TRV
See on the biblical-era map
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Luke 8:40–56. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Christ was driven away by the Gadarenes; they were weary of him, and willing to be rid of him. But when he had crossed the water, and returned to the Galileans, they gladly received him, wished and waited for his return, and welcomed him with all their hearts when he did return, Luk 8:40. If some will not accept the favours Christ offers them, others will. If the Gadarenes be not gathered, yet there are many among whom Christ shall be glorious. When Christ had done his work on the other side of the water he returned, and found work to do in the place whence he came, fresh work. They that will lay out themselves to do good shall never want occasion for it. The needy you have always with you.
We have here two miracles interwoven, as they were in Matthew and Mark - the raising of Jairus's daughter to life, and the cure of the woman that had an issue of blood, as he was going in a crowd to Jairus's house. We have here,
I.A public address made to Christ by a ruler of the synagogue, whose name was Jairus, on the behalf of a little daughter of his, that was very ill, and, in the apprehension of all about here, lay a dying. This address was very humble and reverent. Jairus, though a ruler, fell down at Jesus's feet, as owning him to be a ruler above him. It was very importunate. He besought him that he would come into his house; not having the faith, at least not having the thought, of the centurion, who desired Christ only to speak the healing word at a distance. But Christ complied with his request; he went along with him. Strong faith shall be applauded, and yet weak faith shall not be rejected. In the houses where sickness and death are, it is very desirable to have the presence of Christ. When Christ was going, the people thronged him, some out of curiosity to see him, others out of an affection to him. Let us not complain of a crowd, and a throng, and a hurry, as long as we are in the way of our duty, and doing good; but otherwise it is what every wise man will keep himself out of as much as he can.
II.Here is a secret application made to Christ by a woman ill of a bloody issue, which had been the consumption of her body and the consumption of her purse too; for she had spent all her living upon physicians, and was never the better, Luk 8:43. The nature of her disease was such that she did not care to make a public complaint of it (it was agreeable to the modesty of her sex to be very shy of speaking of it), and therefore she took this opportunity of coming to Christ in a crowd; and the more people were present the more likely she thought it was that she should be concealed. Her faith was very strong; for she doubted not but that by the touch of the hem of his garment she should derive from him healing virtue sufficient for her relief, looking upon him to be such a full fountain of mercies that she should steal a cure and he not miss it. Thus many a poor soul is healed, and helped, and saved, by Christ, that is lost in a crowd, and that nobody takes notice of. The woman found an immediate change for the better in herself, and that her disease was cured, Luk 8:44. As believers have comfortable communion with Christ, so they have comfortable communications from him incognito - secretly, meat to eat that the world knows not of, and joy that a stranger does not intermeddle with.
III.Here is a discovery of this secret cure, to the glory both of the physician and the patient.
1.Christ takes notice that there is a cure wrought: Virtue is gone out of me, Luk 8:46. Those that have been healed by virtue derived from Christ must own it, for he knows it. He speaks of it here, not in a way of complaint, as if he were hereby either weakened or wronged, but in a way of complacency. It was his delight that virtue was gone out of him to do any good, and he did not grudge it to the meanest; they were as welcome to it as to the light and heat of the sun. Nor had he the less virtue in him for the going out of the virtue from him for he is an overflowing fountain.
2.The poor patient owns her case, and the benefit she had received: When she saw that she was not hid, she came, and fell down before him, Luk 8:47. Note, The consideration of this, that we cannot be hid from Christ, should engage us to pour out our hearts before him, and to show before him all our sin and all our trouble. She came trembling, and yet her faith saved her, Luk 8:48. Note, There may be trembling where yet there is saving faith. She declared before all the people for what cause she had touched him because she believed that a touch would cure her, and it did so. Christ's patients should communicate their experiences to one another.
