Mark 5:41

Mark 5:41. Talitha cumi. These were the words used, in the dialect of the country. Mark cites such Aramaic expressions a number of times (Mark 3:17; Mark 7:11; Mark 7:34; Mark 14:36). The addition of an interpretation shows that he wrote for other than Jewish readers, but the insertion of the very words is a mark of accuracy, and of the strong impression made upon the eye-witness.

Damsel (I say to thee) arise. ‘Damsel ‘is a word of endearment, as if it were: ‘Rise, my child,' and ‘Talitha' has precisely that sense. ‘I say to thee,' is inserted so that the meaning shall be as plain as possible. Some suggest that it was to show that the words used were not a magical formula, but an actual address or command; but this is not probable.