Mark 5:33 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth.

NIV: Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth.

NASB: But the woman, fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.

CSB: The woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him, and told him the whole truth.

NLT: Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done.

KJV: But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

NKJV: But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.

When the legion of demons fell before Jesus (Mark 5:6), it was in acknowledgement of Jesus' superiority. When Jairus, the synagogue leader fell (Mark 5:22), it was in desperate supplication. The woman who has been healed of her twelve-year issue of blood falls prostrate, in homage, great emotion, and fear. The God-empowered, miracle-working rabbi has discovered that she, an unclean woman, touched His robe. He is now unclean until evening, when He must bathe Himself and His clothes. She has taken terrible liberties and dishonored Him in front of the great crowd.

When God asks Adam and Eve where they were, their response is to mislead. They know God knows their sin, and they immediately set about trying to shift the blame (Genesis 3:8–13). When God asks Cain where Abel is, Cain responds with feigned ignorance (Genesis 4:9–10). This woman shows incredible integrity by stepping forward and telling Jesus the whole truth.

We're not told why she is afraid. It may be she thinks Jesus will condemn her for her act. Or that, like the disciples in the storm (Mark 4:35–41), she has gained an even greater idea of the power of the man she had faith in. Her bravery, however, serves her well. First, it reveals to the entire crowd that her shameful condition is healed. She is ceremonially clean—or, at the very least, now has regained the ability to become clean, something her condition prevented. Second, it allows Jesus to commend her to the crowd, completely reversing her disgraced social status. Because she is open and honest, she is able to live openly in her newfound freedom.

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.