3.The great physician confirms her cure, and sends her away with the comfort of it: Be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole, Luk 8:48. Jacob got the blessing from Isaac clandestinely, and by a wile; but, when the fraud was discovered, Isaac ratified it designedly. It was obtained surreptitiously and under-hand, but it was secured and seconded above-board. So was the cure here. He is blessed, and he shall be blessed; so here, She is healed, and she shall be healed.
IV.Here is an encouragement to Jairus not to distrust the power of Christ, though his daughter was now dead, and they that brought him the tidings advised him not to give the Master any further trouble about her: Fear not, saith Christ, only believe. Note, Our faith in Christ should be bold and daring, as well as our zeal for him. They that are willing to do any thing for him may depend upon his doing great things for them, above what they are able to ask or think. When the patient is dead there is no room for prayer, or the use of means; but here, though the child is dead, yet believe, and all shall be well. Post mortem medicus - to call in the physician after death, is an absurdity; but not post mortem Christus - to call in Christ after death.
V.The preparatives for the raising of her to life again.
1.The choice Christ made of witnesses that should see the miracle wrought. A crowd followed him, but perhaps they were rude and noisy; however, it was not fit to let such a multitude come into a gentleman's house, especially now that the family was all in sorrow; therefore he sent them back, and not because he was afraid to let the miracle pass their scrutiny; for he raised Lazarus and the widow's son publicly. He took none with him but Peter, and James, and John, that triumvirate of his disciples that he was most intimate with, designing these three, with the parents, to be the only spectators of the miracle, they being a competent number to attest the truth of it.
2.The check he gave to the mourners. They all wept, and bewailed her; for, it seems, she was a very agreeable hopeful child, and dear not only to the parents, but to all the neighbours. But Christ bid them not weep; for she is not dead, but sleepeth. He means, as to her peculiar case, that she was not dead for good and all, but that she should now shortly be raised to life, so that it would be to her friends as if she had been but a few hours asleep. But it is applicable to all that die in the Lord; therefore we should not sorrow for them as those that have no hope, because death is but a sleep to them, not only as it is a rest from all the toils of the days of time, but as there will be a resurrection, a waking and rising again to all the glories of the days of eternity. This was a comfortable word which Christ said to these mourners, yet they wickedly ridiculed it, and laughed him to scorn for it here was a pearl cast before swine. They were ignorant of the scriptures of the Old Testament who bantered it as an absurd thing to call death a sleep; yet this good came out of that evil that hereby the truth of the miracle was evinced; for they knew that she was dead, they were certain of it, and therefore nothing less than a divine power could restore her to life. We find not any answer that he made them; but he soon explained himself, I hope to their conviction, so that they would never again laugh at any word of his. But he put them all out, Luk 8:54. They were unworthy to be the witnesses of this work of wonder; they who in the midst of their mourning were so merrily disposed as to laugh at him for what he said would, it may be, have found something to laugh at in what he did, and therefore are justly shut out.
VI.Her return to life, after a short visit to the congregation of the dead:
He took her by the hand (as we do by one that we would awake out of sleep, and help up), and he called, saying, Maid, arise, Luk 8:55. Thus the hand of Christ's grace goes along with the calls of his word, to make them effectual. Here that is expressed which was only implied in the other evangelists, that her spirit came again; her soul returned again to animate her body. This plainly proves that the soul exists and acts in a state of separation from the body, and therefore is immortal; that death does not extinguish this candle of the Lord, but takes it out of a dark lantern. It is not, as Grotius well observes, the krasis or temperament of the body, or anything that dies with it; but it is anthupostaton ti - something that subsists by itself, which, after death, is somewhere else than where the body is. Where the soul of this child was in this interval we are not told; it was in the hand of the Father of spirits, to whom all souls at death return. When her spirit came again she arose, and made it appear that she was alive by her motion, as she did also by her appetite; for Christ commanded to give her meat. As babes newly born, so those that are newly raised, desire spiritual food, that they may grow thereby. In the last verse, we need not wonder to find her parents astonished; but if that implies that they only were so, and not the other by-standers, who had laughed Christ to scorn, we may well wonder at their stupidity, which perhaps was the reason why Christ would not have it proclaimed, as well as to give an instance of his humility.
