Notes on Mark 5:38-6:6

Weeping and wailing - Mark 5:38

This kind of weeping and wailing was typical mourning at an ancient Palestinian death. Sometimes professional mourners were even hired to add their cries of sorrow to those of the family. In this instance the short time since the death makes it probable that the mourners were all family and friends.

The girl was only asleep - Mark 5:39-40

When Jesus said the girl was only asleep they mocked and laughed at him. When Jesus went in he took only his closest disciples and the parents with him. He would not perform this miracle within the sight of unbelieving ridicule. The verb put outside is a strong word that was frequently used by Mark to describe the casting out of demons (1:34, 39, 43; 3:15, 22, 23; 5:24; 6:13 and others).

Talitha - Mark 5:41

"Talitha, koum!" Occasionally Mark reported the actual Aramaic words that were spoken. See Aramaic in the glossary. He did that here. Mark translated them into Greek meaning, Little girl, I say to you, get up.

Astonished - Mark 5:42

Astonished with overwhelming amazement. Mark did not use the word fear in this verse, but he piled up other words to create almost the same impression. It could be literally translated with an emphatic redundancy, They were astonished with overwhelming amazement. Like the disciples in the boat and the townspeople in Gerasa, the family members were in awe. Jesus had removed the cause of their fear. By doing that Jesus caused them to tremble. No one had ever seen anything like this before. Mark continued to force the question on his readers, "Who is this man?"

Rejection in Nazareth. - Mark 6:1-6

Jesus was rejected in his home town of Nazareth.

Jesus' hometown - Mark 6:1

Jesus' hometown of Nazareth was about 25 miles from Capernaum in the hill country of Galilee. It is not stated explicitly in the text, but perhaps his family out of concern for him had asked him to come home (3:21, 31, 32).

They had heard of his powerful miracles. - Mark 6:2

That Jesus was teaching in the synagogue indicates that he was already recognized as worthy of that honor. The people were amazed by the wisdom of his teaching and by the reports they had heard of his powerful miracles. They had known him and his family while he was growing up and had never thought that he would have this kind of wisdom and power.

Carpenter - Mark 6:3

The word carpenter refers to a craftsman or builder who may have worked not only with wood, but also with stone. They referred to him as Mary's son. This may simply indicate that his father Joseph had already died. Joseph is not mentioned anywhere in Mark's gospel. On the other hand, it may be an example of the local gossip about Jesus' reported illegitimate birth. The people's astonishment was mixed with unbelief. Rather than being proud of one of their own, they were offended that he seemed to be so much more than they had thought when he was younger.

Proverbial saying - Mark 6:4

Jesus quoted what seems to have been a well-known proverbial saying.

His messiahship would not allow it. - Mark 6:5

Why was Jesus unable to perform many miracles there? It was not because he lacked the power. It was because he was a suffering Messiah who was headed toward the cross. To display messianic power to those who refused to believe would be to throw your pearls to pigs (Matt. 7:6). It wasn't that Jesus didn't have the power to do miracles there. It was that the character of his messiahship would not allow it in the face of such blatant unbelief.

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