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MARK 5:37 — KING JAMES VERSION 0
Mark 5:36Mark 5:38
“And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.”
He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James — the inner three are selected for the resurrection of Jairus's daughter as they will be selected for the transfiguration (Mark 9:2) and for the Gethsemane vigil (Mark 14:33). The exclusion of the larger crowd creates the intimate witness group for the miracle — not because the miracle needs to be hidden but because the twelve-year-old daughter's restoration to life deserves privacy and the sacred space of family witness. The three who see the raising of Jairus's daughter are prepared for the transfiguration, where they will see Jesus' glory, and for Gethsemane, where they will fail in the most difficult hour.

Church Fathers on Mark 5:37

Those who were about the ruler of the synagogue, thought that Christ was one of the prophets, and for this reason they thought that they should beg of Him to come and pray over the damsel. But because she had already expired, they thought that He ought not to be asked to do so.

Theophylact · 11th century

It is not said that he assented to his friends who brought the tidings and wished to prevent the Master from coming, so that our Lord’s saying, 'Fear not, only believe,' is not a rebuke for his want of faith, but was intended to strengthen the belief which he had already. But if the Evangelist had related, that the ruler of the synagogue joined the friends who came from his house, in saying that Jesus should not be troubled, the words which Matthew relates him to have said,…

Augustine · 4th century

It was told the ruler of the synagogue, Thy daughter is dead. But Jesus said to him, She is not dead, but sleepeth. Bother are true, for the meaning is, She is dead to you, but to Me she is asleep.

Pseudo-Jerome · 5th century
Read all 10 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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Mark 5:37 — Community Reflections | HolyStudy