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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
Nine Centuries of Reception
18 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.
(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.
"For I know," he said, "that power has gone out from me." It transcends our order, or probably that even of the angels, to send out any power of their own nature, as something that is of themselves. Such an act is an attribute appropriate only to the nature that is above everything and supreme. Every created being God endows with power, whether of healing or something similar, does not possess it of itself but as a thing given it by God. All things are given and worked in the creature, and it can do nothing of itself. As God he said, "I know that power has gone forth from me."
For the miracle which was performed escaped not the Lord, but He who knew all things asks as if He were ignorant.
(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.
But with everyone denying it, Peter and those who were with him said: "Master, the crowds are pressing on you and afflicting you, and you say, 'Who touched me?'" The crowds press on all sides unpredictably, but one believing woman touches the Lord. For one who is afflicted by the various heresies amassed disorderly only seeks the one with a faithful heart of the Catholic Church. For, just as some see but do not see, and hear but do not hear, so too, those who touch do not touch, who do not faithfully touch Christ. Hence, to a certain one who loves indeed but who has not yet fully believed, he says: "Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father" (John XX); clearly teaching what it means to truly touch Him, that is, to believe Him equal to the Father.
And Jesus said: "Someone touched me. For I know that power has gone out from me," etc. Let Pelagius say, if he pleases, that he is saved by his own effort. But let us say that the salvation of man is vain, in God we shall do virtue. For He also knows that the power, which is propitious to all our iniquities and heals all our infirmities, goes out not from ourselves but from Him. Therefore, He does not ignore the one who has touched the hem of His garment, that is, the mysteries of the incarnation, until he reaches the greater truths, having believed perfectly by fully loving.
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.
(Asterius.) But the Lord heard the woman's silent thoughts, and silently released her silent, permitting willingly the seizing of her cure. But afterwards He makes known the miracle, as it follows: And Jesus said, Who touched me?
(Victor. Ant.) Now His disciples who knew not what was asked, but supposed He spoke merely of one touching Him, answer our Lord's question, as follows, When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude press thee and throng thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? Our Lord therefore distinguishes the touching by His answer, as it follows, And Jesus said, Somebody has touched me: as He said also, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear, although all had bodily hearing of this kind; but it is not truly hearing if a man hear carelessly, nor truly touching if he touch unfaithfully. He now therefore publishes what was done, as it is added, For I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. He answers rather materially, in consideration of the minds of His hearers. He is here, however, manifested to us to be the true God, both by His miraculous deed, and by His word. For it is beyond us, and perhaps beyond angels also, to be able to communicate virtue as from our own nature. This belongs to the Supreme Nature alone. For nothing created possesses the power of healing, or even of doing any other like miracles, except it be divinely given. But it was not from desire of glory that He suffered not to remain concealed the exhibition of His divine power, Who had so often charged silence about His miracles, but because He looked to their advantage who are called through faith to grace.
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Summary
Luke 8:46 records Jesus' profound declaration amidst a pressing crowd, stating, "Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me." This pivotal moment reveals Jesus' divine sensitivity and the active, tangible nature of His miraculous power, which flowed out in response to a specific, faith-filled touch, leading to the instantaneous healing of a woman who had suffered for twelve years.
Context
Literary Context
This verse is embedded within the broader narrative of Jesus' ministry in Galilee, specifically following His calming of the storm and the exorcism of the Gerasene demoniac. Immediately preceding this verse, Jesus is on His way to the home of Jairus, a synagogue official, whose daughter is at the point of death, having been urgently summoned by Jairus himself (Luke 8:41-42). A large crowd is pressing in on Him as He walks. It is within this bustling, urgent procession that the woman with an issue of blood, desperate for healing, approaches Him from behind and touches the fringe of His garment, believing that this act alone would make her well (Luke 8:43-44). Jesus' sudden stop and inquiry in Luke 8:45 sets the stage for the profound statement in Luke 8:46, which then leads to the woman's confession and Jesus' affirmation of her faith (Luke 8:47-48).
Historical & Cultural Context
In first-century Jewish society, a woman suffering from a chronic flow of blood (likely menorrhagia or a similar condition) would have been considered ritually unclean according to Mosaic Law (Leviticus 15:25-27). This meant she was ostracized from public life, unable to participate in religious worship, and anything or anyone she touched would also become unclean. Her condition not only caused physical suffering but also profound social and spiritual isolation. The fact that she "had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any" (Luke 8:43) underscores the futility of human remedies and her utter desperation. Her approach to Jesus from behind, touching only the hem of His garment, was an act born of both profound faith and the societal constraints imposed by her condition.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Luke's Gospel and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it highlights the sovereignty and accessibility of Jesus' divine power, demonstrating that His healing virtue is not merely a passive attribute but an active force that can be drawn upon by faith. Secondly, it underscores the centrality of faith as the conduit through which God's power is accessed, a theme consistently emphasized throughout Jesus' ministry, such as in His interactions with the centurion (Luke 7:1-10) or the paralytic (Luke 5:17-26). Lastly, Jesus' immediate and precise awareness, despite the chaotic crowd, points to His divine omniscience and intimate knowledge of individual needs and spiritual transactions, distinguishing His healing from mere coincidence or a random act.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word, G680, means "to attach oneself to" or "to touch" in various implied relations. It suggests a deliberate, intentional contact, not a casual brush. In this context, it signifies the woman's purposeful act of faith, reaching out specifically to connect with Jesus' power, rather than being merely jostled by the crowd.
