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pleading fervently with him. “My little daughter is dying,” he said. “Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.”
Mark 5:23 · New Living Translation
Parallel translations
  • WEB and begged him much, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Please come and lay your hands on her, that she may be made healthy, and live.”
  • KJV And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.
  • BSB and pleaded with Him urgently, “My little daughter is near death. Please come and place Your hands on her, so that she will be healed and live.”
  • NKJV and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.”
  • NASB and *pleaded with Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live.”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Jairus begs Jesus to come and lay hands on his dying daughter so she may live.

Overview

The father's earnest plea reveals his faith that Jesus' touch can heal and restore life. His request acknowledges Jesus' authority over sickness and death. This sincere, desperate faith becomes the thread Jesus will deepen as the story unfolds toward an even greater miracle.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 23

  • Luke 13:13He laid his hands on her, and immediately she stood up straight, and glorified God.
  • Luke 4:40When the sun was setting, all those who had any sick with various diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.
  • Mark 16:18they will take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it will in no way hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
  • Acts 28:8The father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery. Paul entered in to him, prayed, and laying his hands on him, healed him.
  • 2 Sam 12:15–16Nathan departed to his house. Yahweh struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it was very sick.
  • Jas 5:14–15Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,
  • Mark 9:21–22He asked his father, “How long has it been since this has come to him?” He said, “From childhood.
  • Mark 8:23He took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village. When he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything.
  • Mark 7:32They brought to him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech. They begged him to lay his hand on him.
  • Ps 107:19Then they cry to Yahweh in their trouble, he saves them out of their distresses.
  • 2 Kgs 5:11But Naaman was angry, and went away, and said, “Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leper.’
  • Luke 4:38He rose up from the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was afflicted with a great fever, and they begged him for her.
  • Ps 50:15Call on me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
  • Matt 8:3Jesus stretched out his hand, and touched him, saying, “I want to. Be made clean.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
  • Mark 6:13They cast out many demons, and anointed many with oil who were sick, and healed them.
  • Mark 6:5–6He could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people, and healed them.
  • Luke 7:2–3A certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and at the point of death.
  • Luke 7:12Now when he came near to the gate of the city, behold, one who was dead was carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. Many people of the city were with her.
  • Mark 7:25–27For a woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having heard of him, came and fell down at his feet.
  • Acts 9:17Ananias departed, and entered into the house. Laying his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me, that you may receive your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
  • Acts 6:6whom they set before the apostles. When they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
  • John 11:3The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, “Lord, behold, he for whom you have great affection is sick.”
  • John 4:46–47Jesus came therefore again to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water into wine. There was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Mark videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Mark 5:23YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on MarkMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'

How Mark 5:23 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.