Historical interpretation
Eleven Centuries of Reception
19 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Allow me some indulgence in my effort against the heretic. Jesus is touched by the woman who had an issue of blood, He knew not by whom.
Certainly the woman who had the issue of blood of twelve years' standing did not touch the Lord Himself, but only the hem of His garment, with a view to her cure.
(Eccles. Hist. l. vii. c. 18.) Now they say that the woman set up in Paneas (Cæsarea Philippi, whence she came) a noble triumphal monument of the mercy vouchsafed to her by the Saviour. For there stood upon a lofty pedestal near the entrance to her house a brasen statue of a woman on bended knees, and with her hands joined as if in prayer; opposite to which was erected another statue like to a man, made of the same material, clothed in a stole, (διπλοῑς.a) and holding forth his hand to the woman. At his feet upon the base itself a strange kind of plant was growing, which reaching to the hem of the brasen stole, was said to be the cure of all diseases. And they said that this statue represents Christ. It was destroyed by Maximinus.
“Who touched me? For a power has gone forth from me.” A detail such as this is not reported about our Physician in any other place. This is because in no other place did our Physician encounter an affliction such as this. This affliction was presented to many physicians, yet only one Physician encountered this affliction to heal it. Many physicians encountered and wearied her. Only one encountered her who was able to give her rest from the toil of many physicians. The art of healing encountered a shameful affliction but added pain after pain to it. The more they came, the worse the affliction got. The fringe of the Lord’s cloak touched her and uprooted this suffering from its root. She perceived within herself that he healed her affliction.Since the art of healing clothed with all our practical wisdom was reduced to silence, the divinity clothed with garments was proclaimed. He clothed himself in the body and came down to humanity, so that humanity might loot him. He revealed his divinity through signs, so that faith in his humanity alone could not be explained. He revealed his humanity that the higher beings might believe that he was a lower being, and he revealed his divinity so that the lower beings would accept that he was a higher being. He took on a human body so that humanity might be able to attain to divinity, and he revealed his divinity so that his humanity might not be trampled under foot.
If the woman once cured had withdrawn from him in secret, our Lord would have deprived her of a crown of victory. It was fitting that the faith that shined out brightly in hidden agony was publicly crowned. He wove an eloquent crown for her, because he said to her, “Go in peace.” The peace he gave was the crown of her victory. When he said, “Go in peace,” he did not end here but also added, “Your faith has saved you,” so that they would know who was this crown’s Lord. This would make known that the peace his mouth wove was the crown that crowned her faith. “Your faith has saved you.” If it was faith that restored her to life, it is clear that he crowned her faith with a crown. This is why he cried out, “Who touched my garments?” He said this so all the people might know who touched more than anyone else did. She chose to honor him more than others do, first, by approaching from behind, and second, in that she touched the fringe of his cloak. It was also fitting that he would honor her before all of these, she who chose to honor him more than all these.
Glory to you, hidden offspring of Being, because the hidden suffering of her that was afflicted proclaimed your healing. Using a woman whom they could see, he enabled them to see the divinity that cannot be seen. The Son’s divinity became known through his healing, and the afflicted woman’s faith was revealed through her being healed. She caused him to be proclaimed, and she was proclaimed with him. Truth was being proclaimed together with its heralds. If she was a witness to his divinity, he in turn was a witness to her faith.She poured faith on him by way of reward, and he bestowed healing on her as the outcome of her reward. Since the woman’s faith had become public, her healing also was proclaimed in public. The physicians were put to shame about their remedies because his power became resplendent and magnified the Son. It became evident how great faith surpasses the healing art and how hidden power surpasses visible remedies.
