SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:18
¶ Hablando l estas cosas a ellos, he aquí vino un principal, y le ador, diciendo: Mi hija acaba de morir; mas ven y pon tu mano sobre ella, y vivir.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 9:18
Verse 18. A certain ruler] There were two officers in the synagogue, tonkh zj chazan ha-ceneseth, the bishop or overseer of the congregation; and tonkh ar rosh ha-ceneseth, the head or ruler of the congregation. The chazan takes the book of the Law, and gives it to the rosh, or ruler; and he appoints who shall read the different sections, &c. Jairus, who is the person intended here, was, in this latter sense, the ruler or governor of one of the synagogues, probably at Capernaum. See Mark v. 22; Luke viii. 41.
My daughter is even now dead] Or, my daughter was just now dying; arti eteleuthsen, or, is by this time dead: i.e. as Mr. Wakefield properly observes, She was so ill when I left home that she must be dead by this time. This turn of the expression reconciles the account given here with that in Mark and Luke. Michaelis conjectures that, in the Hebrew original, the words must have stood thus, htm ht[ atah matah, which, without the points, may signify either, She is dead, or She is dying.
To be successful in our applications to God by prayer, four things are requisite; and this ruler teaches us what they are.
First, A man should place himself in the presence of God-he came unto him.
Secondly, He should humble himself sincerely before God-he fell down before him-at his feet. Mark v. 22.
Thirdly, He should lay open his wants with a holy earnestness-he besought him greatly. Mark v. 23.
Fourthly, he should have unbounded confidence in the power and goodness of Christ that his request shall be granted-put thy hand upon her, and she shall live. He who comes in this way to God, for salvation, is sure to be heard. Imposition of hands was a rite anciently used by the servants of God, through which heavenly influences were conveyed to the bodies and souls of men. This rite is still used in certain Churches; but, as there is no Holy Ghost communicated by it, some suppose it may be as well omitted. But why is this? Is it not because there is an unfaithfulness in the person who lays on hands, or an unfitness in him on whom they are laid? Let the rite be restored to its primitive simplicity, and God will own it as he formerly did. But, however this may be, where is the man or number of men who have authority to abrogate a rite of God's own appointment? In the appointment of men to the sacred ministry it should never be omitted: even in these degenerate days, it may still serve as a sign of the necessity of the gifts and graces of that Holy Spirit without which no man can fulfill the work of the ministry, or be the instrument of saving the souls of them that hear him. When the inventions of men are put in the place of the ordinances of God, the true Church of Christ is in great danger.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 18. While he spake these things unto them , etc.] To the Scribes and Pharisees, and to Johns disciples, concerning, and in vindication of his, and his disciples, eating and drinking with publicans and sinners, and their not fasting as others did; and while he spake these parables, to expose the folly of self-righteous persons, and justify his own conduct, in calling sinners to repentance, behold, there came a certain ruler and worshipped him . This man, as both Mark and Luke say, was named Jairus; and was a ruler, not of the sanhedrim, or lesser consistory, but of the synagogue that was at Capernaum; and whom the Jews call, tsnkh ar , the head of the synagogue. Mark says, he was one of the rulers: not that there were more rulers than one, in one synagogue f573 : but as in great cities, so it is likely in Capernaum there were more synagogues than one, of which he was one of the rulers: so we read of twysnk yar f574 , heads, or rulers of synagogues. As this is one mistake, so it is another to say, that Dr.
Lightfoot speaks of this ruler, as the same with the minister of the congregation; when both here, and in the place referred to, he manifestly distinguishes them; as do the Jews: for, by this ruler, as their commentators say, the necessary affairs of the synagogue were determined, as who should dismiss with a prophet, who should divide the shema, and who should go before the ark.
Whereas the business of tjnkh zj , the minister of the synagogue, was to bring in and out the ark, or chest, in which was the book of the law; and particularly, when the high priest read, or pronounced the blessings, he took the book, and gave it to the ruler of the synagogue; and the ruler of the synagogue gave it to the sagan, and the sagan to the high priest f576 .
The doctor makes indeed rwbxh jyl , the messenger of the congregation, to be the same with the minister of the synagogue, and which is his mistake; for these were two different officers f577 : the former was the lecturer, or preacher; and the latter, a sort of a sexton to keep the synagogue clean, open and shut the doors, and do other things before mentioned. This Jairus was a man of great power and significance; who in such a very humble manner prostrated himself at the feet of Jesus, and expressed such strong faith in him: saying, my daughter is even now dead, but come and lay thine hand upon her, and she shall live . Luke says, she was his only daughter: and Mark calls her his little daughter: though both he and Luke say, she was about twelve years of age, and that with strict propriety, according to the Jewish canons, which say; that a daughter, from the day of her birth until she is twelve years complete, is called hnjq , a little one and when she is twelve years of age, and one day and upwards, she is called hr[n , a young woman.
