Mark 5:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment.

NIV: When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,

NASB: after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak.

CSB: Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his clothing.

NLT: She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe.

KJV: When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

NKJV: When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.

The woman who approaches Jesus has been suffering twelve years from a severe hemorrhage (Mark 5:25–26). "Garment" or "cloak" is from the Greek root word himation and means an outer garment. Some have suggested the woman attempted to touch the tassels on the corners of Jesus' cloak, which God commanded the Israelites to wear as reminders of their responsibility to obey His law (Numbers 15:37–40), but the text doesn't specify here, although Matthew 9:20 and Luke 8:44 describe her touching the "fringe" of Jesus' garment.

This happens in the midst of a pushy, rowdy crowd of people (Mark 5:21). The woman means for her surreptitious act to go unnoticed. Unlike the bold leper (Mark 1:40–45), the paralytic's friends (Mark 2:1–12), and even Jairus the synagogue leader (Mark 5:22–23), the woman intends to remain unknown. Her condition makes everything and everyone she touches unclean (Leviticus 15:19–24), and a chronic condition would leave her forever outcast. Josephus writes that menstruating women are not allowed in the Temple. In that way, her condition leaves her much like a leper: socially and religiously removed. Although she understands Jesus' power, and even perhaps His willingness to heal, she does not understand His heart toward her. By sneaking in, she is avoiding humiliation. She does not want to besmirch the reputation of a rabbi, nor be known as the woman with the gall to do so. She is soon to learn that Jesus values her far more than ceremonial constraints.

Mark, uncharacteristically, goes into quite a bit of detail so that we feel empathy for the desperate woman (Mark 5:25–26). Modern eyes see a woman with an unfortunate medical problem that doctors today have some success in treating. Mark's intent, however, is to encourage understanding for a disgraced, destitute woman in need of Jesus' healing and our loving attention. We meet many similar people today, and we are reminded to see them as Jesus does.

Mark 5:25–34 interrupts a depiction of Jesus healing a synagogue leader's daughter. Before He can get through the crowd, He feels power flowing out of Him. A woman who has been hemorrhaging for twelve years touches His robe and God heals her. This passage shows that God is sovereign over our distractions; He will sometimes give us important work in the midst of other tasks. It also shows that we are not a nuisance to Him. He always has time for us. This account is also found in Matthew 9:20–22 and Luke 8:43–48.

Jesus arrives on the other side of the Sea of Galilee and heals a man afflicted by a ''legion'' of demons. In the aftermath of this event, Jesus once again crosses the waters within this region, known as the Decapolis. There, He is approached by a synagogue leader, begging Him to come and save a dying girl. In the midst of this trip, Jesus stops the crowd to identify a woman who attempted to covertly touch his robes; her faithful act results in healing. Jesus then continues on to the home of the synagogue leader and resurrects his recently-deceased child.

Mark 4:35—5:43 sees an increase in the scope of Jesus' miracles. He has just calmed a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee. Now, He expels a legion of demons, heals a woman without overtly acting, and brings a girl back to life. All three situations—related to tombs, blood, and death—show Jesus bringing healing to unclean circumstances. In chapter 6, the tone of His ministry will develop. He will be rejected by those who should know Him best, He will send out His followers to do His work, and His direct link to the Old Testament prophets will be explained.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.