Jesus took a dead girl’s hand, spoke gently in Aramaic, and raised her back to life, demonstrating His divine power over death.
Taking the child by the hand, He said to her, “Talitha kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”) (v.41). Here in Mark 5:41, Jesus (who lived from around 4 BC to AD 30-33) performs a marvelous miracle by speaking these gentle yet powerful words over a twelve-year-old girl who had died. According to Mark’s Gospel, after arriving at the house of Jairus, Jesus dismisses all but His closest disciples—Peter, James, and John—as well as the girl’s parents (Mark 5:40). Then He takes the girl by the hand and speaks in Aramaic: Talitha kum!, underscoring the personal and immediate nature of His command. Mark, whose account is often thought to be informed by Peter’s firsthand experience, preserves this expression in the original Aramaic but also offers the translation into Greek for his Gentile readers. By doing so, he highlights both Jesus’s cultural context and His authority to overcome death.
In the broader backdrop of Mark 5:21-43, Jesus has crossed back over the Sea of Galilee (northern Israel near the region of Capernaum), where many miracles were performed. By the time He reaches Jairus’s home, the situation looks hopeless to onlookers. Jairus, who was a respected synagogue official during the early first century AD, had urgently begged Jesus to help his dying daughter. Jairus’s request demonstrates his faith that Jesus has supreme power to heal—even over death. When Jesus arrives, He proclaims that the girl is not truly lost, but “asleep,” anticipating the miracle He is about to perform (Mark 5:39). Mockers laugh, displaying their unbelief. Then, Jesus enters the room, takes her hand, and with the simple command Talitha kum!, He restores her life fully. The detail that the Aramaic phrase is reported almost exactly is likely due to Peter’s vivid memory of this event—a memory that Mark faithfully recorded in his Gospel.
This verse testifies that Jesus wields authority not just over sickness but also over death itself. It illustrates His compassion—He gently clasps the girl’s hand just as a loving parent would—and His divine might is shown through His spoken word that instantly revives her. This miracle foreshadows His own resurrection power and resonates with other accounts in Scripture where Jesus brings life from death, demonstrating that He is truly the Son of God (John 11:25-26). By recording Jesus’s words in Aramaic, Mark adds a personal touch, emphasizing the immediacy of the healing and the authenticity of the eyewitness testimony. The miracle provided undeniable proof to Jairus, his household, and the chosen disciples that Jesus can restore what was lost, reinforcing the call to have faith in Him.
She was clearly dead, but Jesus’s call for her to arise immediately reversed death’s hold. In raising Jairus’s daughter, He showed Himself to be Lord over life (Mark 5:42). This event likely occurred in Capernaum or a nearby Galilean town—areas where Jesus ministered extensively around AD 28-30. It also invited witnesses to deeper belief in His identity and mission, which included His ultimate sacrifice and victory over death on the cross.
Jesus tenderly told the girl, Talitha kum!—and she got up.
She was dead, but at Jesus’s command, she arose.
This verse reminds us that Jesus has power over every aspect of life, including the finality of death.
Jesus’s command, “Talitha kum!,” displays both His compassion and His divine authority.
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Mark 5:41 meaning
Taking the child by the hand, He said to her, “Talitha kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”) (v.41). Here in Mark 5:41, Jesus (who lived from around 4 BC to AD 30-33) performs a marvelous miracle by speaking these gentle yet powerful words over a twelve-year-old girl who had died. According to Mark’s Gospel, after arriving at the house of Jairus, Jesus dismisses all but His closest disciples—Peter, James, and John—as well as the girl’s parents (Mark 5:40). Then He takes the girl by the hand and speaks in Aramaic: Talitha kum!, underscoring the personal and immediate nature of His command. Mark, whose account is often thought to be informed by Peter’s firsthand experience, preserves this expression in the original Aramaic but also offers the translation into Greek for his Gentile readers. By doing so, he highlights both Jesus’s cultural context and His authority to overcome death.
In the broader backdrop of Mark 5:21-43, Jesus has crossed back over the Sea of Galilee (northern Israel near the region of Capernaum), where many miracles were performed. By the time He reaches Jairus’s home, the situation looks hopeless to onlookers. Jairus, who was a respected synagogue official during the early first century AD, had urgently begged Jesus to help his dying daughter. Jairus’s request demonstrates his faith that Jesus has supreme power to heal—even over death. When Jesus arrives, He proclaims that the girl is not truly lost, but “asleep,” anticipating the miracle He is about to perform (Mark 5:39). Mockers laugh, displaying their unbelief. Then, Jesus enters the room, takes her hand, and with the simple command Talitha kum!, He restores her life fully. The detail that the Aramaic phrase is reported almost exactly is likely due to Peter’s vivid memory of this event—a memory that Mark faithfully recorded in his Gospel.
This verse testifies that Jesus wields authority not just over sickness but also over death itself. It illustrates His compassion—He gently clasps the girl’s hand just as a loving parent would—and His divine might is shown through His spoken word that instantly revives her. This miracle foreshadows His own resurrection power and resonates with other accounts in Scripture where Jesus brings life from death, demonstrating that He is truly the Son of God (John 11:25-26). By recording Jesus’s words in Aramaic, Mark adds a personal touch, emphasizing the immediacy of the healing and the authenticity of the eyewitness testimony. The miracle provided undeniable proof to Jairus, his household, and the chosen disciples that Jesus can restore what was lost, reinforcing the call to have faith in Him.
She was clearly dead, but Jesus’s call for her to arise immediately reversed death’s hold. In raising Jairus’s daughter, He showed Himself to be Lord over life (Mark 5:42). This event likely occurred in Capernaum or a nearby Galilean town—areas where Jesus ministered extensively around AD 28-30. It also invited witnesses to deeper belief in His identity and mission, which included His ultimate sacrifice and victory over death on the cross.
Jesus tenderly told the girl, Talitha kum!—and she got up.
She was dead, but at Jesus’s command, she arose.
This verse reminds us that Jesus has power over every aspect of life, including the finality of death.
Jesus’s command, “Talitha kum!,” displays both His compassion and His divine authority.