"to know" or "to be aware of." This is a profound word indicating a deep, experiential knowledge or understanding. Jesus didn't just sense a physical contact; He "knew" that a spiritual transaction had occurred, recognizing the specific nature of the touch that drew power from Him. This highlights His divine awareness and insight beyond mere human perception.
Meaning "force," "power," or "strength," often specifically referring to "miraculous power" or "a miracle itself." This is the root of English words like "dynamic" and "dynamite." The KJV translation "virtue" can be misleading if understood as moral goodness; here it unequivocally refers to the active, supernatural, healing power of God that resides in and emanates from Jesus.
Verse Breakdown
"And Jesus said, 'Somebody hath touched me:"
Despite being surrounded and pressed by a multitude, Jesus immediately discerns a distinct, intentional touch. This highlights His unique sensitivity to the spiritual realm and His awareness of a specific act of faith amidst the general commotion. It wasn't just a physical contact, but a touch that drew something from Him.
"for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.'"
This clause explains why Jesus knew someone had touched Him in a special way. He "perceived" (ginṓskō) with divine insight that His miraculous power (dynamis) had actively "gone out" (exérchomai) from Him. This indicates that His power is not static but dynamic and transferable, responding to faith, and that He is fully aware of its emanation. It's a statement of divine omniscience coupled with the tangible reality of His healing authority.
Literary Devices
Luke's account in this verse employs several powerful literary devices. The most prominent is Metonymy, where "virtue" stands in for "divine power" or "miraculous energy." This choice of word in the KJV (derived from the Greek dynamis) emphasizes the active, potent force emanating from Jesus, rather than a passive moral quality. There is also a subtle use of Contrast between the general, incidental touching by the crowd and the specific, faith-filled touch of the woman. Jesus' question and statement serve to highlight this distinction, drawing attention to the unique nature of her contact. Furthermore, the scene itself serves as a form of Dramatic Irony; the crowd is unaware of the profound spiritual transaction occurring in their midst, while Jesus immediately perceives it, setting Him apart as the divine Son of God with extraordinary awareness and power.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Luke 8:46 is a profound theological statement on the nature of Jesus' divine power and the mechanism by which it is accessed. It reveals that Jesus is not merely a prophet or a teacher, but the very embodiment of God's active, miraculous power. This power is not diminished by being used; rather, it is a dynamic force that responds to faith, demonstrating God's willingness to intervene directly in human suffering. The passage underscores that while many may be physically close to Jesus, it is only those who approach Him with genuine, desperate faith who experience His transformative power.
Reflection and Application
Luke 8:46 offers profound encouragement and challenge for believers today. It reminds us that Jesus' power is not a distant, historical concept, but a present and active reality. Just as the woman's desperate, faith-filled touch drew healing virtue from Him, so too can our earnest prayers and trust connect us to His limitless power for our own needs and for the needs of those around us. This passage calls us to move beyond a casual acquaintance with Christ to a deep, intentional, and faith-driven pursuit of His presence and power. It assures us that Jesus is not oblivious to our struggles, but is intimately aware of our individual needs and the faith we bring, ready to extend His transformative grace. Our access to His power is not dependent on our worthiness, but on the sincerity of our faith, however small.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "virtue" mean in Luke 8:46, and why is it significant?
In the King James Version, "virtue" translates the Greek word dynamis (G1411), which means "power," "strength," or "ability," specifically referring to miraculous power. It is the root of English words like "dynamic" and "dynamite." Its significance lies in clarifying that Jesus was not referring to a moral quality but to a tangible, supernatural force that emanated from Him. This dynamis was the divine power of God, actively at work through Jesus to bring about healing and transformation. When Jesus says "virtue is gone out of me," He is declaring that a divine, healing energy has been transferred from Him to the woman, resulting in her immediate cure.
Did Jesus lose some of His power when "virtue" went out of Him?
No, Jesus did not lose any of His inherent divine power. While the language "gone out of me" might imply a depletion, it is better understood as a transfer or emanation of His infinite power, rather than a reduction. Jesus' power, being divine, is limitless and inexhaustible. His awareness that dynamis had "gone out" simply signifies that a specific act of His power had occurred in response to faith, not that His overall capacity was diminished. This is similar to how a light source does not lose its light by illuminating something else; it simply extends its light. Jesus' power is always available to those who approach Him with faith, as seen consistently throughout the Gospels, such as when He healed many people with a word or a touch in Matthew 8:16.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Luke 8:46 profoundly reveals Jesus as the ultimate source of divine power and life, making clear that His healing virtue is not merely a human ability but an emanation of God Himself. This moment foreshadows the greater dynamis that would be unleashed through His death and resurrection, conquering sin and death itself (Romans 1:4). The power that flowed from Jesus in this instance is the same power that raised Him from the dead (Ephesians 1:19-20) and is now available to believers through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). The woman's desperate touch, drawing life from Jesus, prefigures how all humanity, spiritually diseased by sin, must reach out in faith to the crucified and risen Christ to receive true and lasting healing, finding reconciliation and new life in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17). He is the Lamb of God, whose very being is the source of all virtue and salvation, accessible by faith to all who believe (John 1:29).