9:18-19 This incident evidently happened shortly after Jesus and His disciples returned from Gadara on the east side of the lake (cf. Mark 5:21-22; Luke 8:40-41). The name of this Capernium synagogue ruler was Jairus (Mark 5:22). He was a Jew who enjoyed considerable prestige in his community. It is noteworthy that someone of his standing was believing in Jesus. This ruler humbly knelt before Jesus with a request (cf. 2:2; 8:2). According to Matthew he announced that his daughter had just died. Mark and Luke have him saying that she was near death. Since she died before Jesus reached her Matthew evidently condensed the story to present at the outset what was really true before Jesus reached his house.415
The ruler had probably seen or heard of Jesus' acts of healing with a touch (e.g., 8:2, 15). However, his faith was not as strong as the centurion's who believed that Jesus could heal with a word (8:5-13). Jesus arose from reclining at the table and proceeded to follow the ruler to his house.416
9:20-21 A hemorrhage is an uncontrolled bleeding. This woman had suffered with one somewhere in her body for 12 years. Many commentators assume it had some connection with her reproductive system. In any case bleeding rendered a Jewish person ritually unclean. She should have kept away from other people and not touched them since by doing so she made them unclean. However hope of healing led her to push her way through the crowd so that she might touch Jesus. She apparently believed that since Jesus' touch healed people if she touched Him she would get the same result. The fringe of Jesus' cloak (v. 20) was probably one of the four tassels that the Jews wore on the four corners of their cloaks to remind them to obey God's commands (Num. 15:37-41; Deut. 22:12; cf. Matt. 23:5).
9:22 Jesus encouraged the woman and commended her faith (i.e., her trust in Him). It was her faith that was significant. Her touching Jesus' garment simply expressed her faith. Faith in Jesus is one of the themes Matthew stressed in his Gospel.
The Greek word translated "made you well"or "healed you"is sozo, which the translators often rendered as "save."The context here clarifies that Jesus was talking about the woman's faith resulting in her physical deliverance, not in her eternal salvation. Salvation is a broad concept in the Old and New Testaments. The context determines what aspect of deliverance is in view in every use of the verb sozoand the noun soteria, "salvation."417
Why did Matthew include this miracle within the account of the healing of Jairus' daughter? I suspect the answer is the common theme of life. The woman's life was gradually ebbing away. Her hemorrhage symbolized this since blood represents life (cf. Lev. 17:11). Jesus stopped her dying and restored her life. In the case of Jairus' daughter, who was already dead, Jesus restored her to life. Both incidents show His power over death.
9:23-26 Perhaps Matthew of all the Gospel writers who recorded this incident mentioned the flute players because he wanted to stress Jesus' complete reversal of this situation. Even the poorest Jews hired flute players to play at funerals.418Their funerals were also occasions of almost unrestrained wailing and despair, which verse 23 reflects.
The crowd ridiculed Jesus by laughing at His statement (v. 24). They thought He was both wrong and late in arriving, too late. They apparently thought He was trying to cover up His mistake and would soon make a fool of Himself by exposing His only limited healing power. "Sleep"is a common biblical euphemism for death (Dan. 12:2; John 11:11; Acts 7:60; 1 Cor. 15:6, 18; 1 Thess. 4:13-15; 2 Pet. 3:4).
Jesus touched another unclean person. His touch rather than defiling Him restored life to the girl. Other prophets and apostles also raised the dead (1 Kings 17:17-24; 2 Kings 4:17-37; Acts 9:36-42). However, Jesus claimed to be more than a prophet. This miracle showed He had supernatural power over man's last enemy, death. The Old Testament prophets predicted that Messiah would restore life (Isa. 65:17-20; Dan. 12:2).
"The raising of the dead to life is a basic symbolism of the gospel (e.g., Rom 4:17; Eph 2:1, 5; Col 2:13). What Jesus did for the dead girl he has done for all in the Church who have experienced new life. There is too, beyond this life, the Church's confidence that Jesus will literally raise the dead (cf. 1 Thess 4:16; 1 Cor 15:22-23)."419
Matthew recorded that everyone heard about this incident (v. 26). Consequently many people faced the choice of believing that Jesus was the Messiah or rejecting Him.
Jesus' power to bring life where there was death stands out in this double instance of restoration, two witnesses for the benefit of Jewish readers.
