Mark 5:40 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

And they laughed him to scorn— The mourner, not of understanding Jesus, laughed him to scorn when they heard him say, the damsel is not dead; for having seen all the marks and proofs of death about her, they were absolutely certain that she was dead; and yet, if they had given themselves time to consider, they might have understood that he spake in this manner, to intimate that he was going to raise her from the dead; and the rather, as he had been sent for by her parents to heal her miraculously. But his words were ambiguous; and the mourners naturally enough took them in the wrong sense: thus, while Jesus predicted the miracle, to shew that it did not happen by accident, he delivered himself in such terms, as modestly to avoid the reputation which might have accrued to him from so stupendous a work. The dispositions expressed by the mourners rendered them not worthy to behold the miracle. Jesus therefore put them even out of the antechamber; or hemight have done this to be freed from the noise of their lamentation. After clearing the antechamber, he entered where the corpse was lying, accompanied by none but the disciples above-mentioned, and the father and mother of the damsel; they being, of all persons, the most proper witnesses of the miracle, which in reality suffered nothing by the absence of the rest; for as they were all sensible that the child was dead, they could not but be certain of the miracle, when they saw her alive again, though possibly they might not know to whom the honour of her resurrection was due. It seems Jesus was not solicitous of appropriating itto himself; probably also, they went in thus slenderly attended, that the witnesses might have an opportunity to examine the whole transaction narrowly, and so be able to report it afterwards, upon the fullest assurance, and with every circumstance of credibility. It deserves particular attention, with what perfect decorum our Lord conducted himself on this occasion, and how superior he appeared to any views of human applause. See Lardner's answer to Woolston, p. 89.