The Raising of Jairus's Daughter (Matthew 9:18–26; Mark 5:21–43; Luke 8:40–56)

The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations; nothing is paraphrased.

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St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 31 (on Matthew 9:18–26) Source: trans. in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 10. Public domain. Full text: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/200131.htm

On the ruler's terrible affliction, and the deed that overtook the words:

While He spoke these things unto them, behold, there came in a ruler, and worshipped Him, saying, My daughter is even now dead; but come and lay Your hand upon her, and she shall live. The deed overtook the words; so that the mouths of the Pharisees were the more stopped. For both he that came was a ruler of the synagogue, and his affliction terrible. For the young damsel was both his only child, and twelve years old, the very flower of her age; on which account especially He raised her up again, and that immediately.

On the ruler's weak faith, corrected beforehand by the woman:

Moreover the ruler of the synagogue, who was on the point of thorough unbelief, and so of utter ruin, He corrects by the woman. Since both they that came said, Trouble not the Master, for the damsel is dead; and those in the house laughed Him to scorn, when He said, She sleeps; and it was likely that the father too should have experienced some such feeling. Therefore to correct this weakness beforehand, He brings forward the simple woman.

On the word He spoke to that ruler of the grosser sort:

For as to that ruler being quite of the grosser sort, hear what He says unto him: Fear not, do thou believe only, and she shall be made whole.

On why He waited for death to come, that the proof of the resurrection might be unmistakable:

Thus He waited also on purpose for death to come on, and that then He should arrive; in order that the proof of the resurrection might be distinct. With this view He both walks more leisurely, and discourses more with the woman; that He might give time for the damsel to die, and for those to come, who told of it, and said, Trouble not the Master. For His will was that her death should be believed, that her resurrection might not be suspected. And this He does in every instance. So also in the case of Lazarus, He waited a first and a second and a third day.

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St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444)

Commentary on the Gospel of Luke (by cross-reference, in the sermons on the neighbouring miracles) Source: trans. R. Payne Smith, 1859. Public domain. On the widow's son of Nain (Luke 7): https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/cyril_on_luke_03_sermons_26_38.htm On faith and unbelief (Luke 9): https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/cyril_on_luke_05_sermons_47_56.htm

On Jairus's coming, and the reply that meets the news of death (within his treatment of faith):

For Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue of the Jews, when his only daughter was now breathing her last, being caught, so to speak, in the meshes of death, besought Jesus to deliver the damsel from what had happened: and Christ accordingly promised so to do upon arriving at the house of the supplicant. But as He was on His way, a man met Him from the relatives of the ruler of the synagogue, saying, "Thy daughter is dead: trouble not the Teacher." And what was Christ's reply? "Fear not: only believe, and she shall live."

On Jairus's daughter set among the proofs of the resurrection (within his sermon on the widow's son of Nain):

Those persons therefore who were restored to life by the power of Christ, we take as a pledge of the hope prepared for us of a resurrection of the dead: and these were, this young man, and Lazarus of Bethany, and the daughter of the chief of the synagogue.

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St. Jerome (c. 347–420)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain.

On how, as Christ goes to heal one, another is cured by the way:

This woman that had the flux came to the Lord not in the house, nor in the town, for she was excluded from them by the Law, but by the way as He walked; thus as He goes to heal one woman, another is cured.

On the tense of His word, "hath made thee whole":

He said not, Thy faith shall make thee whole, but, "hath made thee whole;" for in that thou hast believed, thou art already made whole.

On the mockers shut out from the mystery of the revival:

They that had mocked the Reviver were not worthy to behold the mystery of the revival.

On the synagogue still lying dead, until the fulness of the Gentiles:

To this day the damsel lays dead in the ruler's house; and they that seem to be teachers are but minstrels singing funeral dirges. The Jews also are not the crowd of believers, but of "people making a noise." But when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, then all Israel shall be saved.

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Blessed Augustine (of Hippo) (354–430)

On the Harmony of the Evangelists (De Consensu Evangelistarum) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain.

On how the father looked rather to her being called back to life than to her mere recovery:

He looks not at the words of the father respecting his daughter, but rather his mind. For he had so far despaired of her life, that he made his request rather for her to be called in life again, thinking it impossible that she, whom he had left dying, should be found yet alive.

On the rule that we must regard a man's meaning, not merely his words:

Hence we learn a thing of the highest necessity, that we should look at nothing in any man's words, but his meaning to which his words ought to be subservient; and no man gives a false account when he repeats a man's meaning in words other than those actually used.

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St. Hilary of Poitiers (c. 310–367)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain.

On the ruler figuratively understood as the Law:

Figuratively, this ruler is to be understood as the Law, which prays the Lord that He would restore life to the dead multitude which it had brought up for Christ, preaching that His coming was to be looked for.

On the multitude put forth, and the few who are the elect:

But that the number of the elect might be known to be but few out of the whole body of believers, the multitude is put forth; the Lord indeed would that they should be saved, but they mocked at His sayings and actions, and so were not worthy to be made partakers of His resurrection.

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St. Ambrose of Milan (c. 339–397)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain.

On the minstrels and the ancient custom of mourning the dead:

For by the ancient custom minstrels were engaged to make lamentation for the dead.

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St. Gregory the Great (c. 540–604)

Morals on the Book of Job (Moralia in Iob) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain.

On the crowd of worldly cares that must be banished before the soul can rise:

The multitude are put forth that the damsel may be raised; for unless the multitude of worldly cares is first banished from the secrets of the heart, the soul which is laid dead within, cannot rise again.

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St. Bede the Venerable (c. 673–735)

As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain.

On how she who is dead to men sleeps only before God:

As though He had said, To you she is dead, but to God who has power to give life, she sleeps only both in soul and body.