Luke 8:55 kjv
And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.
Luke 8:55 nkjv
Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat.
Luke 8:55 niv
Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat.
Luke 8:55 esv
And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat.
Luke 8:55 nlt
And at that moment her life returned, and she immediately stood up! Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat.
Luke 8 55 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Resurrection Power of Jesus | ||
| Lk 7:14-15 | "Then He came and touched the open coffin... he who was dead sat up..." | Jesus' power over death seen in the raising of the widow's son. |
| Jn 11:43-44 | "...Lazarus, come forth! And he who had died came out..." | Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, demonstrating His ultimate authority over life. |
| Mk 5:41-42 | "...Talitha, cumi!"... the girl arose and walked." | Parallel account of Jairus' daughter's raising, emphasizing immediate rising. |
| Matt 9:25 | "...He took her by the hand, and the girl arose." | Parallel account showing Jesus' touch and the immediate effect. |
| Jn 5:21 | "For as the Father raises the dead... so the Son also gives life..." | Jesus possesses the same life-giving power as the Father. |
| Jn 6:39 | "...that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up..." | Jesus' promise to raise up those given to Him on the last day. |
| Rom 4:17 | "...God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being things..." | God's attribute of giving life to the dead, fulfilled in Christ. |
| Heb 11:19 | "...God was able to raise him up, even from the dead..." | Biblical precedent of God's power to restore life, through faith. |
| Acts 9:40-41 | "...Peter... said, Tabitha, arise! And she opened her eyes..." | Peter's similar miracle of raising Tabitha, showing apostolic power. |
| Acts 20:9-12 | "...Paul... said, Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him." | Paul raising Eutychus from apparent death after he fell from a window. |
| Spirit and Life | ||
| Jas 2:26 | "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works..." | Highlights the definition of death as the spirit departing the body. |
| Eccl 12:7 | "Then the dust will return to the earth... and the spirit will return to God..." | The natural course of the spirit's return to God upon death. |
| Gen 2:7 | "And the Lord God formed man... and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life..." | The original impartation of life by God through breath/spirit. |
| 1 Kgs 17:21-22 | "...the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived." | Elijah praying for the widow's son, whose spirit returned, a parallel OT miracle. |
| Jesus' Humanity and Care | ||
| Lk 24:41-43 | "And while they still did not believe... He said, Have you any food here?" | Jesus eating after His own resurrection to prove His bodily reality. |
| Matt 25:35 | "For I was hungry and you gave Me food..." | Jesus' teaching on caring for the hungry, reflecting divine compassion. |
| Lk 9:16 | "...He blessed them and broke them and gave them to the disciples..." | Jesus' miraculous provision of food for the multitudes. |
| Phil 4:19 | "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches..." | God's provision for every need. |
| Immediacy and Proof | ||
| Mk 1:31 | "...immediately the fever left her. And she served them." | Jesus' healing often instantaneous and demonstrable. |
| Acts 3:7-8 | "...his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up..." | Immediate physical transformation confirming the miracle. |
| Faith and Belief | ||
| Lk 8:50 | "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well." | Jesus' command to Jairus preceding the miracle, highlighting the necessity of faith. |
| Heb 11:6 | "But without faith it is impossible to please Him..." | The foundational importance of faith in approaching God for miracles. |
Luke 8 verses
Luke 8 55 Meaning
Luke 8:55 recounts the miraculous restoration of life to Jairus' daughter by Jesus Christ. It states that the girl's spirit returned to her body, resulting in her immediate resurrection. Following this extraordinary act of divine power, Jesus demonstrated His practical care and attention to human needs by commanding that the now living child be given food, confirming the reality of her physical return to life and addressing her basic hunger.
Luke 8 55 Context
Luke 8:55 occurs at the culmination of the account of Jesus raising Jairus' daughter from the dead, one of Jesus' most striking miracles demonstrating His divine authority over life and death. The narrative begins with Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, urgently pleading with Jesus to heal his dying twelve-year-old daughter. While en route, Jesus is interrupted by the woman with the issue of blood, who is also miraculously healed by touching His garment. It is immediately after this diversion that news arrives that Jairus' daughter has died. Despite the sorrowful report and the laments of the mourners, Jesus reassures Jairus with the crucial words, "Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well" (Lk 8:50). Jesus enters the house accompanied only by Peter, James, John, and the girl's parents. Inside, He confronts the wailing mourners, declaring that the child is not dead but sleeping, which earns Him ridicule. Taking the girl by the hand, Jesus speaks a direct command, and Luke 8:55 describes the immediate and tangible outcome of that divine pronouncement. This miracle served not only as a profound display of Jesus' power but also as a powerful affirmation to Jairus' faith and a refutation of the finality of death in the face of God's life-giving power.
