And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's striking here is that the text doesn't just say she was sick; it emphasizes the duration – "twelve years." This wasn't a fleeting illness, but a chronic condition that defined her life, making her healing not just a physical act but a profound restoration of her whole existence.
And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.
English Standard Version (ESV)
As Jesus makes His way toward the home of Jairus, a synagogue leader whose daughter is dying, He is pressed on all sides by a large crowd. In the midst of this throng, a woman who has suffered for twelve years from an incurable ailment secretly reaches out to touch His cloak, believing it will heal her.
Imagine living with a chronic, isolating illness for over a decade. This woman’s condition wasn't just physically draining; it made her ceremonially unclean, setting her apart from her community.
The woman's affliction was not a minor inconvenience. For twelve years, she suffered from a discharge of blood, a condition described in Levitical law (Leviticus 15:25-27) as making both the woman and anyone she touched unclean. This meant she likely lived in isolation, unable to participate in public worship or even normal social interactions. The text notes she 'had suffered much under many physicians and had spent all she had, and, not being helped but rather growing worse' (Mark 5:26). This highlights the depth of her desperation and the failure of human remedies.
In the crush of the crowd, she couldn't even speak to Jesus. Yet, a quiet, determined thought gave her the courage to reach out.
Her faith wasn't perfect, but it was real and active. She didn't believe Jesus would ordain her healing by speaking to her, but that simply touching His garment was enough. This reflects a budding understanding of Jesus’ power, even if incomplete. The commentators note that she thought, 'If I may but touch his clothes, I shall be whole' (Mark 5:28). This was a fragile hope, perhaps even bordering on superstition to some, but it was born of desperation and a nascent belief in Jesus' unique ability to heal. Jesus, knowing 'that power had gone out from him,' recognized this touch, not as a mere accidental brush, but as a faith-filled act.
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Jesus didn't let her secret remain a secret. He brought her forward, not to shame her, but to affirm her healing and her faith.
Jesus deliberately stops in the midst of the thronging crowd to find the woman who touched Him. This wasn't because He didn't know who it was, but to bring her healing into the light. Her act, born of desperation and shame due to her condition, needed public affirmation. When she tremblingly confesses, Jesus doesn't rebuke her for her 'imperfect' faith or for her ceremonial uncleanness. Instead, He declares, 'Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease' (Mark 5:34). He calls her 'Daughter,' a term of endearment and acceptance, transforming her from an outcast into a beloved child. Her healing is ratified not just by the cessation of symptoms but by Jesus' word and her release into peace.
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.
iatros · Greek Noun
A medical practitioner or healer. In the biblical context, it often refers to those who utilize various natural or traditional remedies, frequently contrasted with the healing power of God.
paschō · Greek Verb
A term used for a person who is suffering from a long-term or recurring condition, often implying physical, spiritual, or ceremonial distress. In the Gospels, it denotes someone in need of divine intervention.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus' Public Ministry
Jesus travels throughout Galilee, teaching, healing, and performing miracles, gathering a large following.
c. AD 27-30
Jairus Seeks Jesus' Help
Jairus, a synagogue ruler, finds Jesus and pleads with Him to come and heal his dying daughter.
c. AD 27-30— this verse
The Woman Touches Jesus' Garment
While Jesus is on His way to Jairus's house, a woman who has suffered for twelve years with a hemorrhage touches His cloak and is instantly healed.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus' Daughter Raised
Jesus arrives at Jairus's home and raises his twelve-year-old daughter from death, a powerful demonstration of His authority over life and death.
This passage outlines the ritual uncleanness associated with a woman's discharge of blood, highlighting the social isolation and religious implications of her condition as described in Mark.
Matthew 9:20-22This provides a parallel account of the same event, emphasizing the woman's desperate hope and Jesus' recognition of her faith as the source of her healing, offering a slightly different perspective on the interaction.
Luke 8:43-48Luke's Gospel also recounts this miracle, focusing on the 'power' that went out from Jesus and the woman's courageous confession, underscoring the divine power at work and the importance of acknowledging it.
Isaiah 53:2-5This prophecy describes the Suffering Servant bearing our weaknesses and pains, resonating with the woman's twelve years of suffering and Jesus' willingness to absorb and heal her affliction.
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…
What's striking here is that the text doesn't just say she was sick; it emphasizes the duration – "twelve years." This wasn't a fleeting illness, but a chronic condition that defined her life, making her healing not just a physical act but a profound restoration of her whole existence.
As Jesus makes His way toward the home of Jairus, a synagogue leader whose daughter is dying, He is pressed on all sides by a large crowd. In the midst of this throng, a woman who has suffered for twelve years from an incurable ailment secretly reaches out to touch His cloak, believing it will heal her.
As Jesus makes His way toward the home of Jairus, a synagogue leader whose daughter is dying, He is pressed on all sides by a large crowd. In the midst of this throng, a woman who has suffered for twelve years from an incurable ailment 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, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse." — What's striking here is that the text doesn't just say she was sick; it emphasizes the duration – "twelve years." This wasn't a fleeting illness, but a chronic condition that defined her life, maki…
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Last reviewed October 2026