And there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue named Jairus: and seeing him, falleth down at his feet.
και ιδου ερχεται εις των αρχισυναγωγων ονοματι ιαειρος και ιδων αυτον πιπτει προς τους ποδας αυτου
7 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Following the miracle performed on the man afflicted by demons, the Lord carried out yet another wonder - the resurrection of the synagogue leader's daughter. The evangelist identifies this ruler by name for the Jewish witnesses present. He was a man of mixed faith; by humbling himself before Christ, he demonstrated his belief.
As the Lord made His way to the Gerasenes, the crowd in Capernaum chose to remain in the city, anticipating His return. Jairus, the archdeacon, was particularly in need as his daughter was gravely ill. Upon the Lord's return to Capernaum, Jairus urgently implored Him to heal his daughter who was on the brink of death. This was not the first time the Lord had displayed His mercy in Capernaum; He had previously shown compassion by healing the son of a royal official and the servant of a centurion at Cana. Many had already benefited from His grace. It was through divine Providence that the archdeacon also sought His help. However, one might wonder if his faith paralleled that of the others whom the Lord had blessed.
His plea indicates that his faith may have been less robust than that of the centurion, who believed a mere word from Jesus would suffice for his servant's healing. Although both men sought the Lord's physical presence, significant differences emerged; at the time the centurion made his request, Jesus was known for only one miracle at Cana, whereas by the time Jairus approached Him, He was renowned for numerous acts of healing. Additionally, the centurion was a Gentile, while Jairus belonged to the Jewish community, which might suggest that greater faith could be expected from him. Nonetheless, the Lord, as described by Isaiah, is gentle and nurturing, not extinguishing a smoldering wick or breaking a bruised reed. He sought to fan the small spark of Jairus’s faith into a vibrant flame. Despite this fragile faith, the Lord graciously agreed to go with him; as they traveled, the crowd pressed around them.
In the account given by the Gospel of Matthew, Jairus informs Jesus that his daughter has already passed away (ετελέυτησεν v. 18) and pleads for a resurrection. In contrast, the Gospels of Mark (εσχάτως έχει v. 23) and Luke (αυτη άπεθνισκεν v. 42) suggest that she was merely at the point of death, indicating that Jairus initially sought healing for his daughter, only learning of her death afterward. Given the circumstances of the ill woman and Jairus’s emotional state, it is unlikely that his words were entirely clear or without uncertainty. It seems he intended to convey that upon leaving his home, his daughter was in her final moments, possibly deceased by the time he reached Jesus.
However, since Matthew does not mention the arrival of messengers bringing news of the girl's death, the phrase αΰτη ετελέυτησεν aligns well with the situation. Jairus’s initial plea for healing would likely have shifted to a request for resurrection after learning of her death, even if he did not articulate this change vocally.
The woman suffering from hemorrhaging was understandably hesitant to approach Jesus openly due to her condition, which rendered her ritually unclean (Luke 15). Yet her faith was profound; she believed that merely touching the fringe of His garment (κρασπεδον Mt. 20; Lk. 44, cf. Num. 15:38; Matthew 14:36; 23:5; Lk. 8:44; Mk. 6:56) would grant her healing. Jesus called her forth to acknowledge her faith and the miracle that had taken place in her life, asking, "Who is it that touches Me?" His question implies that His miraculous power could sometimes be released without His conscious intent. Nonetheless, it is clear that He was aware of the woman’s intention and actions when she touched Him, inspiring Him to say in His spirit, "Courage, daughter, your faith has made you whole"—words He later vocally reassured her with, addressing her in front of the crowd. While many people thronged around Him and touched Him, only the woman’s faith could elicit that miraculous power from Him; her touch signified not merely physical contact but the genuine expression of her faith in reaching out to Christ.
A multitude awaited Jesus on the shore. Among them was Jairus, a leader of the synagogue whose twelve-year-old daughter was near death. He anxiously anticipated the arrival of the miracle worker, expecting that He would come to heal his ailing child. As a prominent synagogue leader, Jairus was part of a group that often opposed Jesus, a sentiment echoed in the Pharisees' inquiry to the chief priests: “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? But this crowd does not know the law, they are accursed” (John 7:47-48). Jairus likely aligned with this faction; however, having witnessed the miracle that Jesus performed for the centurion's servant, he clung to a flicker of hope that Jesus might restore his daughter as well.
Unlike the Roman centurion, who trusted in Jesus' ability to heal with just a word, Jairus lacked such certainty and implored Jesus to come and touch his dying girl. The imminent threat of his daughter’s death compelled the distraught father to seize this last glimmer of hope, setting aside any concerns about his colleagues’ connections to the new teachings, and humbly fell at the feet of the Teacher from Nazareth.
Following His return from Perea, the Savior resumed His teachings and acts of compassion throughout the towns and villages of Galilee, drawing a large crowd once again. Among those gathered, one of the synagogue’s leaders approached Him in great agitation. This respected elder, likely part of the delegation that had previously sought Jesus’ assistance for the centurion who built the synagogue, had firsthand knowledge of His miraculous abilities. In deep distress, he fell at Jesus’ feet and pleaded with Him, revealing that his beloved daughter, his only child, was gravely ill, possibly already deceased. He expressed confidence that if Jesus would simply come and touch her, she would be restored to life. Moved by the sorrow of this father, Jesus promptly rose and followed him, accompanied by His disciples and the multitude that surrounded Him, all eager and pressing in as they made their way.
"Falling at His feet" carries a deeper significance compared to the description in the Gospel of Matthew, which states "bowing down to Him." In the Gospel of Mark, Jairus urgently implored the Lord to visit him, and his earnest appeal was demonstrated through his act of bowing before the Lord, or humbling himself by falling at His feet.
When Jesus returned to Capernaum, located on the western shore of Lake Gennesaret, and disembarked, a large crowd was waiting for Him with great anticipation. Among them was a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, who stepped forward from the throng. His young daughter, approximately twelve years old, was gravely ill and near death. The distraught father fell at the feet of Jesus and earnestly implored Him, "My daughter is at the brink of death. Please come and lay Your hands on her so that she may be healed and live." The esteemed Theophylact points out that Jairus exhibited faith, albeit a modest faith, as he requested Jesus not only to speak a word, as the centurion had done (Matt. 8:8), but also to physically come and touch her. Jesus went with Jairus to his home, accompanied by His disciples, while a throng of people pressed around Him along the way.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 15 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS