Talitha Cumi

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

Talitha Cumi ( for Greek ταλιθὰ κούμι, which, in turn, is a transliteration of the Aram. Aramaic טְלִיחָאקוּמִי ‘Maiden, arise’).—The words occur in  Mark 5:41, and were uttered by our Saviour over the daughter of the Jewish ruler, Jairus. The Aram. Aramaic noun is טַלַי = ‘lamb.’ This has its emphatic form, masc. טַלְיְתִא, fem. טַלְיְתָא; or, according to the analogy of Edessene Aram. Aramaic preserved in the ̣̣̣Peshitta, טְלְיחָא. It is interesting to note that in Palestinian Aram. Aramaic the word טְלֵי passes from meaning ‘lamb’ to being a term of endearment for a ‘child.’ We thus reproduce the words of Jesus accurately, if we render them, ‘Lambkin, arise.’ In the Gr. of  Mark 5:41 the Aram. Aramaic words are translated τὸ κοράσιον, ἔγειρε. The ‘articular nominative’ is in NT used sixty times for the vocative case (Moulton, Gram. of NT Gr. p. 70). In  Luke 8:54 we have ἡ παῖς, ἔγειρε.

The Gr. codices אBC read κούμ for κούμι. The latter is more accurate for Galilaean Aramaic. The former is due to the fact that in some Aram. Aramaic dialects the final letter, though written, was not pronounced.

J. T. Marshall.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Talitha Cumi . The command addressed by our Lord to the daughter of Jairus (  Mark 5:41 ), and interpreted by the Evangelist, ‘Maiden, I say unto thee, arise.’ The relating of the actual (Aramaic) words used by Jesus is characteristic of St. Mark’s graphic narrative; cf.   Mark 7:11;   Mark 7:34;   Mark 14:36;   Mark 15:34 .

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

Perhaps the former of these words is Syrac and means young women; and the latter is Hebrew Cumic, arise. (See  Mark 5:41)

Morrish Bible Dictionary

Words in the Aramaic language, signifying 'Damsel, arise.'  Mark 5:41 . In the Syriac version the interpretation is omitted: the words themselves would be understood.

Smith's Bible Dictionary

Talitha Cumi. Two Syriac words,  Mark 5:41, signifying "Damsel, Arise".

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

Aramaic, "damsel, arise"; Christ's words to Jairus' daughter ( Mark 5:41). From Talah "a lamb."

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Mark 5:41 Mark 5:39Jairus

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Mark 5:41

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

( Ταλιθὰ Κοῦμι ; Aram. קוּמַי טְלַיתָא , Telitha Mimi), two Syriac words ( Mark 5:41) signifying "Damsel, arise." The word טליתא occurs in the Chald. paraphrase of  Proverbs 9:3, where it signifies A Girl; and Lightfoot (Horae Heb. Mark 5, 41) gives an instance of its use in the same sense by a rabbinical writer. Gesenius (Thesaur. p. 550) derives it from the Hebrew טלה , A Lamb. The word קומי is both Hebrew and Syriac (2 p. fem. imperative, Kal, and Peal), signifying Stand, Arise. As might be expected, the last clause of this verse, after Cumi, is not found in the Syriac version. Jerome (Ep. 57 ad Pammachium, Opp. 1, 308 [ed. Vallars]) records that Mark was blamed for a false translation on account of the insertion of the words "I say unto thee;" but Jerome points to this as an instance of the superiority of a free over a literal translation, inasmuch as the words inserted serve to show the emphasis of our Lord's manner in giving this command on his own personal authority.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ta - lē´tha kōō´mḗ ( ταλιθὰ κοῦμι , talithá koúmi ): Derived from the Aramaic טליתא קוּמי , ṭalyethā' ḳūmı̄ , "damsel, arise"), which in the New Testament manuscripts is transliterated variously (Westcott-Hort, Ταλειθὰ κούμ , Taleithá koúm , otherwise Ταλιθὰ κοῦμι , Talithá koúmi ). We have no data for determining how far Jesus employed the Aramaic language, but Mark (  Mark 5:41 ) notes its use in this tender incident, and there is strong probability that Aramaic was used normally, if not exclusively, by Christ. There is, however, no ground for attributing any magical significance to the use of the Aramaic words in connection with this miracle.