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Mark 5:37

in Mark 5

And He did not allow anyone to accompany Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And he suffered no man to follow with him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

KJV

And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

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This verse in Mark 5

Commentary

11 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jerome

HOMILY 77 · Written before 420.

Someone may wonder or ask: Why are these three apostles always chosen and the others sent away? Even when he was transfigured on the mountain, these three were with him. Yes, these three were chosen: Peter, James and John. But why only three? First there is the mystery of the Trinity embedded in this number, a number sacred in itself. Second, according to Moses, Jacob set three peeled branches in the watering troughs. Finally, it is written: "A three-ply cord is not easily broken." Peter is chosen as one upon whom the church would be built.

This site's exposition

Your daughter is dead

on Mark 5:35-40

Messengers arrived with the word Your daughter is dead, and the delay in the crowd has cost, humanly speaking, everything. Jesus said to Jairus Do not be afraid, and He asks for the faith the woman had just shown.

This site's exposition

except Peter, James, and John

Jerome notes that the same three were chosen again at the Transfiguration. Theophylact of Ohrid gives a reason for the small company: in his humility Jesus did nothing for show. Only these three and the parents would see the raising.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

Augustine of Hippo

Catena Aurea by Aquinas · Written before 430.

proposed

(ubi sup.) It is not said that he assented to his friends who brought the tidings and wished to prevent the Master from coming, so that our Lord's saying, Fear not, only believe, is not a rebuke for his want of faith, but was intended to strengthen the belief which he had already. But if the Evangelist had related, that the ruler of the synagogue joined the friends who came from his house, in saying that Jesus should not be troubled, the words which Matthew relates him to have said, namely, that the damsel was dead, would then have been contrary to what was in his mind. It goes on, And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

The Medieval Church3 voices

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Catena Aurea by Aquinas · Written before 1107.

proposed

For Christ in His lowliness would not do any thing for display.

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Mark · Written before 1107.

proposed

Meanwhile, He does not allow anyone to follow Him except the three disciples, because the humble Jesus does not wish to do anything for show.

A commentator

Bede

Catena Aurea by Aquinas · Written before 735.

proposed

(ubi sup.) Mystically; the woman was cured of a bloody flux, and immediately after the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue is reported to be dead, because as soon as the Church of the Gentiles is washed from the stain of vice, and called daughter by the merits of her faith, at once the synagogue is broken up on account of its zealous treachery and envy; treachery, because it did not choose to believe in Christ; envy, because it was vexed at the faith of the Church. What the messengers told the ruler of the synagogue, Why troublest thou the Master any more, is said by those in this day who, seeing the state of the synagogue, deserted by God, believe that it cannot be restored, and therefore think that we are not to pray that it should be restored.

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And he suffered no man to follow him,....
3 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

The miserable condition that this poor creature was in; he was under the power of an unclean spirit, the devil got possession of him, and the effect of it was not, as in many, a silent melancholy, but a raging frenzy; he was raving mad; his condition seems to have been worse than any of the possessed, that were Christ's patients.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A great miracle is recorded in these verses. A dead girl is restored to life. Mighty as the "King of terrors" is, there is One mightier than he. The keys of death are in our Lord Jesus Christ's hands. He will one day "swallow up death in victory." (Isaiah 25:8.) Let us learn from these verses, that rank places no man beyond the reach of sorrow . Jairus was a "ruler;" yet sickness and trouble came to his house.
A great miracle is recorded in these verses. A dead girl is restored to life. Mighty as the "King of terrors" is, there is One mightier than he. The keys of death are in our Lord Jesus Christ's hands. He will one day "swallow up death in victory." (Isaiah 25:8.) Let us learn from these verses, that rank places no man beyond the reach of sorrow . Jairus was a "ruler;" yet sickness and trouble came to his house. Jairus probably had wealth, and all the medical help that wealth can command; yet money could not keep death away from his child. The daughters of rulers are liable to sickness, as well as the daughters of poor men. The daughters of rulers must die. It is good for us all to remember this. We are too apt to forget it. We often think and talk as if the possession of riches was the great antidote to sorrow, and as if money could secure us against sickness and death. But it is the very extreme of blindness to think so. We have only to look around us and see a hundred proofs to the contrary. Death comes to palaces, as well as to cottages — to landlords as well as to tenants — to rich as well as to poor. It tarries no man's leisure or convenience. It will not be kept out by locks and bars. "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." (Heb. 9:27.) All are going to one place, the grave. We may be sure there is far more equality in the portions appointed to men than at first sight appears. Sickness is a great leveler. It makes no distinction. Heaven is the only place where "the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick." (Isa. 33:24.) Happy are they who set their affections on things above! They, and they only, have a treasure which is incorruptible. Yet a little while, and they will be where they shall hear no more evil tidings. All tears shall be wiped from their faces. They shall mourn no more.

The words behind it

18 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

14 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Mark 9:2After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There He was transfigured before them.9 worksMatthew 17:1After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.7 worksMark 14:33He took with Him Peter, James, and John, and began to be deeply troubled and distressed.5 worksActs 9:40Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down and prayed, and turning toward her body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.5 works2 Corinthians 13:1This is the third time I am coming to you. “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”4 worksMark 1:19Going on a little farther, He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat, mending their nets.3 works
The other 8 cross-references, with their words ▾
Matthew 26:37He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.3 worksMark 10:35Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and declared, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”3 worksMark 3:17James son of Zebedee and his brother John (whom He named Boanerges, meaning “Sons of Thunder”),3 worksLuke 8:51When He entered the house, He did not allow anyone to go in with Him except Peter, John, James, and the child’s father and mother.2 worksMark 13:3While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately,2 worksMatthew 4:21Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them,2 worksActs 1:13When they arrived, they went to the upper room where they were staying: Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.2 worksLuke 6:14Simon, whom He named Peter, and his brother Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    2 Corinthians 13:1

    This is the third time I am coming to you. “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

    it leads to

    • Matthew 18:16

      But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’

    • Deuteronomy 19:15

      A lone witness is not sufficient to establish any wrongdoing or sin against a man, regardless of what offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or…

    • Deuteronomy 17:6

      On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but he shall not be executed on the testimony of a lone witness.

    • John 8:17–18

      Even in your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid.

  • Through

    Mark 9:2

    After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There He was transfigured before them.

    it leads to

    • Luke 9:28–36

      About eight days after Jesus had said these things, He took with Him Peter, John, and James, and went up on a mountain to pray.

    • Matthew 17:1–8

      After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

    • Mark 14:33

      He took with Him Peter, James, and John, and began to be deeply troubled and distressed.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Isaiah 33:17

      Your eyes will see the King in His beauty and behold a land that stretches afar.

Where this verse is studied

About Mark

Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt, 1633, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Public domain.
Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt, 1633, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Public domain.
Mark: the study guide →Read Mark 5 →
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, HOMILY 77; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark and Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas.

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