(Vide Victor. Ant. in Mark 5.) The name is inserted for the sake of the Jews, who at that time well knew the event, that the name might be a demonstrative proof of the miracle. And there came not one of the lowest, but a ruler of the synagogue, that the mouths of the Jews might be the more closed. As it follows, And he was a ruler of the synagogue. Now he came to Christ because of his need; for grief sometimes urges us to do those things which are right, according to the Psalm, Hold their mouths with bit and bridle, who come not nigh unto thee. (Ps. 32:9.)
(non occ.) Of how great praise then is this woman worthy, who with her bodily powers exhausted by the continual issue of blood, and with so great a crowd thronging around Him, in the strength of her affection and faith entered the crowd, and coming behind, secretly touched the hem of His garment.
(non occ.) He calls her daughter, as already healed because of her faith, for faith claims the grace of adoption.
It says, “Servants came to the ruler, saying, ‘Do not trouble him.’ ” Still they were without faith in the resurrection, which Jesus foretold in the law and fulfilled in the gospel. When he came into the house, he approved a few eyewitnesses to the imminent resurrection, because many did not immediately believe the resurrection. Then, as the Lord said, “ ‘The girl is not dead but sleeps,’ they laughed him to scorn.” Whoever does not believe, jeers. Those who think they are dead will weep for their dead, but when there is faith in resurrection, there is the appearance not of death but of sleep.
The assembly of the nations is like the woman who spent all her money on physicians. The assembly of nations also lost all the gifts of nature and squandered the inheritance of life. It was holy, shy, pious, ready in faith, and hesitant in modesty, because it is a sign of modesty to recognize the weakness of faith and not to despair of pardon. The shy woman touched the hem, the faithful approached, the pious believed, the wise knew she was healed. The holy people of the nations that believed in God were so ashamed of their sin that they abandoned it. Brought faith, they believed. They showed devotion, so that they entreated. They put on wisdom, so that they perceived their own health. They took confidence, so that they confessed the alien truth that they snatched.Why is Christ touched from behind? Is it because it is written, “You shall follow the Lord your God”? Why is it that the twelve-year-old daughter of the ruler was dying and the woman with a flow of blood was afflicted for twelve years, except that it is understood that as long as the synagogue flourished, the church suffered? The weakness of the one is the virtue of the other, because by their offense salvation has come to the Gentiles. The consummation of the one is the beginning of the other, the beginning not of nature but of salvation.
But when about to raise the dead, in order to bring faith to the ruler of the synagogue, He first cured the issue of blood. So also a temporal resurrection is celebrated at the Passion of our Lord, that the other might be believed to be eternal. But as he went, the people thronged him.
Now mystically Christ had left the synagogue in Gerasa, and Him whom His own received not we strangers receive.
But whom do we suppose the chief of the synagogue to be, but the Law, from consideration of which our Lord had not entirely abandoned the synagogue.
But while the Word of God hastens to this daughter of the ruler that He might save the children of Israel, the holy Church collected from among the Gentiles which was perishing by its falling away into gross crimes, seized first by faith the health prepared for others.
But what means it that this daughter of the ruler was dying at twelve years, and the woman was afflicted with the issue of blood for twelve years, but that it might be understood that as long as the Synagogue flourished the Church was weak. For almost in the same age of the world, the Synagogue began to grow up among the patriarchs, and idolatry to pollute the Gentile nation.
But as she had spent all her substance upon physicians, so the Gentile nations had lost all the gifts of nature.
Now hearing that the people of the Jews were sick, she begins to hope for the remedy of their salvation; she knew that the time was arrived when a Physician should come from heaven, she rose to meet Him, more ready from faith, more backward from modesty. For this is the part of modesty and faith to acknowledge weakness, not to despair of pardon. From modesty then she touched the hem of His garment; in faith she came, in piety believed, in wisdom knew herself to be healed; so the holy people of the Gentiles which believed God, blushed at its sins so as to desert them, offered its faith in believing, showed its devotion in asking, put on wisdom in itself feeling its own cure, assumed boldness to confess that it had forestalled what was not its own. Now Christ is touched behind, as it is written, Thou shall walk after the Lord thy God (Deut. 13:4.)
