Luke 8:43-44
And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Luke, himself a physician, omits the detail that physicians made her worse, choosing instead to simply state their complete inability to help. This subtle omission highlights her desperate situation, not just that doctors failed, but that they were utterly useless, leaving her with nothing but her illness and her spent fortune.
As Jesus is welcomed back by an eager crowd, a desperate woman, who has suffered for twelve years with a chronic illness and exhausted all her resources on doctors, pushes through the throng seeking healing. This encounter happens amidst Jesus' journey to heal Jairus' daughter, a situation of high urgency and public attention.
Twelve years. Imagine that kind of chronic suffering, but also imagine the financial burden it creates. This woman wasn't just sick; she was broke.
Luke highlights the immense cost of this woman's illness. She 'had spent all her living on physicians.' This wasn't just a few doctor's visits; it was her entire financial world. The ancient world had no insurance or universal healthcare. Her resources were completely depleted by trying to find a cure through human means.
This detail paints a picture of her deep desperation. She was willing to sacrifice everything she had, every last penny, in her search for relief. It shows a society where medical knowledge, while sought after, often came at a tremendous personal cost, with no guarantee of success.
As a physician himself, Luke recorded this story. What does his unique perspective add, and what might he have intentionally omitted?
Luke, known for his medical background, presents this woman's story with a nuanced touch. While Mark's Gospel states she 'rather grew worse' under the physicians' care, Luke omits this detail. This isn't necessarily an error, but possibly a deliberate choice reflecting professional empathy.
Luke focuses on the ultimate outcome—her inability to be healed by any physician. By not including the detail about her condition worsening, he might have softened the critique of the medical profession, allowing the focus to remain squarely on Jesus as the only true healer, rather than on shaming the doctors of that era.
Beyond the physical and financial, consider the social and spiritual isolation this condition likely imposed. Yet, in her despair, she found a radical hope.
Under Levitical law, a continuous issue of blood rendered a woman ceremonially unclean (Leviticus 15:25-27). This meant she would have been isolated from society, unable to participate in public worship or intimate relationships. Her condition wasn't just a health problem; it was a social and spiritual barrier, separating her from her community and, seemingly, from God.
Understand the original words
rhysis haimatos · Greek Noun
A physical flow of blood. Under the Mosaic Law (Leviticus 15), such a condition rendered a person ceremonially unclean, creating social and religious isolation.
therapeuō · Greek Verb
The restoration of physical, emotional, or spiritual wholeness. In the New Testament, it is often tied to the power of God manifested through Jesus' ministry, symbolizing total salvation (sōtēria).
kraspedon · Greek Noun
The tassels or "tassels" (tzitzit) attached to the corners of a Jewish garment (tallit), as commanded in Numbers 15:38, serving as a reminder of God's commandments.
himation · Greek Noun
An outer garment or cloak. In the biblical context, it often represents the wearer's identity, authority, or, in the case of Jesus, the extension of his healing presence.
The woman's desperate situation highlights the limitations of both ancient medicine and the social isolation imposed by the Levitical Law, making Jesus' ability to heal and restore her profoundly significant.
c. 1st century AD
Jewish Medical Practices
Medical practices in the 1st century were often a blend of observation, herbal remedies, and what we might consider superstition. Physicians were consulted, but their effectiveness was limited and treatments could be expensive.
c. 1st century AD
Levitical Law and Purity
Jewish law, particularly in Leviticus, defined numerous conditions that rendered individuals ritually unclean, including bodily discharges. This meant exclusion from public life and worship.
c. AD 27-30— this verse
Jesus' Ministry in Galilee
Jesus traveled throughout Galilee, teaching, healing, and gathering a following. His fame spread rapidly, drawing crowds wherever he went.
c. AD 27-30
Crowds Following Jesus
Jesus' ministry attracted large crowds of people seeking healing, teaching, and spiritual encounters. These gatherings were often dense and energetic.
This passage in Mark describes the same woman and her condition, adding that she grew worse under medical care, highlighting the desperation and futility of her prior attempts at healing.
Matthew 9:20Matthew also recounts this event, emphasizing the woman's faith in touching Jesus' garment, which was the catalyst for her healing, mirroring the theme of faith's power.
Leviticus 15:25This Old Testament passage details the laws concerning issues of blood, explaining that such a condition made a woman ceremonially unclean. This provides crucial context for why she felt she had to approach Jesus secretly and why her healing was so significant.
Acts 19:12This passage shows a parallel where handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul had healing power, demonstrating how God used even the physical presence and touch of His servants to bring about miraculous healing.
gillLuke 8:43: "And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,"
And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years,.... The Persic version reads, "there was a woman in that city", &c. in the city of Capernaum; See Gill on Matthew 9:20 . Which had spent all her living upon physicians; she had applied to one physician and another, and had consumed all her substance in this way: neither could be healed of any; though sh…
ellicottLuke 8:43: "And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,"
(43) Neither could be healed of any. —It is, perhaps, worth noting that while St. Luke records the failure of the physicians to heal the woman, he does not add, as St. Mark does, that she “rather grew worse” ( Mark 5:26 ).
Luke, himself a physician, omits the detail that physicians made her worse, choosing instead to simply state their complete inability to help. This subtle omission highlights her desperate situation, not just that doctors failed, but that they were utterly useless, leaving her with nothing but her illness and her spent fortune.
As Jesus is welcomed back by an eager crowd, a desperate woman, who has suffered for twelve years with a chronic illness and exhausted all her resources on doctors, pushes through the throng seeking healing. This encounter happens amidst Jesus' journey to heal Jairus' daughter, a situation of high urgency and public attention.
As Jesus is welcomed back by an eager crowd, a desperate woman, who has suffered for twelve years with a chronic illness and exhausted all her resources on doctors, pushes through the throng seeking healing. This encounter happens amidst Jesus' journey to heal Jairus' daughter, a situation of high urgency and public attention.
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Despite this deep isolation and the failure of all human remedies, the text implies she heard about Jesus. Her decision to seek Him out, even in the crowd and by touching the fringe of His garment, reveals a profound, albeit perhaps superstitious, faith. It's a testament to her desperate hope that Jesus was different—the one person who could overcome not just her illness, but her isolation too.
"And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediatel…" — Luke, himself a physician, omits the detail that physicians made her worse, choosing instead to simply state their complete inability to help. This subtle omission highlights her desperate situation,…
