8:52 Luke does not explain who “all” these people were. They would certainly include relatives and friends, probably people from the neighborhood and professional mourners (including flute players, Matt. 9:23). Mourning was normally demonstrative, and there would have been much wailing. Jesus forbade it all and said that the girl was “sleeping.” This does not mean that she had not died, but that Jesus was prepared to waken her from death.