For they believe not who throng Him; they believe who touch. By faith Christ is touched, by faith He is seen. Lastly, to express the faith of her who touched Him, He says, I know that virtue is gone out of me, which is a more palpable sign, that the Divine Nature is not confined within the possibility of man's condition, and the compass of the human body, but eternal virtue overflows beyond the bounds of our mediocrity. For the Gentile people is not released by man's aid, but the gathering of nations is the gift of God, which even by its little faith turns to itself the everlasting mercy. For if we think what our faith is, and understand how great the Son of God is, we see that in comparison of Him we touch only the hem, we cannot reach the upper parts of the garment. If then we also wish to be cured, let us touch by faith the hem of Christ. But he who has touched Him is not hidden. Happy the man who has touched the extreme part of the Word. For who can comprehend the whole?
(Hom. 31. in Matt.) But mark his dulness of heart, for it follows, and besought him that he would come into his house; being ignorant in truth that He was able to heal when absent. For if he had known, he would have said as the centurion did, Speak the word, and my daughter shall be healed.
(ubi sup.) But the Lord had come not to judge the world, but to save it. Whereupon He does not weigh the rank of the petitioner, but calmly undertakes the work, knowing that what was to happen would be greater than what was asked. For He was called to heal the sick, but He knew that He would raise up one that was by this time dead, and implant on the earth a firm hope of the resurrection.
(Hom. 31. in Matt.) For by the custom of the Law a malady of this kind was accounted a great uncleanness. (Lev. 15:19-25.) Independently of this also, she had not yet a right estimation of Him, else she would not have thought to remain concealed, but nevertheless she came trusting to be healed.
But not the garments alone saved her, (for the soldiers also allotted them among themselves,) but the earnestness of her faith.
(ubi sup.) For first He removes the woman's fear, lest she should suffer the pangs of conscience, for as it were stealing the grace. Next He reproves her for thinking to lie concealed. Thirdly, He makes known her faith publicly for the sake of others, and betrays no less a miracle than the stanching of blood, by showing that all things are open to His sight.
(ubi sup.) Now our Lord did not immediately discover her, for this reason, that by showing that all things are known to Him, He might make the woman publish what was done, that the miracle might be free from all suspicion. Hence it follows, And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling.
Then a woman, weak and timid, touched his sacred garment’s hem:
Instant was his blessed healing, and the pallor left her cheek,
As the hemorrhage she had suffered
Through so many years was stopped.
Then a woman, weak and timid, touched his sacred garment’s hem: Instant was his blessed healing, and the pallor left her cheek, As the hemorrhage she had suffered. Through so many years was stopped. -.
(Mor. 3. c. 11. Job 2.) But while the crowd thronged Him, one woman touched our Redeemer, because all carnal men in the Church oppress Him from whom they are afar off, and they alone touch Him who are joined to Him in humility. () The crowd therefore press Him and touch Him not, because it is both importunate in presence, and absent in life.
She had spent all her substance on physicians and could not be healed by any. By physicians, he either means false theologians, philosophers, or secular law doctors who, discussing virtues and vices with great subtlety, promised to provide useful teachings for mortals on seeing and believing, or he certainly means the unclean spirits themselves who, as if advising men, suggested that they should already be worshiped as God. The more Gentile civilization spent its strength on listening to these, the less it could be cured of its own filth of iniquity. Hence, Mark, writing about this woman, says: "And she had suffered much from many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse." But when she learned that the people of the Jews were sick, and recognized the true physician from heaven to be present, she also began to hope for and seek a remedy for her own ailment.
