The Meaning of Mark 5:40 Explained

Mark 5:40

KJV: And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.

YLT: and they were laughing at him. And he, having put all forth, doth take the father of the child, and the mother, and those with him, and goeth in where the child is lying,

Darby: And they derided him. But he, having put them all out, takes with him the father of the child, and the mother, and those that were with him, and enters in where the child was lying.

ASV: And they laughed him to scorn. But he, having put them all forth, taketh the father of the child and her mother and them that were with him, and goeth in where the child was.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  they laughed  him  to scorn.  But  when he had put  them all  out,  he taketh  the father  and  the mother  of the damsel,  and  them that were with  him,  and  entereth in  where  the damsel  was  lying. 

What does Mark 5:40 Mean?

Context Summary

Mark 5:21-43 - Hope For The Hopeless
We turn from the demon-driven man to this woman, weakened by long disease. For the one there was the outward manifestation of evil, but for the other inward wasting and decay. Let those who are conscious of the ravages of evil in their hearts, destroying their strength, establish connection with Christ as slight as the finger's touch of the garment hem, and forthwith His virtue will enter and stay their inward malady. His power is ever going forth, and faith receives as much as it desires. The reservoir of power is always full, but how few, how very few, have learned the secret of tapping it!
Crowds throng Him, but only one touches. Proximity to Christ does not necessarily imply the appropriation of Christ. But where there is the faintest touch of faith, there is an instantaneous, may we not say, automatic, response. There may be great weakness, the fingers may be too nerveless to grasp, they can only touch; but the slightest degree of faith saves, because it is the channel by which Christ enters, Mark 5:34. Even children are liable to the havoc caused by sin, Mark 5:35-43. Death has passed on all, and from the universal blight even the little ones cannot find immunity. But again we turn to the Master of life, whose touch is as gentle as a woman's and whose voice can penetrate the recesses of the unseen. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 5

1  Jesus delivering the possessed of the legion of demons,
13  they enter into the pigs
22  He is entreated by Jairus to go and heal his daughter
25  He heals the woman subject to bleeding,
35  and raises Jairus' daughter from death

Greek Commentary for Mark 5:40

And they laughed him to scorn [και κατεγελων]
“They jeered at him” (Weymouth). Note imperfect tense. They kept it up. And note also κατ — kaṫ (perfective use). Exactly the same words in Matthew 9:24 and Luke 8:53. The loud laughter was ill suited to the solemn occasion. But Jesus on his part (αυτος δε — autos de) took charge of the situation. [source]
Taketh the father of the child and her mother and them that were with him [παραλαμβανει τον πατερα του παιδιου και την μητερα και τους μετ αυτου]
Having put out He had to use pressure to make the hired mourners leave. The presence of some people will ruin the atmosphere for spiritual work. [source]
Put them out []
“Wonderful authority in the house of a stranger. He was really master of the house” (Bengel). Only Mark relates the taking of the parents with the three disciples into the chamber. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 5:40

Acts 9:40 Put them all forth [ekbalōn exō pantas)]
Second aorist (effective) active participle of ekball a rather strong word, perhaps with some difficulty. Cf. Mark 5:40 which incident Peter may have recalled. The words are not genuine in Luke 8:54. Peter‘s praying alone reminds one of Elijah (1 Kings 17:20) and the widow‘s son and Elisha for the Shunammite‘s son (2 Kings 4:33). [source]
James 4:9 Mourn [πεντησατε]
First aorist active imperative of πεντεω — pentheō old verb from πεντος — penthos (mourning, James 4:9), as in Matthew 5:4. Often in N.T. joined as here with κλαιω — klaiō to weep (Mark 16:10; Luke 6:25). A call to the godly sorrow spoken of in 2 Corinthians 7:10 (Mayor), like an O.T. prophet.Weep (κλαυσατε — klausate). First aorist active imperative of κλαιω — klaiō (γελως — gelōs). Old word from Homer down, only here in N.T. as γελαω — gelaō to laugh (opposite of κλαιω — klaiō), in N.T. only in Luke 6:21, Luke 6:25, but καταγελαω — katagelaō in Luke 8:53 (Mark 5:40; Matthew 9:24).Be turned Second aorist passive imperative of μετατρεπω — metatrepō old word, to turn about, to transmute, in Homer (not in Attic), here only in N.T.Heaviness (κατηπειαν — katēpheian). Old word from κατηπης — katēphēs (of a downcast look, from κατα — kata παη — phaē eyes), hanging down of the eyes like the publican in Luke 18:13, here only in N.T. [source]
James 4:9 Weep [κλαυσατε]
First aorist active imperative of κλαιω — klaiō Old word from Homer down, only here in N.T. as γελαω — gelaō to laugh (opposite of κλαιω — klaiō), in N.T. only in Luke 6:21, Luke 6:25, but καταγελαω — katagelaō in Luke 8:53 (Mark 5:40; Matthew 9:24). [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 5:40 mean?

And they were laughing at Him He then having put out all takes with [Him] the father of the child the mother those with enters in where was the child
καὶ κατεγέλων αὐτοῦ Αὐτὸς δὲ ἐκβαλὼν πάντας παραλαμβάνει τὸν πατέρα τοῦ παιδίου τὴν μητέρα τοὺς μετ’ εἰσπορεύεται ὅπου ἦν τὸ παιδίον

κατεγέλων  they  were  laughing  at 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: καταγελάω  
Sense: to deride.
ἐκβαλὼν  having  put  out 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἐκβάλλω  
Sense: to cast out, drive out, to send out.
παραλαμβάνει  takes  with  [Him] 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: παραλαμβάνω  
Sense: to take to, to take with one’s self, to join to one’s self.
πατέρα  father 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: προπάτωρ 
Sense: generator or male ancestor.
τοῦ  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
παιδίου  child 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: παιδίον  
Sense: a young child, a little boy, a little girl.
μητέρα  mother 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: μήτηρ  
Sense: a mother.
τοὺς  those 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
εἰσπορεύεται  enters  in 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰσπορεύομαι  
Sense: to go into, enter.
ὅπου  where 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ὅπου  
Sense: where, whereas.
παιδίον  child 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: παιδίον  
Sense: a young child, a little boy, a little girl.