Paragraph 5:35–43

In this paragraph, Mark returned to the story about Jairus and his daughter. Use a natural way in your language to focus again on the people who were introduced before the story about Jairus was interrupted in 5:25.

5:35a–b

While He was still speaking, messengers from the house of Jairus arrived: Jesus was still speaking to the woman whom he healed when some men came. Express this timing in a natural way in your language.

In some languages it may be helpful to mention who Jesus was speaking to. For example:

While Jesus was still speaking to her
-or-
As Jesus was still talking to the woman

messengers…arrived: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as messengers…arrived is literally, “they came.” The people who came may have been slaves, or they may have been friends or members of Jairus’ family. Translate this in a general way. For example:

some people (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
some messengers (Good News Bible)
-or-
some men (New International Version)

from the house of Jairus: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as from the house of Jairus is literally “from the synagogue ruler.” The Berean Standard Bible and many other English versions supply from the house of because Jairus himself was already with Jesus. The Berean Standard Bible supplies the name Jairus to help identify him.

Consider what would be the most natural way in your language to refer to Jairus, the synagogue ruler, at this point in the story. In some languages it may be enough to simply say “Jairus.” In other languages it may be more natural to avoid using Jairus’ name here and to simply say “the synagogue leader.” See the note on “A synagogue leader” at 5:22a.

5:35c

and said: The men were talking here to Jairus, who was still with Jesus. In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

They said to Jairus
-or-
They told the synagogue leader

Some translations place the phrase they said after the words “Your daughter is dead.” In the Greek text, it comes before these words. Place it where it is most natural in your language.

Your daughter is dead: Use a natural expression in your language to tell someone that a family member has died. In many languages, there will be a euphemism for this.

5:35d

why bother the Teacher anymore?: This is a rhetorical question. The men asked this question to suggest that Jairus should leave Jesus and should no longer expect Jesus to go to his house. They believed that Jesus could not do anything to help someone who had already died.

There are at least two ways to translate this suggestion:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

What reason is there to continue to trouble the teacher?
-or-
Do you need to bother the teacher any longer?

• As a statement. For example:

Perhaps you should not trouble the teacher any further.
-or-
Let us leave the teacher, now that there is no reason to disturb him.
-or-
There is no need to bother the teacher anymore. (New Century Version)

Use whichever form is most natural to express a suggestion of this kind in your language. In some languages it may be helpful to supply the implied information that is the reason for giving this advice:

It is too late to save your daughter. Do not bother the teacher any more.

bother: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as bother here means “to trouble (someone).” The men assumed that Jesus was a busy teacher and that Jairus had troubled Jesus by asking him to heal his daughter. In this context, bother does not mean to do something purposely to annoy someone.

In some languages, there may be another word or phrase that expresses this sense more clearly. In other languages it may be helpful to make explicit the sense of bother. For example:

do not bother the teacher any longer by urging/asking him to go to your house

the Teacher: The phrase the Teacher here refers to Jesus. The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Teacher was a polite title for a Jewish religious leader. It was a title of respect for a Jewish man who had authority to teach the things about God. If you have another term in your language to refer to a religious leader or teacher, it may be appropriate to use it here.

See how you translated this term at 4:38c where “Teacher” is used as a term of address. Be careful not to use a term that can refer only to a school teacher.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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