And a certain woman was in the flow of blood for twelve years. The woman flowing with blood is the Church gathered from the gentiles, which, polluted by the inborn flow of carnal delights, had already been separated from the company of the faithful. But when the Word of God decided to save Judaea, it snatched away certain salvation from others with firm hope. It is also to be noted that the daughter of the synagogue leader is twelve years old, and this woman had been flowing with blood for twelve years, that is, she began to be sick at the same time that the other was born. For almost at the same period of this age of the world, the synagogue was born among the patriarchs, and the nation of the gentiles began to be defiled by the filth of idolatry throughout the world. For the double flow of blood, that is, both over the prostitution of idolatry and over those things that are committed by the delight of flesh and blood, can be understood. Whence the sacred history beautifully refers that at the time when David, still a boy, slew the giant Goliath, the Philistines were encamped in the borders of Dommim, that is, of the bloods. Because evidently the Lord, appearing humble, found the peoples of the gentiles not only given to unfruitful works but also to the most filthy religion, in order to overthrow the prince of the world. Therefore, as long as the synagogue flourished, the Church toiled. The decline of that is the strength of this, because through their sin, salvation came to the gentiles.
Or at the end of the world the Lord is about to return to the Jews, and to be gladly received by them through confession of the faith.
Or, by the ruler of the synagogue is understood Moses. Hence he is rightly called Jairus, that is, "enlightening" or "enlightened," as he who receives the words of life to give to us, thereby both enlightens others, and is himself also enlightened by the Holy Spirit. But the ruler of the synagogue fell at the feet of Jesus, because the lawgiver with the whole race of the patriarchs knew that Christ, appearing in the flesh, would be far preferred to them. For if the head of Christ is God, (1 Cor. 11:3.) His feet must agreeably to this be taken for the Incarnation, by which He touched the earth of our mortality. The ruler asked Him to enter into his house, because he was desirous to behold His coming. His only daughter is the Synagogue, which alone was framed with a legal institution; which at twelve years of age, that is, when the time of puberty was approaching, lay dying; for having been brought up nobly by the prophets, as soon as it came to years of discretion, when it ought to bring forth spiritual fruits to God, being suddenly subdued through its weakness and error, it forgot to enter the way of spiritual life, and unless Christ had come to its help, would have fallen away into destruction. But the Lord going to heal the girl is thronged by the crowd, because giving wholesome warnings to the Jewish nation, He was borne down by the customs of a carnal people.
Now the issue of blood may be taken in two ways, that is, both for the prostitution of idolatry, and for those things which are done for the delights of the flesh and blood.
Now by physicians understand either false doctors, or philosophers and teachers of secular laws, who disputing much concerning virtue and vice, promised that they would give to mortals useful instructions for life; or suppose that by the physicians are signified the unclean spirits themselves, who by giving as it were advice to men, procure themselves to be worshipped as God, on listening to whom the Gentiles the more they consumed the strength of their natural industry, so much the less were they able to be cured from the pollution of their iniquity.
And He Himself says, If any man serve me, let him follow me. (John 13:26.) Or, because not seeing Christ present in the flesh, now that the sacraments of the temporary dispensation were completed, the Church began to follow His footsteps through faith.
Or one believing woman touches the Lord, since Christ who is afflicted beyond measure by the diverse heresies multiplying around Him, is faithfully sought by the heart alone of the Catholic Church.
At once both because of His teaching, and His miracles.
Through urgent need then he fell at His feet, as it follows, And he fell at Jesus' feet; but it were right for him without a pressing necessity to fall at Christ's feet and acknowledge Him to be God.
But as when a man turns his eye to a shining light, or puts fuel to the fire, immediately they have their effects; so indeed he who brings faith to Him who is able to cure, immediately obtains his cure; as it is said, and immediately her issue of blood stanched.
For she believed, and was saved, and as was fitting first touched Christ with her mind, then with her body.
(ubi sup.) Now a certain woman afflicted with a severe disease, whose infirmity had consumed her body, but physicians all her substance, finds her only hope in such great humbleness that she falls down before our Lord; of whom it follows, And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, &c.