Her case seems to be differently represented; Mark says, she was at the point of death, or in the last extremity; and Luke, that she lay dying: but Matthew here says, that she was even now dead, which may be easily reconciled: for not to observe, that arti signifies near, and the phrase may be rendered, she is near dead, or just expiring, the case was this; when Jairus left his house, his daughter was in the agony of death, just ready to give up the ghost; so, that he concluded, by the time he was with Jesus, she had made her exit; as it appears she had, by a messenger, who brought the account of her death, before they could get to the house. The rulers address to Christ on this occasion, is a very considerable, though not so great an instance of faith as some others; that he, who was a ruler of a synagogue, should apply to Christ, which sort of men were generally most averse to him; that he should fall down and worship him, if not as God, since as yet he might be ignorant of his deity, yet behaved with the profoundest respect to him, as a great man, and a prophet; that he should come to him when his child was past all hope of recovery; yea, when he had reason to believe she was actually dead, as she was; that even then, he should believe in hope against hope; he affirms, that he really believed, that if Christ would but come to his house, and lay his hand upon her, an action often used in grave and serious matters, as in blessing persons, in prayer, and in healing diseases, she would certainly be restored to life again.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 18-26 - The death of our relations should drive us to Christ, who is our life And it is high honour to the greatest rulers to attend on the Lor Jesus; and those who would receive mercy from Christ, must honour him The variety of methods Christ took in working his miracles, perhaps wa because of the different frames and tempers of mind, which those wer in who came to him, and which He who searches the heart perfectly knew A poor woman applied herself to Christ, and received mercy from him by the way. If we do but touch, as it were, the hem of Christ's garment by living faith, our worst evils will be healed; there is no other rea cure, nor need we fear his knowing things which are a grief and burde to us, but which we would not tell to any earthly friend. When Chris entered the ruler's house, he said, Give place. Sometimes, when the sorrow of the world prevails, it is difficult for Christ and his comforts to enter. The ruler's daughter was really dead, but not so to Christ. The death of the righteous is in a special manner to be looke on as only a sleep. The words and works of Christ may not at first be understood, yet they are not therefore to be despised. The people wer put forth. Scorners who laugh at what they do not understand, are no proper witnesses of the wonderful works of Christ. Dead souls are no raised to spiritual life, unless Christ take them by the hand: it is done in the day of his power. If this single instance of Christ' raising one newly dead so increased his fame, what will be his glor when all that are in their graves shall hear his voice, and come forth those that have done good to the resurrection of life, and those tha have done evil to the resurrection of damnation!
Greek Textus Receptus
ταυτα 5023 D-APN αυτου 846 P-GSM λαλουντος 2980 5723 V-PAP-GSM αυτοις 846 P-DPM ιδου 2400 5628 V-2AAM-2S αρχων 758 N-NSM {VAR2: εις 1520 A-NSM } ελθων 2064 5631 V-2AAP-NSM προσεκυνει 4352 5707 V-IAI-3S αυτω 846 P-DSM λεγων 3004 5723 V-PAP-NSM οτι 3754 CONJ η 3588 T-NSF θυγατηρ 2364 N-NSF μου 3450 P-1GS αρτι 737 ADV ετελευτησεν 5053 5656 V-AAI-3S αλλα 235 CONJ ελθων 2064 5631 V-2AAP-NSM επιθες 2007 5628 V-2AAM-2S την 3588 T-ASF χειρα 5495 N-ASF σου 4675 P-2GS επ 1909 PREP αυτην 846 P-ASF και 2532 CONJ ζησεται 2198 5695 V-FDI-3S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
18. Is even now dead (arti eteleuthsen). The literal force of the aorist tense is more graphic. Just now died.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
9:18 {Is even now dead} (arti eteleutesen). Aorist tense with arti and so better, "just now died,"just dead" (Moffatt). Mark (#Mr 5:23) has it "at the point of death," Luke (#Lu 8:42) "lay a dying." It is not always easy even for physicians to tell when actual death has come. Jesus in #9:24 pointedly said, "The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth," meaning that she did not die to stay dead.
