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Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.
Mark 5:38 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB He came to the synagogue ruler’s house, and he saw an uproar, weeping, and great wailing.
  • KJV And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.
  • BSB When they arrived at the house of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw the commotion and the people weeping and wailing loudly.
  • NASB They *came to the house of the synagogue official, and He *saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing.
  • NLT When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing.

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

At the house Jesus finds an uproar of weeping and loud wailing.

Overview

The scene of mourners confirms that the girl has truly died, with the customary loud lamentation underway. The commotion sets the reality of death against the calm authority of Jesus. He enters not as one defeated by death but as its Master.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 6

  • Luke 8:52–53All were weeping and mourning her, but he said, “Don’t weep. She isn’t dead, but sleeping.”
  • Matt 9:23–24When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players, and the crowd in noisy disorder,
  • Mark 5:22Behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, came; and seeing him, he fell at his feet,
  • Acts 9:39Peter got up and went with them. When he had come, they brought him into the upper room. All the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.
  • Matt 11:17and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you didn’t dance. We mourned for you, and you didn’t lament.’
  • Jer 9:17–20Yahweh of Armies says, “Consider, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for the skillful women, that they may come.

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 5:38YouTube · 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 5:38 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.