And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights the woman's immense suffering, not just from her chronic condition, but from the twelve years of failed treatments and the deep shame it imposed. Her twelve-year struggle underscores the desperation that fueled her courageous, albeit faith-filled, act of touching Jesus' cloak.
And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is on his way to heal Jairus's dying daughter when a crowd presses in around him. Amidst this throng, a desperate woman, suffering from a chronic and embarrassing condition for twelve years, secretly reaches out to touch his cloak, believing it will heal her.
Twelve years of suffering sounds like a lifetime. Imagine enduring a chronic illness, desperate for relief, yet living in a society where such a condition brought shame and isolation.
This woman's ailment was more than just physically debilitating; it carried immense social stigma.
The Weight of Uncleanness
According to the Law (Leviticus 15:19-27), her condition made her ritually unclean. This meant she couldn't participate in temple worship, and anyone she touched, even accidentally, would also become unclean. She was forced into isolation, living apart from community and family.
Desperate Measures
She had exhausted all conventional avenues, spending all her money on physicians who offered no cure. This wasn't just a lack of medical knowledge; it highlights her desperation and the severity of her condition.
A Glimmer of Faith
Her thought, 'If I can just touch his cloak, I will be healed,' reveals a nascent, perhaps even superstitious, faith. It wasn't a full understanding of who Jesus was, but a powerful belief in His ability to bring about healing, even through the slightest contact.
Jesus’ response to this woman is remarkable. Despite her hidden approach and likely incomplete understanding, He not only heals her but affirms her faith.
This encounter beautifully illustrates Jesus' compassion for those with tentative faith.
Unveiling the Hidden
Ask a follow-up
Jesus deliberately draws attention to the woman, asking, 'Who touched my clothes?' His disciples are puzzled, given the crowd. But Jesus knew that power had gone out from Him. He wasn't seeking information he didn't have; He wanted to draw her out for her own good and for the sake of others.
The Power of the Touch
Her faith, though perhaps mingled with superstition, was rooted in a genuine belief that Jesus possessed a unique, divine power. She didn't demand; she reached. And in that act of reaching, she connected with the source of all healing.
Affirmation and Release
When she tremblingly confesses, Jesus doesn't scold her for her hidden approach or her potentially flawed understanding. Instead, He declares, 'Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.' He honors the step she took, granting her not just physical healing but a profound sense of peace and wholeness, freeing her from both her physical ailment and her social shame.
Understand the original words
rhysis haimatos · Greek Noun phrase
Under the Old Testament Levitical law (Leviticus 15), this condition rendered a person ceremonially unclean. It created a barrier to communal worship and interaction, symbolizing the corruption and frailty of human existence caused by the Fall.
c. 27-30 AD
Jesus begins public ministry
Jesus starts teaching, healing, and calling disciples throughout Galilee. This period saw growing crowds and both belief and opposition.
c. 27-30 AD
Jesus travels through Galilee
Jesus moves between towns and villages, teaching in synagogues and often surrounded by large crowds eager to see His miracles.
c. 27-30 AD
Jairus seeks Jesus' help
Jairus, a synagogue ruler, desperately pleads with Jesus to come and heal his dying daughter.
c. 27-30 AD— this verse
Woman with hemorrhage touches Jesus' cloak
While Jesus is on His way to Jairus's home, a woman suffering from a twelve-year hemorrhage secretly touches His cloak, believing she will be healed.
c. 27-30 AD
Jairus's daughter is raised
Jesus arrives at Jairus's house and raises his twelve-year-old daughter from death, just as news arrived that she had died.
This passage describes the ritual uncleanness associated with a woman's discharge of blood, highlighting the social and religious isolation such a condition would impose in ancient Israel.
Matthew 9:20This passage describes the same event from Matthew's Gospel, providing parallel details and emphasizing the woman's desperate faith and Jesus' compassion.
Luke 8:43Luke's account also details this incident, focusing on the woman's suffering and her belief that merely touching Jesus' cloak would bring healing.
Isaiah 53:5This prophecy speaks of the Suffering Servant being wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities, directly paralleling the healing that comes through Jesus' suffering and the faith of those who receive it.
pooleMark 5:25: "And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,"
Ver. 25-34. See Poole on "Matthew 9:18" , and following verses to Matthew 9:22 , upon this whole history, containing a passage which happened in the way between the place where our Saviour first heard of the sickness of Jairus’s daughter and his house, whither our Saviour was now going. We shall in these histories observe our Saviour propounding several questions to persons: of the matter to which they related, he could…
calvinMark 5:22-34: "And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,"
- While he was speaking these things to them, a certain ruler came, and worshipped him, [526] saying, My daughter is now dead; but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she will live. 19. And Jesus arose, and followed him, and likewise his disciples, 20. And, lo, a woman, who had been afflicted with a bloody flux for twelve years came behind him, and touched th…
This verse highlights the woman's immense suffering, not just from her chronic condition, but from the twelve years of failed treatments and the deep shame it imposed. Her twelve-year struggle underscores the desperation that fueled her courageous, albeit faith-filled, act of touching Jesus' cloak.
Jesus is on his way to heal Jairus's dying daughter when a crowd presses in around him. Amidst this throng, a desperate woman, suffering from a chronic and embarrassing condition for twelve years, secretly reaches out to touch his cloak, believing it will heal her.
Jesus is on his way to heal Jairus's dying daughter when a crowd presses in around him. Amidst this throng, a desperate woman, suffering from a chronic and embarrassing condition for twelve years, secretly reaches out to touch his cloak, believing it will heal her.
"And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years," — This verse highlights the woman's immense suffering, not just from her chronic condition, but from the twelve years of failed treatments and the deep shame it imposed. Her twelve-year struggle unders…
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Last reviewed October 2026