The Bible Difficulties and Answers Podcast

Tuesday Contradictions: Matthew 9:18 – Jairus' Daughter: Dead or Dying? Unpacking the Gospel Accounts

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Episode 170 examines whether Jairus’ daughter was dead or dying when he approached Jesus by comparing Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The hosts walk through the timeline, note Matthew’s summary style versus Mark and Luke’s sequence, and include scholar perspectives and humor.

The conclusion: Mark and Luke show she was dying when Jairus reached Jesus and died en route, while Matthew compresses the account; the episode highlights faith as the central theme of the story.

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  1. Skeptics Annotated Bible: https://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/contra/Jairus_daughter.html  
  2. Gangel, Kenneth O. (2000). Holman New Testament Commentary: Matthew. Digital Commons @ Liberty University. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1233&context=second_person 
  3. Blomberg, Craig L. (1992). Matthew: The New American Commentary. Cited in Answers in Genesis.
  4. Seibt, Jim. (2024). Jairus’s Daughter in Three Gospels: Do the Differences Destroy the Truth of the Stories? https://drjimsebt.com/2024/03/04/jairuss-daughter-in-three-gospels-do-the-differences-destroy-the-truth-of-the-stories/ 
  5. Vridar. (2011). Why Matthew Changed the Way Mark Wrote About Jairus’ Daughter and the Hemorrhaging Woman. https://vridar.org/2011/07/17/why-matthew-changed-the-way-mark-wrote-about-jairus-daughter-and-the-hemorrhaging-woman/ 
  6. Lowery, David K. (2000). Raising Jairus’ Daughter. Bible.org. https://bible.org/seriespage/18-raising-jairus-daughter 
  7. Veritas Domain. (2016). Bible Contradiction? Was Jairus’ Daughter Alive When Jesus Was Approached? https://veritasdomain.wordpress.com/2016/06/07/bible-contradiction-was-jairus-daughter-alive-when-jesus-was-approached/ 
  8. IsJesusAlive.com. (2020). A Look at an Alleged Contradiction in the Gospels: Was Jairus’ Daughter Alive When Jesus Was Approached or Was She Already Dead? https://isjesusalive.com/a-look-at-an-alleged-contradiction-in-the-gospels-was-jairus-daughter-alive-when-jesus-was-approached-or-was-she-already-dead/ 
  9. BibleHub. Was Jairus’ Daughter Dead or Alive? https://biblehub.com/q/was_jairus'_daughter_dead_or_alive.htm 
  10. Answers in Genesis. Was Jairus’ Daughter Dead? https://answersingenesis.org/contradictions-in-the-bible/was-jairus-daughter-dead/ 
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