Continue studying Luke 8:43 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
CNTR CollationThe earliest Greek manuscripts of this verse, collated letter by letter.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
Summary
Luke 8:43 introduces the poignant narrative of a woman who had suffered from a debilitating hemorrhage for twelve years, a condition that rendered her ritually unclean and socially ostracized. Despite exhausting all her financial resources on physicians who offered no cure, her desperate situation sets the stage for a miraculous encounter with Jesus, highlighting the futility of human remedies in the face of chronic suffering and foreshadowing the transformative power of divine intervention.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is strategically placed as an interruption within the narrative of Jairus, a synagogue official, pleading with Jesus to heal his dying daughter (Luke 8:40-42). As Jesus makes His way to Jairus's house, a large crowd presses in on Him. The story of the woman with the issue of blood (Luke 8:43-48) is interwoven, creating a narrative "sandwich" or "intercalation." This literary device serves to build suspense for Jairus's situation, while simultaneously highlighting Jesus' compassionate attention to individual suffering even amidst urgent demands and a bustling crowd. It also contrasts the public plea of a prominent man with the quiet, desperate act of a marginalized woman, underscoring Jesus' universal accessibility and power.
Historical & Cultural Context
In first-century Jewish society, a continuous flow of blood, as described in Leviticus 15:25-30, rendered a woman ritually unclean (niddah). This uncleanness was not merely ceremonial; it meant she could not participate in public worship, touch others, or be touched without defiling them. Everything she sat on or touched also became unclean. This condition led to profound social isolation, economic hardship (as she couldn't work or participate in communal life), and emotional distress. Her "issue of blood" for twelve years meant a life of perpetual uncleanness and marginalization. The mention of spending "all her living upon physicians" speaks to the common ancient practice of seeking various, often ineffective, remedies, and the financial burden associated with chronic illness, especially for those without a stable income.
Key Themes
Luke 8:43 introduces several profound themes that resonate throughout the chapter and the broader Gospel. The most prominent is the desperation of chronic suffering and the futility of human solutions in the face of seemingly insurmountable problems. The woman's twelve years of illness and financial ruin emphasize the depth of human need and the limitations of worldly resources, contrasting sharply with the unlimited power of Jesus to heal and restore. Her condition also highlights the theme of ritual impurity and social ostracism, which Jesus consistently challenged by extending grace and healing to those considered "unclean" (e.g., the leper in Luke 5:12-16). Ultimately, this verse sets the stage for the overarching theme of faith as the conduit for divine intervention, a theme explicitly articulated by Jesus in Luke 8:48 when He declares, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace."
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This term simply means "woman" or "wife." In this context, it refers to an adult female. Luke's use of this general term emphasizes her anonymity and perhaps her marginalized status, making her subsequent healing all the more remarkable as an act of grace towards one overlooked by society.
Derived from a word meaning "to flow," this term specifically denotes a "flux" or "discharge." Luke, a physician, uses this precise medical term to describe her chronic hemorrhage, underscoring the physical reality and severity of her condition.
This word means "to wait upon menially," and by extension, "to relieve (of disease)" or "to cure." Its use here highlights the failure of the physicians to provide a lasting cure, setting up a stark contrast with Jesus' immediate and complete healing. The root implies a service or attendance, suggesting that while physicians attended to her, they could not truly restore her.
Verse Breakdown
"And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years"
This clause immediately establishes the woman's identity (though unnamed) and her long-term, debilitating condition. The "issue of blood" (hemorrhage) signifies not only physical suffering but also profound social and religious isolation due to ritual impurity under Mosaic Law. The duration, "twelve years," underscores the chronicity of her affliction and the depth of her despair.
"which had spent all her living upon physicians"
This phrase reveals the woman's desperate attempts to find a cure through conventional means. "All her living" (her entire livelihood or possessions) emphasizes her complete financial ruin, indicating that she had exhausted every resource in her quest for healing, yet found no relief. This detail highlights the futility of human efforts without divine intervention.
"neither could be healed of any"
This final part of the verse delivers the crushing blow of her situation: despite her immense personal sacrifice and the efforts of many physicians, no one was able to cure her. This statement amplifies her utter hopelessness and sets the stage for the miraculous power of Jesus to accomplish what was humanly impossible, making her a perfect candidate for a divine encounter.
