And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he takes the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and enters in where the damsel was lying.
they.
Genesis 19:14 And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
Nehemiah 2:19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?
Job 12:4 I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.
when.
2 Kings 4:33 He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.
Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
Matthew 9:24,25 He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn…
he taketh.
After He had put them all outside,
Jesus' decision to remove the scoffers from the room highlights the importance of faith and the environment in which miracles occur. By excluding those who lacked belief, Jesus created a space conducive to the manifestation of God's power. This act can be seen as a parallel to the Old Testament practice of consecrating a space for divine encounters, as seen in the sanctification of the tabernacle (Exodus 40:9-10).
He took the child’s father and mother and His own companions,
The presence of the child's parents and Jesus' inner circle, likely Peter, James, and John, emphasizes the personal and intimate nature of this miracle. This select group mirrors the witnesses of other significant events in Jesus' ministry, such as the Transfiguration (Mark 9:2-3). Their inclusion signifies the importance of faith and witness in the unfolding of divine acts.
and went in to see the child.
Jesus' approach to the child demonstrates His compassion and authority. The act of entering the room signifies His willingness to confront death directly, a foreshadowing of His ultimate victory over death through His resurrection. This moment also fulfills the prophetic imagery of the Messiah bringing life and restoration, as foretold in passages like Isaiah 61:1-3. Jesus' actions here typify His role as the Good Shepherd, who cares for and restores His flock.
- The mourners did not merely scoff; they “laughed at Him”, openly ridiculing Jesus for saying the girl was only asleep (Mark 5:39).
- Their reaction mirrors Genesis 17:17 and 18:12, where Abraham and Sarah laughed at God’s promise—unbelief confronting divine power.
- Luke 8:53 records the same scene, affirming the historical reality of the laughter.
- This unbelief highlights the contrast Jesus often met, as in Mark 6:3–6, where familiarity bred contempt and hindered faith.
- Jesus physically removed the scoffers, creating an atmosphere of faith. Matthew 9:25 confirms, “When the crowd had been put outside, He went in and took her by the hand,” showing deliberate separation.
- Exodus 33:7 pictures Moses pitching the tent “outside the camp” to meet God—removing distraction to encounter the divine.
- Mark records no dialogue with the crowd; authority over the scene is entirely His, underscoring His lordship and the necessity of faith (Hebrews 11:6).
- Jairus and his wife had pleaded for their daughter (Mark 5:22–23); Jesus now honors their personal involvement.
- Parental faith is consistently highlighted in Scripture: the Syrophoenician mother (Mark 7:24–30), the father of the epileptic boy (Mark 9:17–24), and the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:17–24).
- Their presence allows them to witness God’s answer to their plea, strengthening family faith for generations (Deuteronomy 6:6–7).
- Jesus brings Peter, James, and John—the same trio who will witness the Transfiguration (Mark 9:2) and Gethsemane (Mark 14:33).
- Deuteronomy 19:15 requires “two or three witnesses”; their presence provides credible testimony of the miracle.
- Their repeated inclusion nurtures leadership, preparing them to proclaim resurrection power in Acts 3:15 and 4:33.
- Jesus steps directly into the room of death, echoing Elijah in 1 Kings 17:19 and Elisha in 2 Kings 4:33–34, both of whom entered the chamber of a dead child.
- His approach is personal and intentional; John 11:43 shows the same pattern when He stands before Lazarus’s tomb.
- By entering, He affirms His compassion (Lamentations 3:22–23) and His authority over death (Revelation 1:18).
Mark 5:40 records real events: scoffing unbelief, decisive removal of doubters, invitation of faithful parents and trusted witnesses, and Jesus’ fearless entry to conquer death. The verse shows that faith welcomes Christ’s life-giving power, while unbelief is shut outside.
(40) They laughed him to scorn.--Here again the verb implies continuous action.Verse 40. - They laughed him to scorn. He suffered this, in order that the actual death might be the more manifest, and that so they might the more wonder at her resurrection, and thus pass from wonder and amazement to a true faith in him who thus showed himself to be the Resurrection and the Life. He now put them all forth; and then, with his three apostles, Peter, James, and John, and the father and the mother of the child, he went in where the child was. The common crowd were not worthy to see that in which they would not believe. They were unworthy to witness the great reality of the resurrection; for they had been deriding him who wields this power. It is remarked by Archbishop Trench that in the same manner Elisha (2 Kings 4:33) cleared the room before he raised the son of the Shunammite.