesus, Talitha koum!, but only the Greek translation, "My child, get up / Girl, arise." Jesus' command produces an immediate response; the breath of life ("her spirit") returns to her, ie., she starts breathing again (to pneuma, "spirit", is not a reference to her soul / spirit, but her life-giving breath). The reality of the healing is reinforced by her standing up (and "walking", cf., Mark), and at Jesus' direction, having a meal prepared for her.

autoV de "but he" - but/and he. Transitional, indicating a change in subject from the mourners to Jesus.

krathsaV (kratew) aor. part. "took" - having taken hold of, grasped. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "to call out", as NIV.

thV ceiroV (r roV) gen. "the hand" - the hand [of her, he called out]. Genitive of direct object after the verb "to take hold of."

legwn "-" - saying [child arise]. The NIV treats this participle as attendant circumstance, redundant, introducing direct speech; see legwn, 4:35.

doqhnai (didwmi) aor. pas. inf. "to give" - [and the spirit of her returned and she got up immediately and he gave orders] to be given. The infinitive introduces an object clause / dependent statement of indirect speech expressing what Jesus ordered.

auth/ dat. pro. "her" - to her. Dative of indirect object.

fagein (esqiw) aor. inf. "something to eat" - to eat. The infinitive is adverbial, final, expressing purpose, "something in order to eat", so TH, although Culy suggests that it serves as the subject of the passive infinitive doqhnai, "to be given"; "that something to eat be given to her."

Luke specifically tells us that the parents are "amazed", while Mark implies the parents, but also possibly those who were with Jesus (the disciples), even the mourners, are amazed. Both Mark and Luke record Jesus' command that they tell no one what has happened. The reasons behind Jesus' promotion of the messianic secret are somewhat unclear. It is often suggested that he wanted to downplay the supernatural so as not to end up with followers attracted by the miraculous, or worse, a populous stirred up by messianic nationalism. Throughout the gospel, "amazement, astonishment" is viewed as a less than appropriate response to Jesus. It may lead to faith, but can also lead to outright rejection. The parents clearly lack a proper understanding of the miracle they have just witnessed. If they had understood the miracle from the perspective of faith, then they could properly give testimony to their experience (like the woman with a haemorrhage, or the Gerasene demoniac), but the last thing Jesus needs is to have people speak of such a miracle from the perspective of superstition, or worse, the pharisaic unbelief of religious Israel (we should not forget that Jairus is a "synagogue leader").

oJ de "but he" - [the parents of her were amazed, astonished] but/and he. Transitional, indicating a change in subject from the parents to Jesus.

autoiV dat. pro. "them" - [he commanded, instructed] them. Dative of direct object after the verb "to command."

eipein (legw) aor. inf. "to tell" - to say. The infinitive introduces an object clause / dependent statement of indirect speech expressing what Jesus commands; "Jesus instructed them that they were on no account to tell anybody about what had happened", Cassirer.

mhdeni "anyone" - to no one. Dative of indirect object.

to gegonoV (ginomai) perf. part. "what had happened" - the thing having become, happened. The participle serves as a substantive, accusative direct object of the infinitive "to say."

Luke Introduction

Exegetical Commentaries

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