Mark 5:35

Ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος. As in Mark 14:43. Cf. Acts 10:44; Job 1:16-18. While He was yet speaking.

ἔρχονται. This may be impersonal; “some one comes.” Cf. δώσουσιν (Luke 6:38), αἰτοῦσιν and αἰτήσουσιν (Luke 12:20; Luke 12:48). See on Luke 12:20.

ἀπὸ τοῦ�. From his house, probably sent by his wife (Mark 5:40); the ruler himself is with Christ, and the message is addressed to him. His anxiety during the delay caused by the woman with the issue must have been intense. Evidently, the family had no hope of a resurrection, if the child died. Mt. omits this message and makes the ruler report the death of the child and ask for restoration to life, which is much less probable. A man who believed that Christ must be present in order to heal would not expect a resurrection.

ἀπέθανεν. Cf. Mark 9:26; John 11:14. As in the case of ἐξέστη (Mark 3:21), these aorists are almost perfects, expressing present effect of recent past action; therefore not “she died,” but she is dead. In John 8:52-53, the aor. has its proper force, the point being that they died then rather than that they “are dead” (A.V., R.V.) now. In that case the past action was not recent.

σκύλλεις. Like βάλλω (Mark 2:22; Mark 4:26), σκύλλω illustrates the tendency of words to become weaker in meaning; it signifies (1) “flay,” (2) “mangle,” (3) “vex,” “annoy” (Matthew 9:36; Luke 7:6). Comp. the French gêner and gêne, which is a doublet of gehenne.