She was twelve years old: on γάρ and Mark 5:42

Abstract

Abstract Many scholars have grappled with the precise meaning of Mark 5:42. The main problem lies in the interpretation of γάρ, which is usually considered causal in nature. This paper proposes a departure from this outdated view and suggests a procedural reading of γάρ. In this sense, it does not mark a semantic relationship between the two clauses, but a communicative one - it indicates that the clause to which it belongs is communicatively subsidiary to the previous one.