←
Explanation for:
Matthew
9
:
24
He said: Give place, for the girl is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn.
9
more explanations
& daily audio-books
spoken by
– enjoy in Theosis App –
Start your
Bible-journey
with explanations
& daily audio-books
only 4$* per month
{"arr":[{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"What about Christ? He dismissed all but the parents, allowing them to remain so they would not claim that someone else had raised the girl. Before restoring her to life, He roused her with a proclamation, stating, \\"The maiden is not dead, but asleep.\\" He performed similarly in many other instances. Just as He first admonished His disciples on the sea, here He also aimed to reassure those burdened by troubling thoughts, simultaneously demonstrating His power over death (as seen in His raising of Lazarus, whom He referred to as \\"our friend\\" - John 11:11). He teaches them not to fear death, for it is no longer final; it has transformed into a mere slumber. Since He was destined to face death Himself, He prepared His followers to be steadfast and composed in the face of mortality, assuring them that after His resurrection, death would merely be a dream. The people in the house ridiculed Him; yet He remained unfazed by their disbelief in the miracle He was about to perform and did not chastise those who laughed, for their mocking only served to highlight the state of the maiden."},{"author-name":"Augustine of Hippo","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88950a5c988a4fc06c7ae_Augustine%20of%20Hippo.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"In certain passages, Matthew presents the statement, \\"The wife is not dead, but asleep,\\" while both Mark and Luke refer to the girl as a twelve-year-old maiden. This difference may stem from Matthew's interpretation of the terminology as it relates to the Hebrew language. Throughout Scripture, the term \\"wives\\" is applied not only to those who have been with their husbands but also to chaste, innocent virgins. For instance, it is written of Eve: And the Lord God created .... Moreover, the book of Numbers instructs that virgins who have not known a man should not be killed. The Apostle Paul similarly employs this term when he declares that Christ was born of a woman, an assertion much more plausible than suggesting that at twelve she was already married and had experienced intimacy."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The Lord refers to her state as sleep, for to Him, who has the power to bring the dead to life, death is merely a fleeting illusion. It is no wonder they mocked Him; their laughter serves as a testament to the extraordinary event of Him revitalizing one who had truly passed away. Thus, no one could claim that the ailing woman merely experienced a convulsion, as her death was clearly acknowledged by all."},{"author-name":"Lopuchin A.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c891400ee1341634d2276d_Lopuchin%20A.P..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The false cries stirred the spirit of Christ deeply; He paused at the entrance to prevent the multitude from following Him and entered the home accompanied only by His three closest disciples, Peter, James, and John. Inside, He commanded the noise to stop; however, when His assertion that “the damsel was not dead, but sleeping” was met with scornful mockery, He expelled the hired mourners in righteous anger."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"He questioned them, \\"Why this disturbance? What is the cause of your weeping? Do not mourn; come forth, for the young girl is not dead but merely sleeping.\\" Thus, having stripped death of its power entirely, He leaves it without even a title, proclaiming, \\"not dead, but asleep!\\" He similarly addressed the situation with Lazarus, stating, \\"Lazarus, our friend, has fallen asleep\\" (John 11:11), teaching us to face death without fear, as it ceases to be death and transforms into a peaceful slumber. As He Himself was destined to die, by resurrecting others, He equips His followers beforehand to confront it with bravery and serenity, for at His coming, death was rendered a mere dream, as noted by St. Chrysostom. By referring to death as a dream, the Lord bolstered the faith of the father of the departed girl, for in the midst of the grief and clear finality, that faith could easily diminish. Thus, the Giver of Life chooses to avoid the dreadful term, \\"she is dead,\\" and substitutes it with the softer expression, \\"she sleeps.\\" While demonstrating His sacred humility, which prompts Him to keep His wondrous deeds from public scrutiny whenever possible, this term, holding a dual significance, veils the miracle He is about to enact from the onlookers. \\"And for this humility, and this tender consolation offered to the grieving parents, the Divine Comforter faces mockery: AND THEY LAUGHED AT HIM. This demonstrates the arrogance of a faithless mind! What they fail to comprehend, they mock. Consequently, they are unworthy of witnessing the marvels of God's might. However, it is understandable that the hired mourners and musicians quickly shifted from false tears to overt ridicule. Yet such scoffing serves as a testament to the miracle: the young girl's death was universally acknowledged, and no one could claim she merely suffered a fainting spell or seizure,\\" remarks Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow. Jesus instructed that everyone be dismissed. \\"He did not take offense,\\" observes St. Chrysostom, \\"at their disbelief regarding the miracle He was about to perform, nor did He rebuke those who laughed, allowing their scornful responses, as well as their instruments and noise, to affirm the girl's death. As human beings often doubt miracles already accomplished, the Lord preemptively protects them from disbelief through their own declarations. Similarly, those present at Lazarus's resurrection were shielded from doubt; He subsequently inquired, 'Where have they laid him?' so that those responding, 'Go and see,' and 'he has been dead for four days' (John 11:34-39), could no longer doubt that He had raised the dead,\\" comments Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow. \\"If only three of the Apostles were found worthy to witness the profound secret of the Resurrection, it is even more inappropriate to share the sacred act, the miracle, with those who dared to mock the Miracle Worker.