But Jesus, when he heard the message spoken, immediately said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Don’t be afraid, only believe.”
Parallel translations
- KJV As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.
- BSB But Jesus overheard their conversation and said to Jairus, “Do not be afraid; just believe.”
- NKJV As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”
- NASB But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, *said to the synagogue official, “Do not be afraid, only believe.”
- NLT But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith.”
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
Jesus tells Jairus not to fear, but only to believe.
Overview
In the face of death's apparent finality, Jesus calls Jairus to continued faith. His words counter the despair of the messengers with the assurance that more is possible. This summons to believe points to Jesus as the One who holds authority over death itself.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Luke 8:50But Jesus hearing it, answered him, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe, and she will be healed.”
- Matt 9:28–29When he had come into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They told him, “Yes, Lord.”
- John 11:40Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see God’s glory?”
- Mark 9:23Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
- Rom 4:18–24Besides hope, Abraham in hope believed, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, “So will your offspring be.”
- Mark 5:34He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be cured of your disease.”
- John 4:48–50Jesus therefore said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will in no way believe.”
- Matt 17:20He said to them, “Because of your unbelief. For most certainly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
- 2 Chr 20:20They rose early in the morning, and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in Yahweh your God, so you will be established! Believe his prophets, so you will prosper.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 5:36 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.