Matthew 9:18 - Exposition

While he spake these things unto them . Matthew only. All the accounts represent our Lord as teaching when Jairus came to him; but in the parallel passages he was on the seashore (equivalent to our Matthew 8:34 ; Matthew 9:1 ). Matthew alone places his coming just after the question of the Baptist's disciples. Probably the words, "while he spake these things unto them," are not in their original connexion. Behold, there came a certain ; a (Revised Version); ἄρχων [ εἷς ] προσελθών (for εἷς , cf. Matthew 8:19 , note). Ruler ( ἄρχων ). From this expression alone we should understand Jairus to have been head of the board of elders for the general affairs of the congregation; but Mark's expression, εἷς τῶν ἀρχισυναγώγων (cf. Luke, ἄρχων τῆς συναγωγῆς ), compels us to regard him as that elder who was appointed to care specially for the public worship, Mark's language probably meaning that he was one of the class of those who held this appointment. Sometimes the offices of ἄρχων and ἀρχισυνάγωγος were held by the same person, and this may, perhaps, have been the case with Jairus. and worshipped him ( Matthew 8:2 , note). Saying, My daughter is even now dead . Matthew, by compression, indicates what had happened before the interview was over. But come and lay thy hand upon her ; in sign of personal relation and life-communication. Kubel (in loc. ) has an interesting note on the laying-on of hands in the New Testament (cf. also Bishop Westcott, on Hebrews 6:2 ). And she shall live .