5:41a

Taking her by the hand: Some languages may express this idea in different ways. For example:

He grasped the girl’s hand
-or-
He took her hand (Some languages would say literally “he handed her.”)

Be alert for natural ways to express this statement in your language.

5:41b

“Talitha koum!” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”: The words Talitha koum are not Greek words. They are probably from the language that Jesus and the little girl spoke as their mother tongue. For some reason Mark transliterated these words. It is recommended that you also transliterate them. (See the next note.) You may want to say that Jesus spoke to her “in his/their own language.”

Talitha koum: Spell these words so that they can be pronounced in your language. Different English versions spell them in slightly different ways because there are some differences of spelling in Greek manuscripts.

which means: The words which means introduce the translation (meaning) of the words “talitha koum.” Use a natural way in your language to introduce the translation of something in another language. Here are some other English examples:

“Talitha, koum!” (This means, “Young girl…”) (New Century Version)
-or-
“Talitha, koum!” Translated in our language that would be, “Young girl…”
-or-
“Talitha, koum!” This means in our language, “Young girl…”

Little girl: Jesus used an affectionate term of address in his language to address the little girl. “Talitha” means “lamb” or “young one (feminine).” The Greek word that is given as the translation of this means “little lady” or “little girl.” Use a word in your language that is appropriate for a twelve-year-old girl.

I say to you: Mark included this phrase in the Greek translation of what Jesus said. However it is only implied by the words “Talitha koum!” which literally mean “lamb/youth, arise!” Some English versions do not translate the phrase I say to you explicitly, because it is already implied that Jesus was speaking to the girl (New Revised Standard Version). You may also choose to follow this example if it would be more natural in your language.

get up!: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as get up can mean:

(a) stand up from a lying or sitting position,

(b) wake up from sleep,

(c) live again after being dead.

All these meanings are appropriate in this context. However it is recommended that you translate meaning (a) “stand up.” This would also imply meaning (c), since a dead person cannot stand up. If you have a word that can be used for meaning (a), (c), and (b), it would be the best choice here. The English word “rise” is a good example of a word that can be used for all three meanings.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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