Ado
The Word in Mark 5:39
The word "ado" appears in the King James Version of Mark 5:39, where Jesus enters the home of Jairus, whose daughter has just died. Finding the household in an uproar of mourning, Jesus asks, "Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth." Modern translations render the Greek word as "commotion" (ESV, NASB), "tumult" (RSV), or "noise" (NKJV). The underlying Greek verb describes a noisy disturbance or uproar, the loud wailing that accompanied death in the ancient world.
The Scene at Jairus's House
The context of the ado is one of the most dramatic healing narratives in the Gospels. Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, had fallen at Jesus's feet begging him to come heal his dying daughter (Mark 5:22-23). While they were still on the way, messengers arrived with the news that the girl had died. Jesus told Jairus, "Do not fear, only believe" (Mark 5:36). When they arrived at the house, they found it filled with professional mourners and family members weeping and wailing loudly (Mark 5:38).
Ancient Mourning Customs
The ado Jesus encountered was not an unusual reaction but the expected cultural response to death. In the ancient Near East, mourning for the dead was public, loud, and communal. Professional mourners were often hired to amplify the grief with wailing, tearing of clothes, and playing mournful music. Matthew's parallel account specifically mentions flute players among the commotion (Matthew 9:23). The louder and more elaborate the mourning, the greater the honor shown to the deceased. This cultural backdrop makes Jesus's response all the more striking.
Jesus's Authority Over Death
Jesus's question: "Why make ye this ado?", was not a criticism of grief itself but a challenge to the assumption that death had the final word. His declaration that the girl was "not dead, but sleeping" drew ridicule from the mourners (Mark 5:40), who knew perfectly well that she had died. But Jesus's words redefined reality. Death, in the presence of the one who is "the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25), is no more permanent than sleep. Taking the girl by the hand, he said, "Little girl, I say to you, arise," and she immediately got up and walked (Mark 5:41-42).
The Turning of Ado to Astonishment
The commotion of grief was instantly transformed into astonishment. The mourners who had laughed at Jesus were now witnesses to a miracle that overturned everything they thought they knew about death. Mark records that they were "immediately overcome with amazement" (Mark 5:42). The ado, the noise, the tumult, the chaos of hopeless mourning, gave way to stunned wonder. This transformation from despair to amazement is characteristic of encounters with Jesus throughout the Gospels.
The Deeper Lesson
The word "ado" may be archaic, but the reality it describes remains timeless. In the face of death, human responses range from noisy grief to quiet despair. Jesus enters these moments of ado not to dismiss genuine sorrow but to announce that death is not the end. His raising of Jairus's daughter, like the raising of the widow's son at Nain (Luke 7:11-17) and of Lazarus (John 11:38-44), prefigures his own resurrection and the ultimate victory over death that the gospel proclaims.
Biblical Context
"Ado" appears only in the KJV of Mark 5:39, within the narrative of Jesus raising Jairus's daughter. Parallel accounts are found in Matthew 9:23-26 and Luke 8:49-56. The Greek verb behind 'ado' also appears in Acts 17:5 (the uproar at Thessalonica) and Acts 20:10 (Paul calming the crowd after Eutychus's fall).
Theological Significance
Jesus's response to the ado at Jairus's house reveals his sovereign authority over death. By calling death 'sleep,' he was not denying its reality but redefining it in light of his power. For those who trust in Christ, death is temporary, a sleep from which they will be awakened. This teaching anticipates Paul's language about believers who have 'fallen asleep' (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14) and the hope of bodily resurrection.
Historical Background
Mourning customs in first-century Palestine were elaborate and codified. The Mishnah (Ketubbot 4:4) states that even the poorest husband was required to provide at least two flute players and one wailing woman for his wife's funeral. Wealthy families would employ many more. Archaeological evidence, including tomb paintings and literary descriptions from both Jewish and Greco-Roman sources, confirms the public, communal nature of mourning rituals. The loud commotion Jesus encountered at Jairus's house was standard practice, not an exceptional display.