Luke 8 55 Word analysis
- And her spirit: The Greek word is kai to pneuma autēs (καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτῆς). Pneuma refers to the animating life force or breath. Its departure signified death.
- came again: epestrepsen palin (ἐπέστρεψεν πάλιν). Epestrepsen means "returned" or "turned back," indicating a reversal of what had occurred, explicitly stating that the spirit had departed and now re-entered the body. Palin means "again," reinforcing the concept of re-entry.
- and she arose: kai anestē (καὶ ἀνέστη). Anestē means "she stood up" or "she arose." This signifies a physical and active rising, confirming a full bodily restoration to life, not just a mental awakening.
- straightway: parachrēma (παραχρῆμα). This adverb means "immediately" or "at once." It highlights the instantaneous nature of the miracle, leaving no room for doubt about its divine origin or the speed of its execution.
- and he commanded: kai dietaxato (καὶ διετάξατο). Dietaxato signifies "he ordered," "he gave instructions," or "he commanded." It demonstrates Jesus' authority not only to bring life but also to care for its practical needs, underscoring His sovereignty.
- to give her meat: autē dothēnai brōma (αὐτῇ δοθῆναι βρῶμα). Brōma (βρῶμα) means "food" or "eatables." This pragmatic instruction emphasizes the genuine, physical reality of the girl's resurrection. It confirms she was truly alive and possessed normal human needs, distinguishing her state from a mere spiritual revival or hallucination. Jesus' command demonstrates compassion and a thorough concern for human well-being, even after performing a spectacular miracle.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- And her spirit came again: This phrase directly describes the reversal of death. The departure of the pneuma marks death (Jas 2:26; Eccl 12:7); its return signifies a full restoration of life. It explicitly states the mechanism of resurrection as the re-entry of the life force, highlighting Jesus' control over life itself.
- and she arose straightway: This emphasizes the immediate, active, and demonstrable nature of the miracle. The girl did not slowly recover; she stood up at once, proving the totality and power of Jesus' command. This immediacy leaves no room for medical intervention or gradual recovery.
- and he commanded to give her meat: This command shows Jesus' practical, compassionate care for the revived child. Beyond the spectacular miracle, Jesus ensured her basic human need for sustenance was met. It provided concrete evidence of her being truly, physically alive and healthy, rather than a spiritual manifestation, phantom, or mere resuscitation. It is a humble, down-to-earth instruction following a cosmic act of power, revealing the depth of Jesus' holistic concern for individuals.
Luke 8 55 Bonus section
The miracle of raising Jairus' daughter (who was 12 years old) alongside the healing of the woman suffering for 12 years from an issue of blood, creates an intentional narrative parallelism. This emphasizes Jesus' ability to restore life and wholeness regardless of the duration or perceived finality of suffering. The choice of specific witnesses (Peter, James, and John) to this private resurrection points to their developing understanding of Jesus' unique power, preparing them for future divine revelations. Furthermore, Jesus' instruction in the next verse (Lk 8:56) for the parents to tell no one highlights His often-observed desire to control the spread of His fame, avoiding misinterpretations of His mission as merely a miracle worker and prioritizing quiet faith over sensationalism. This miracle is the second of three recorded instances in the Gospels where Jesus raises someone from the dead, each showing an escalating degree of death (recently deceased girl, a widow's son being carried out for burial, and Lazarus dead for four days), culminating in the most definitive victory over death itself.
Luke 8 55 Commentary
Luke 8:55 is a potent demonstration of Jesus Christ's ultimate dominion over life and death. The returning "spirit" clearly indicates that the child was truly dead, making her resurrection a unique display of divine power. The immediacy of her arising underscores the absolute nature of Jesus' authority; there was no recovery period, just instant restoration. Following this astonishing miracle, Jesus' command to "give her meat" (food) reveals His profound and practical compassion. It grounds the supernatural event in a physical reality, confirming the girl was genuinely alive, experiencing hunger, and no longer a mere spirit. This seemingly mundane instruction after such a cosmic act beautifully portrays Jesus' holistic care: He is not just a performer of wonders, but a shepherd who attends to the full spectrum of human needs, from eternal salvation to daily sustenance. This moment also validates the faith of Jairus and provides tangible evidence to the small circle of witnesses about Jesus' divine identity and mission.