Literary Devices
Luke's concise yet impactful description in this verse employs several literary devices. Pathos is immediately evoked by the mention of a "woman having an issue of blood twelve years," drawing the reader's sympathy for her prolonged suffering and social ostracism. The phrase "which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any" utilizes irony and contrast. It is ironic that despite her immense financial investment and the efforts of medical professionals, she remained unhealed, highlighting the limitations of human wisdom and resources. This also creates a stark contrast between the inability of earthly physicians and the impending, effortless power of the divine Physician, Jesus. The narrative structure itself, by placing this story as an intercalation within the Jairus narrative, serves to build suspense and emphasize Jesus' boundless compassion and availability to all, regardless of their social standing or the nature of their affliction.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Luke 8:43 powerfully illustrates the human condition of desperation and the limitations of earthly solutions, setting the stage for the transformative power of God. The woman's chronic illness and financial ruin highlight the pervasive nature of suffering in a fallen world and humanity's inherent inability to fully overcome its consequences through its own efforts. Her story underscores the theological truth that true healing, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, ultimately comes from a divine source beyond human capacity. It emphasizes that God's compassion extends even to those marginalized and deemed "unclean" by society, challenging the rigid social and religious boundaries of the time. This narrative serves as a profound testament to the accessibility of God's grace through faith, even when all other avenues have been exhausted.
Reflection and Application
The story of the woman with the issue of blood, introduced in Luke 8:43, offers profound spiritual lessons for contemporary believers. Her twelve years of suffering and complete financial depletion resonate deeply with anyone who has experienced prolonged hardship, chronic illness, or the exhaustion of resources in the face of an insurmountable problem. Her desperate situation reminds us that there are times when human solutions fail, and we are left with nothing but our need. In such moments, this narrative encourages us to turn to Jesus, recognizing that His power transcends all human limitations. Her quiet, determined act of seeking to merely touch His garment speaks to a faith that looks beyond outward appearances or social norms, trusting in the inherent power of Christ. This story challenges us to cultivate a persistent, active faith, even when our circumstances seem hopeless, and to remember that Jesus sees and cares for the silent sufferers and the marginalized among us, offering not just a cure, but complete restoration and peace.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was the woman's condition considered so severe, beyond just physical suffering?
The woman's "issue of blood" (hemorrhage) for twelve years was severe not only physically, causing weakness and likely anemia, but also profoundly devastating socially and religiously. According to the Mosaic Law in Leviticus 15:25-30, a continuous bodily discharge like hers rendered a person ritually unclean. This meant she was perpetually defiled, unable to participate in temple worship, touch others, or even have others touch objects she had used, without making them unclean. This led to extreme social isolation, economic hardship, and spiritual alienation, making her life one of constant shame and despair.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
The narrative of the woman with the issue of blood in Luke 8:43-48 finds profound Christ-centered fulfillment in Jesus as the ultimate Physician and the embodiment of God's redemptive power. Her twelve years of uncleanness and the futility of human remedies perfectly illustrate humanity's desperate spiritual condition, alienated from God and unable to cleanse itself through its own efforts, much like the Law could not bring perfect righteousness but only revealed sin (Romans 3:20). Jesus, the Son of God, steps into this scene of human despair, not merely as a healer of physical ailments but as the one who breaks the power of sin, sickness, and ritual impurity. Her touch of His garment, an act of desperate faith, symbolizes humanity's need to reach out to Christ for salvation. Just as her flow of blood ceased immediately, so too does the "flow" of sin and death cease for those who, by faith, touch the hem of His divine authority. He is the Lamb of God whose blood cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7), making us truly clean and bringing us into fellowship with God, fulfilling the longing for purity and restoration that the Old Testament laws foreshadowed but could not fully provide (Hebrews 9:11-14). Her healing is a powerful microcosm of the spiritual healing and reconciliation offered to all who come to Christ in faith.