Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

“Daughter,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free of your affliction.”

“Jesus therefore sets His royal seal upon it. But what a glorious dismissal from the lips of Him who is "our Peace" is that, "Go in peace!" Jairus' Daughter Raised to Life (Mr 5:35-43).”

And they laughed at Him. After He had put them all outside, He took the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and went in to see the child.

“And they laughed him to scorn--rather, simply, "laughed at Him"--"knowing that she was dead" (Lu 8:53); an important testimony this to the reality of her death.”

Taking her by the hand, Jesus said, “Talitha koum!” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”

“And he took the damsel by the hand--as He did Peter's mother-in-law (Mr 1:31). and said unto her, Talitha cumi--The words are Aramaic, or Syro-Chaldaic, the then language of Palestine.”

Immediately the girl got up and began to walk around. She was twelve years old, and at once they were utterly astounded.

“And straightway the damsel--The word here is different from that in Mr 5:39-41, and signifies "young maiden," or "little girl." arose, and walked--a vivid touch evidently from an eye-witness. And they were astonished with a great astonishment--The language here is the strongest.”

Now King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known, and people were saying, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead!

“And King Herod--that is, Herod Antipas, one of the three sons of Herod the Great, and own brother of Archelaus (Mt 2:22), who ruled as ethnarch over Galilee and Perea.”

But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen from the dead!”

“But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded; he is risen from the dead--"Himself has risen"; as if the innocence and sanctity of his faithful reprover had not suffered that he should lie long dead.”

For Herod himself had ordered that John be arrested and bound and imprisoned, on account of his brother Philip’s wife Herodias, whom Herod had married.

“This Philip, however, was not the tetrarch of that name mentioned in Lu 3:1 (see on Lu 3:1), but one whose distinctive name was "Herod Philip," another son of Herod the Great--who was disinherited by his father.”

For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife!”

“For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife--Noble fidelity! It was not lawful because Herod's wife and Herodias' husband were both living; and further, because the parties were within the forbidden degrees of consanguinity (see Le…”

When the daughter of Herodias came and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests, and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will…

“And when the daughter of the said Herodias--that is, her daughter by her proper husband, Herod Philip: Her name was Salome [JOSEPHUS, Antiquities, 18.5,4].”

And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom!”

“And he--the king, so called, but only by courtesy (see on Mr 6:14). sware unto her Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, unto the half of my kingdom--Those in whom passion and luxury have destroyed self-command will in a capricious moment say and do what…”

Then she went out and asked her mother, “What should I request?” And her mother answered, “The head of John the Baptist.”

“And she said, The head of John the Baptist--Abandoned women are more shameless and heartless than men. The Baptist's fidelity marred the pleasures of Herodias, and this was too good an opportunity of getting rid of him to let slip.”

So without delay, the king commanded that John’s head be brought in. He sent an executioner, who went and beheaded him in the prison.

“Dark and cheerless was the end reserved for thee: but now thou hast thy Master's benediction, "Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in Me" (Mt 11:6), and hast found the life thou gavest away (Mt 10:39).”

The man brought John’s head on a platter and presented it to the girl, who gave it to her mother.

“And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother--Herodias did not shed the blood of the stern reprover; she only got it done, and then gloated over it, as it streamed from the…”

When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb.

“How Jesus felt, or what He said, on receiving this intelligence, is not recorded; but He of whom it was said, as He stood by the grave of His friend Lazarus, "Jesus wept," was not likely to receive such intelligence without deep emotion.”

So they went away in a boat by themselves to a solitary place.

“And they departed into a desert place by ship privately--"over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias," says John (Joh 6:1), the only one of the Evangelists who so fully describes it; the others having written when their readers were supposed to…”

When Jesus stepped ashore and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And He began to teach them many things.

“Here we have an important piece of information from the Fourth Evangelist (Joh 6:4), "And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh"--rather, "Now the passover, the feast of the Jews, was nigh." This accounts for the multitudes that now crowded around Him.”

By now the hour was already late. So the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is already late.

“And when the day was now far spent--"began to wear away" or "decline," says Luke (Lu 9:12). Matthew (Mt 14:15) says, "when it was evening"; and yet he mentions a later evening of the same day (Mr 6:23).”

But Jesus told them, “You give them something to eat.” They asked Him, “Should we go out and spend two hundred denarii to give all of them bread to eat?”

“He answered and said unto them--"They need not depart" (Mt 14:10). Give ye them to eat--doubtless said to prepare them for what was to follow.”

“Go and see how many loaves you have,” He told them. And after checking, they said, “Five—and two fish.”

“He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes--John is more precise and full: "One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto Him, There is a lad here which hath…”

Then Jesus directed them to have the people sit in groups on the green grass.

“And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass--or "green hay"; the rank grass of those bushy wastes. For, as John (Joh 6:10) notes, "there was much grass in the place."”

So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties.

“And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties--Doubtless this was to show at a glance the number fed, and to enable all to witness in an orderly manner this glorious miracle.”

Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, Jesus spoke a blessing and broke the loaves.

“And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven--Thus would the most distant of them see distinctly what He was doing. and blessed--John (Joh 6:11) says, "And when he had given thanks." The sense is the same.”

They all ate and were satisfied,

“And they did all eat, and were filled--All the four Evangelists mention this: and John (Joh 6:11) adds, "and likewise of the fishes, as much as they would"--to show that vast as was the multitude, and scanty the provisions, the meal to each and all…”

Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd.

“John (Joh 6:17) says they "went over the sea towards Capernaum"--the wind, probably, occasioning this slight deviation from the direction of Bethsaida. while he sent away the people--"the multitude."”

When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and Jesus was alone on land.

“It had come even when the disciples embarked (Mt 14:23; Joh 6:16). the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land--John says (Joh 6:17), "It was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them."”