\\""},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Mourning is reserved for those who have passed, yet Jairus' daughter is on the verge of being brought back to life; there is no reason for tears in her case. \\"Do not weep,\\" Jesus proclaims, \\"for she is not dead, but sleeping\\" (Luke 8:52). Some skeptics interpret this literally, suggesting that Jairus' daughter was merely in a faint and thus was not truly raised from death, but simply awakened. However, Jesus’ declaration that she is not dead but asleep cannot be taken at face value; He had previously referred to Lazarus in similar terms, although Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days and was beginning to decompose. He said, \\"Lazarus our friend has fallen asleep, but I am going to wake him up.\\" The disciples responded, \\"Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover... Then Jesus said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead\\" (John 11:11-14). Moreover, the death of Jairus' daughter was so evident to those at the house, who were gathered for her burial, that upon hearing Jesus, they ridiculed Him, fully aware that she had passed away (Luke 8:53). The miracle deniers view Jesus Christ as an ordinary figure; yet, how can they trust His assertion that the girl was merely asleep? He made that statement without having seen her and, according to their beliefs, without knowledge of whether she was indeed dead or just in a faint. Thus, in denying the omnipotence of Jesus Christ, they inadvertently acknowledge His all-knowing nature. The inconsistency in their reasoning undermines their doubts about the resurrection of Jairus' daughter. Furthermore, though this was the first resurrection performed by Jesus, it was not the only one. Upon arriving at the house, Jesus instructed everyone to leave. This was to reveal to them a profound mystery that had eluded understanding until His arrival; through the resurrection of one individual, He illustrated that if He, Jesus Christ, speaks of a future resurrection for all who have died to face judgment, then such a resurrection is indeed possible with God, and it will occur. Thus, He demonstrated that while physical death is temporary, the essence of humanity is immortal."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Certainly, the young girl had indeed passed away, yet “for him who could raise her up, her death was no more than a dream” (Blessed Theophylact). What do you express with tears? Do not weep—the girl was not truly dead; she was merely asleep. Everyone acknowledged her death, and “no one could claim that she had merely experienced a severe fit or simply fainted” (Bl. Theophylact), leading those present to ridicule the words of the Lord."},{"author-name":"Bogolepow D.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"When Jesus arrived at Jairus' home, He told the relatives and mourners, “The maiden is not dead, but asleep.” This statement serves two purposes: it foretells the resurrection of the girl and emphasizes that death does not equate to total annihilation; rather, even in death, the spirit of an individual persists and has the hope of reanimating the body (cf. Jn. 11:11). The Evangelists convey that the revival of Jairus' daughter was indeed a resurrection rather than merely awakening from a deep slumber, as particularly highlighted by Luke’s account. He notes that those present in the house ridiculed Jesus for asserting that she was merely sleeping, as they were convinced of her death. Luke explicitly mentions that when Jesus commanded, “Maiden, arise!” her spirit returned, indicating it had been separated from her body for a time. \\n\\nIn the room where the girl lay, Christ chose to bring only her parents and His disciples Peter, James, and John, who were previously privileged to witness other significant moments in His ministry. Yet, even these witnesses of the miracle were instructed by the Lord not to reveal what had occurred (as seen in Mark and Luke). This instruction stemmed from a concern that hastily sharing such a profound miracle could generate unrestrained excitement and a carnal zeal among the people in favor of Jesus, while simultaneously inciting animosity among the scribes and Pharisees. Furthermore, this command held personal significance for Jairus; a period of quiet reflection amid the public excitement might cultivate a deeper faith in Jesus, which seemed essential for him given his prior inability to be moved by previous miraculous events, such as the healing of the demon-possessed man in the synagogue he officiated (Mk. 1:21) or the healing of the paralytic (Matt. 9:1). His faith, while vibrant, still required strengthening.\\n\\nDespite the directive given to those who witnessed the miracle, the news of it spread throughout the region (as referenced in Matthew). After Jesus left Jairus' home, all the relatives and mourners who had seen the girl alive could not help but share the news. However, because her parents—the primary witnesses—observed a deep silence, the dissemination of this remarkable event unfolded gradually, lacking the immediacy and potency that would have resulted from firsthand testimonies, and consequently had a more muted impact on those who heard it."},{"author-name":"Alexander Gorsky","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8884037c1e1c51e1332e2_Alexander%20Gorsky.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"When the Lord spoke these words, Jairus received the heartbreaking news of his daughter's passing. Jesus, however, reassured him, instructing him not to fear but to have faith in His power to bring her back to life. Arriving at the house, Jesus encountered a scene filled with disorder. This chaos could have posed a challenge to their faith. The Lord comforted them, stating that the child was merely asleep, provoking laughter from the onlookers. He then dismissed them, choosing to remain with the parents and a few of His disciples. Taking the child’s hand, He called out, \\"Little girl, arise,\\" and she was miraculously restored to life. The parents, filled with astonishment, were instructed to remain quiet about the event. This silence was intended to protect them from the scrutiny of the Pharisees and the impulsive reactions of the crowd. It is through these private circumstances that one understands why the Lord sometimes revealed His identity publicly while at other times chose to remain concealed; He instructed silence here, yet publicly proclaimed the healing of the woman with the issue of blood, and when in Gennesaret, He commanded that His works be shared widely."}]}
Support this project and get full access for only 4$/month
Commentarie text can’t be scrolled on PC at the moment. Please use your phone. We’re working on a fix.
