(41-56) And, behold, there came a man named Jairus.--See Notes on Matthew 9:18-26, and Mark 5:21-43. St. Luke's narrative agrees with St. Mark's more closely than with St. Matthew's.
Verse 41. - And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. The public request, made too with intense earnestness, of one holding such a position, is a clear proof that the Galilee enthusiasm for Jesus was by no means confined to the poorer part of the population, or even to the more careless and thoughtless; such a man as Jairus is a fair representative of the well-to-do, perhaps wealthy, orthodox Jew; strict and rigid in his ritual observances, and held in high honour by his fellow Jewish citizens. The name is only a form of the Hebrew Jair (Judges 10:3).
8:41-56 Let us not complain of a crowd, and a throng, and a hurry, as long as we are in the way of our duty, and doing good; but otherwise every wise man will keep himself out of it as much as he can. And many a poor soul is healed, and helped, and saved by Christ, that is hidden in a crowd, and nobody notices it. This woman came trembling, yet her faith saved her. There may be trembling, where yet there is saving faith. Observe Christ's comfortable words to Jairus, Fear not, believe only, and thy daughter shall be made whole. No less hard was it not to grieve for the loss of an only child, than not to fear the continuance of that grief. But in perfect faith there is no fear; the more we fear, the less we believe. The hand of Christ's grace goes with the calls of his word, to make them effectual. Christ commanded to give her meat. As babes new born, so those newly raised from sin, desire spiritual food, that they may grow thereby.
And behold, there came a man named Jairus,.... See Gill on Mark 5:22.
and he was a ruler of the synagogue; at Capernaum; and it was the more remarkable, that such an one should come to Christ, and express any regard to his person, or faith in his power, and therefore a "behold" is prefixed to this account; See Gill on Matthew 9:18.
And he fell down at Jesus' feet; showing great reverence and humility, and as Matthew says, "worshipped him"; if not in a religious, yet in a civil way:
and besought him that he would come into his house; which was at some distance from thence, as appears by what follows.
and he was a ruler of the synagogue; at Capernaum; and it was the more remarkable, that such an one should come to Christ, and express any regard to his person, or faith in his power, and therefore a "behold" is prefixed to this account; See Gill on Matthew 9:18.
And he fell down at Jesus' feet; showing great reverence and humility, and as Matthew says, "worshipped him"; if not in a religious, yet in a civil way:
and besought him that he would come into his house; which was at some distance from thence, as appears by what follows.