Tilitha Koum (Mark 5:41)
In their Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke included accounts of Jesus’ raising Jairus’s daughter from the dead. In Matthew, we have no report of Jesus saying anything to the girl: He “went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up” (9:25). Luke wrote that “He took her by the hand and called out, ‘Child, get up!’ Her spirit returned, and she got up at once” (8:54-55). According to Mark, “He took the child by the hand and said to her, “Tilitha koum!” (which is translated, ‘Little girl, I say to you, get up!’). Immediately the girl got up and began to walk. (She was 12 years old.) At this they [the girl’s parents] were utterly astounded” (Mark 5:41-42).
Tilitha means “little girl” and koum means “arise” or “get up.” Thus, this was a clear command coming directly from the Lord. Mark let us know as well that Jesus added, “I say to you.” This is important because it emphasizes Jesus’ absolute authority over life and death. Tilitha koum is an Aramaic phrase. Aramaic was a Semitic language similar to Hebrew. Galileans like Jesus typically spoke two languages—Aramaic, which they grew up speaking, and Greek, the “common denominator” language of the Greco-Roman world. Jesus probably spoke Hebrew as well.
The vast majority of the New Testament was written in Koine Greek, or common Greek. However, several Aramaic terms appear in the New Testament in various places. Tilitha koum is one of them. Abba, an intimate name for father, is another (see Mark 14:36; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6). Yet a third is Elí, Elí, lemá sabachtháni, which means “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34). Ephphatha (“be opened”; Mark 7:34) and Maranatha (“our Lord will come”; 1 Cor. 16:22) also can be added to the list.
The presence of Aramaic terms in the New Testament validates its historicity and authenticity. The people about whom we read in the New Testament were real people who lived in 1st century Palestine, a place where more than one language was used. It is not surprising at all that the New Testament would reflect this reality.
