Luke 8:51
And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.
Original Language Analysis
εἰς
into
G1519
εἰς
into
Strong's:
G1519
Word #:
3 of 24
to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases
τὴν
G3588
τὴν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
4 of 24
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
οἰκίαν
the house
G3614
οἰκίαν
the house
Strong's:
G3614
Word #:
5 of 24
properly, residence (abstractly), but usually (concretely) an abode (literally or figuratively); by implication, a family (especially domestics)
ἀφῆκεν
he suffered
G863
ἀφῆκεν
he suffered
Strong's:
G863
Word #:
7 of 24
to send forth, in various applications (as follow)
οὐδένα
man
G3762
οὐδένα
man
Strong's:
G3762
Word #:
9 of 24
not even one (man, woman or thing), i.e., none, nobody, nothing
μὴ
G3361
μὴ
Strong's:
G3361
Word #:
11 of 24
(adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas g3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether
Πέτρον
Peter
G4074
Πέτρον
Peter
Strong's:
G4074
Word #:
12 of 24
a (piece of) rock (larger than g3037); as a name, petrus, an apostle
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
13 of 24
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
15 of 24
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
17 of 24
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
τὸν
G3588
τὸν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
18 of 24
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
πατέρα
the father
G3962
πατέρα
the father
Strong's:
G3962
Word #:
19 of 24
a "father" (literally or figuratively, near or more remote)
τῆς
G3588
τῆς
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
20 of 24
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
παιδὸς
of the maiden
G3816
παιδὸς
of the maiden
Strong's:
G3816
Word #:
21 of 24
a boy (as often beaten with impunity), or (by analogy), a girl, and (genitive case) a child; specially, a slave or servant (especially a minister to a
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
22 of 24
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
Cross References
Isaiah 42:2He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.Mark 14:33And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;Luke 9:28And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.
Historical Context
In first-century Jewish mourning customs, the entire community would gather at a death, with professional mourners (often women) hired to wail and play flutes. Jesus's restriction of the crowd to just five witnesses (the three disciples plus two parents) was highly unusual and would have been considered socially inappropriate, demonstrating his authority over social conventions when divine purposes required privacy.
Questions for Reflection
- Why might Jesus limit witnesses to his most powerful miracles—what spiritual principle about revelation and readiness does this illustrate?
- How do you respond when God works in 'private' ways that cannot be publicly validated or vindicated to skeptics?
- What might it mean for your spiritual formation that Jesus reveals different aspects of himself to different people at different times?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John (ἐλθὼν δὲ εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν οὐκ ἀφῆκεν εἰσελθεῖν τινα σὺν αὐτῷ εἰ μὴ Πέτρον καὶ Ἰωάννην καὶ Ἰάκωβον)—Jesus deliberately limits the witnesses to his 'inner circle,' the same three who will witness the Transfiguration (9:28) and Gethsemane agony (Mark 14:33). The verb aphiēmi (suffered, permitted) indicates Jesus's sovereign control over who observes this miracle.
This selective disclosure reveals Jesus's pedagogical wisdom—some revelations of divine power require spiritual maturity to properly interpret. And the father and the mother of the maiden—Luke's medical precision (he includes details about Jairus and his wife) reflects his attention to human dimensions of the narrative. The parents' inclusion ensures credible testimony to their daughter's actual death and subsequent resurrection.