She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The text subtly highlights her act of faith wasn't just touching Jesus, but touching the fringe of his garment, a detail that suggests her belief was tied to the religious significance and tassels prescribed in Jewish law, showing faith can arise even from imperfect understanding. This specific act was her desperate hope, a humble attempt born from hearing about Jesus and seeing him as her last resort.
She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is on his way to heal a dying girl, a synagogue ruler's daughter, but the crowd pressing around him makes the journey difficult. Amidst this chaotic scene, a woman who has suffered for years with a chronic illness sees her chance to reach Jesus discreetly, hoping a simple touch of his garment will bring her healing. This encounter happens just before Jesus receives the devastating news that the ruler's daughter has died.
Imagine the scene: a surging crowd, a desperate woman, and a bold, almost secretive act. What does this hidden approach reveal about her faith?
This woman’s approach is striking. She had heard about Jesus, likely witnessing or hearing tales of His powerful deeds. Yet, instead of calling out or seeking Him publicly, she came "in the press behind." This wasn't cowardice, but a deeply personal and perhaps fearful act of faith.
A Bold Whisper of Belief
Jesus felt something leave Him. It wasn't just a brush of cloth, but a tangible outflow of divine energy. What does this reveal about Jesus and the nature of His power?
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The most astonishing part of this encounter is that Jesus knew power had gone out from Him. This wasn't accidental; it was a deliberate, spiritual transaction.
Divine Power in Motion
Understand the original words
himation · Greek Noun
Refers to the outer clothing or cloak of a person. In this context, it symbolizes the person of Jesus and his accessible holiness, often associated with the 'fringes' or 'tassel' of the garment in Jewish law.
sōzō · Greek Verb
To be saved, delivered, or restored to wholeness. Biblically, it encompasses physical healing, spiritual salvation, and restoration to a right relationship with God.
This moment happens amidst the swirling energy of Jesus' Galilean ministry, where His fame has grown so immense that large crowds constantly surround Him. The woman's desperate act of touching His garment reflects a society where healing was often sought through tangible means, and her hidden approach highlights both her faith and her feelings of unworthiness in the face of Jesus' growing renown.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Jesus' Public Ministry in Galilee
Jesus travels throughout Galilee, teaching in synagogues, healing the sick, and casting out demons, drawing large crowds and gaining a reputation as a powerful miracle worker and teacher.
Early 1st century AD
Growing Fame and Crowds
Reports of Jesus' miraculous deeds spread rapidly, leading to increasingly large and enthusiastic crowds following Him wherever He went, sometimes making movement and private conversation difficult.
Early 1st century AD
Simultaneous Appeals for Healing
Jesus is approached by two individuals with urgent needs: Jairus, a synagogue leader, pleads for his dying daughter, while a woman suffering from a chronic hemorrhage seeks healing.
This passage describes the same event from Matthew's perspective, highlighting the woman's internal thought process about touching Jesus' garment to be healed, which mirrors the faith described in Mark.
Luke 8:43Luke's account also details this same miraculous healing, emphasizing the woman's long suffering and her expenditure on physicians, which underscores the desperate nature of her faith in touching Jesus.
Philippians 3:9This verse speaks of seeking righteousness through faith in Christ rather than through one's own efforts or external means, which parallels the woman's direct, albeit imperfect, faith in touching Jesus' garment for healing.
Hebrews 11:6This passage states that without faith it is impossible to please God, emphasizing that belief and seeking Him are essential, which is the core of the woman's action in Mark 5:27.
2 Kings 2:14Elisha taking Elijah's cloak and striking the Jordan with it echoes the idea of a tangible object associated with a prophet having power, similar to the woman's belief in the power of Jesus' garment.
pooleMark 5:27: "When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment."
See Poole on "Mr 5:25"
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…
The text subtly highlights her act of faith wasn't just touching Jesus, but touching the fringe of his garment, a detail that suggests her belief was tied to the religious significance and tassels prescribed in Jewish law, showing faith can arise even from imperfect understanding. This specific act was her desperate hope, a humble attempt born from hearing about Jesus and seeing him as her last resort.
Jesus is on his way to heal a dying girl, a synagogue ruler's daughter, but the crowd pressing around him makes the journey difficult. Amidst this chaotic scene, a woman who has suffered for years with a chronic illness sees her chance to reach Jesus discreetly, hoping a simple touch of his garment will bring her healing. This encounter happens just before Jesus receives the devastating news that the ruler's daughter has died.
Jesus is on his way to heal a dying girl, a synagogue ruler's daughter, but the crowd pressing around him makes the journey difficult. Amidst this chaotic scene, a woman who has suffered for years with a chronic illness sees her chance to reach Jesus discreetly, hoping a simple touch of his garment will bring her healing. This encounter happens just before Jesus receives the devastating news that the ruler's daughter has died.
"She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.”" — The text subtly highlights her act of faith wasn't just touching Jesus, but touching the fringe of his garment, a detail that suggests her belief was tied to the religious significance and tassels…
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Last reviewed October 2026