And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment,
English Standard Version (ESV)
The woman’s touching the fringe of Jesus' garment, a tassel worn on the corners of Jewish clothing, wasn't just a casual gesture, but an act deeply rooted in faith, reaching out to the very Law that marked her as unclean. This fringe, meant to remind people of God's commands, became for her a tangible point of contact with God's power through Jesus.
And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is on his way to heal Jairus' daughter, a girl who is dying. Amidst the pressing crowd, a woman who has been suffering from a chronic and unclean condition for twelve years secretly reaches out to touch the fringe of Jesus' garment, believing this will heal her. This discreet act of faith happens just as Jesus is about to enter the home of the synagogue leader.
Twelve years. That's how long this woman suffered, a constant, draining ailment that made her 'unclean.' She'd exhausted every option, spent all her money, and was only getting worse. Yet, she saw Jesus...
This woman’s story is a powerful picture of extreme need meeting divine possibility.
Years of Suffering
For twelve long years, she endured a condition that wasn't just physically draining but also made her ceremonially unclean according to Jewish law. This meant she was isolated, unable to participate fully in community life or worship.
All Hope Lost
She had tried everything. Doctors offered no cure, and her resources were depleted. Imagine the despair, the feeling of being trapped with no way out.
A Glimmer of Hope
But she had heard about Jesus. News of His healing power spread, and in her desperation, a flicker of faith ignited: if she could just touch Him, any part of Him, she believed she would be healed. This wasn't just a casual hope; it was a conviction born of total reliance.
Why the fringe? Why not just reach out and touch Jesus Himself? This wasn't just about avoiding attention; it was deeply rooted in religious custom and the woman's understanding of Jesus' authority.
The detail of the woman touching Jesus' garment fringe, known as the tzitzit (or 'hem'), is significant for several reasons.
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A Symbol of God's Law
These fringes were commanded by God in the Old Testament (Numbers 15:38-39) and worn by Jewish men on the borders of their garments. They served as a constant reminder of God's commandments and His people's covenant relationship with Him.
A Humbler Approach
The woman, made unclean by her condition, likely felt she couldn't approach Jesus directly or even touch His main garment. Touching the fringe was a more indirect way to connect, stemming from her shame and the religious laws that separated her.
Faith in His Authority
By touching the fringe, she was, in a sense, touching the very embodiment of God's law and authority in Jesus. It was an act of profound faith, believing that His power, symbolized by this sacred part of His attire, could overcome her uncleanness and disease.
Understand the original words
kraspedon · Greek Noun
"Fringe" refers to the tassels (tzitzit) commanded in the Torah (Numbers 15:38) to remind the Israelites of God's commandments. Touching the fringe reflects the woman’s deep faith in the power residing in Jesus as the one who fulfills the Law.
The woman's twelve-year affliction, coinciding with the age of Jairus' daughter, and her shame due to ritual uncleanness highlight the deep social and religious barriers Jesus encountered and compassionately broke.
c. 200 BC - c. AD 50
Hellenistic and Roman Rule
Judea experienced periods of rule by Hellenistic empires and later by the Roman Republic and Empire, creating a complex political and religious landscape.
c. 27 BC - AD 30
Herod the Great's Reign
Herod the Great ruled Judea, known for his building projects and often brutal consolidation of power, impacting the region Jesus lived in.
c. AD 28
Jesus begins public ministry
Jesus' ministry of teaching, healing, and calling disciples commenced in Galilee, attracting large crowds and significant attention.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus' Ministry in Galilee
Jesus traveled throughout Galilee, performing miracles, teaching in synagogues and villages, and gaining a reputation as a healer and prophet.
c. AD 30-33
Jewish Purity Laws
Strict Jewish laws concerning ritual purity, especially concerning bodily discharges, made individuals with such conditions ceremonially unclean and socially isolated.
This passage explains the Old Testament command for Israelite men to wear fringes on their garments, the very 'hem' or 'border' this woman touched, highlighting the symbolic significance of her act in fulfilling and interacting with the Law.
Leviticus 15:25-27This Levitical law details the ritual impurity caused by a continuous discharge of blood, explaining why the woman felt shame and fear, and why her touching Jesus would have been seen as a breach of purity, making her healing even more miraculous.
Matthew 14:36This verse shows another instance where people sought to touch Jesus' garment, specifically the 'hem,' indicating a common belief in healing power emanating from his clothing and reinforcing the significance of this practice.
Mark 5:25-34Mark's Gospel provides a fuller account of this same event, emphasizing the woman's twelve years of suffering, her expenditure on physicians, and her fear and trembling, which enriches the understanding of her desperate faith and humility.
Luke 8:43-48Luke's parallel account highlights the 'virtue' going out from Jesus to heal her and Jesus' awareness of the touch, adding a theological dimension to the miracle and Jesus' intentional interaction with the woman after her faith-driven act.
vincentMatthew 9:20: "And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:"
Hem (κρασπέδου)Rev., border. The fringe worn on the border of the outer garment, according to the command in Numbers 15:38. Dr. Edersheim ("Life and Times of Jesus") says that, according to tradition, each of the white fringes was to consist of eight threads, one of them wound round the others; first seven times, with a double knot; then eight times…
bensonMatthew 9:20: "And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:"
Matthew 9:20-22 . And, behold, a woman which was diseased — According to the circumstances of her disease, as mentioned by Mark and Luke, it was incurable by any human power, and she herself knew it to be so, having been afflicted with it for twelve years, and tried the skill of many physicians, probably of all that were of note in the country; and h…
The woman’s touching the fringe of Jesus' garment, a tassel worn on the corners of Jewish clothing, wasn't just a casual gesture, but an act deeply rooted in faith, reaching out to the very Law that marked her as unclean. This fringe, meant to remind people of God's commands, became for her a tangible point of contact with God's power through Jesus.
Jesus is on his way to heal Jairus' daughter, a girl who is dying. Amidst the pressing crowd, a woman who has been suffering from a chronic and unclean condition for twelve years secretly reaches out to touch the fringe of Jesus' garment, believing this will heal her. This discreet act of faith happens just as Jesus is about to enter the home of the synagogue leader.
Jesus is on his way to heal Jairus' daughter, a girl who is dying. Amidst the pressing crowd, a woman who has been suffering from a chronic and unclean condition for twelve years secretly reaches out to touch the fringe of Jesus' garment, believing this will heal her. This discreet act of faith happens just as Jesus is about to enter the home of the synagogue leader.
"And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment," — The woman’s touching the fringe of Jesus' garment, a tassel worn on the corners of Jewish clothing, wasn't just a casual gesture, but an act deeply rooted in faith, reaching out to the very Law that…
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Last reviewed October 2026