The Woman with the Issue of Blood
The account of the woman with the issue of blood is found in Mark 5:25-34 and paralleled in Matthew 9:20-22 and Luke 8:43-48. This story, set within the broader context of Jesus’ miracles and teachings, offers profound insight into the nature of faith, the boundaries of ritual purity, and the compassion that Jesus has for those who seek him. This article will examine the historical and literary context of the passage, the significance of the twelve-year duration of the woman’s suffering, and the meaning behind Jesus’ use of the term “daughter,” drawing on relevant biblical texts and scholarly perspectives.
Historical and Literary Context
Mark’s Gospel is characterized by its vivid storytelling and theological depth. The story of the woman with the issue of blood is embedded within a larger narrative framework. In this case, Jesus is on his way to heal Jairus’ daughter when the woman interrupts his journey. There are connections between the two stories: both involve females in desperate need, both are beyond human help, and both are restored through an encounter with Jesus.
The woman’s condition is described as a “discharge of blood” that had persisted for twelve years (Mark 5:25). According to Levitical law, such a condition rendered her ritually unclean (Leviticus 15:25-27). This meant not only physical suffering but also social and religious isolation. She would have been excluded from normal community life, unable to participate in worship, and likely regarded with suspicion or even contempt. Mark emphasizes the woman’s desperation: “She had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse” (Mark 5:26). Her resources exhausted, her hope diminished, she turns to Jesus as her last and only hope.
The Significance of Twelve Years
The detail that the woman had suffered for twelve years is important to note. In biblical literature, numbers often carry symbolic weight. The number twelve is frequently associated with the people of God–twelve tribes of Israel, twelve apostles, and so forth. In this narrative, the twelve years of the woman’s suffering are juxtaposed with the twelve years of Jairus’s daughter’s life (Mark 5:25, 42). This parallel invites us to reflect on the comprehensive scope of Jesus’ ministry: he brings restoration to both the young and the old, the prominent and the marginalized, the ritually clean and unclean.
The twelve years may also symbolize the completeness of the woman’s suffering and the totality of her exclusion. For as long as Jairus’s daughter had lived–a full span of childhood–the woman had been afflicted and isolated. This contrast heightens the drama of the narrative and shows the depth of the woman’s need. Her suffering encompasses physical, social, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. The duration of twelve years also suggests a sense of hopelessness; after so long, any expectation of healing would have faded. Yet it is precisely at this point of utter desperation that Jesus intervenes.
Ritual Purity, Social Exclusion, and the Power of Touch
The woman’s condition placed her in a state of perpetual impurity according to the Mosaic Law. Leviticus 15:25-27 stipulates that a woman with a discharge of blood is unclean, and anyone who touches her or anything she touches becomes unclean as well. This legal framework created a barrier between the woman and her community, as well as between her and God’s presence in the temple. Her approach to Jesus, therefore, is both bold and risky. She comes “in the crowd behind him and touched his garment” (Mark 5:27), believing that even this indirect contact would be sufficient for healing.
Her action is an act of faith, but also one of transgression against social and religious norms. She does not ask Jesus directly for healing, perhaps out of shame or fear of rejection. Instead, she seeks a secret encounter, hoping to remain unnoticed. Yet Jesus immediately notices that “power had gone out from him” (Mark 5:30) and turns to identify the one who touched him. The woman, “knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth” (Mark 5:33). She is aware of her social and religious status, but her confession is beautifully honest and vulnerable.
Jesus’ Response: Compassion and Restoration
Jesus’ response to the woman is full of compassion. Rather than rebuking her for violating purity laws or for her secretive approach, Jesus addresses her tenderly: “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease” (Mark 5:34). Jesus’ words of love show his identity to his people who choose to follow him by faith.
Jesus attributes the healing to the woman’s faith. Her belief in Jesus’ power, even if expressed in a hesitant and indirect manner, is sufficient for restoration. This theme is echoed elsewhere in the Gospels, where Jesus commends those who approach him in faith, regardless of their social status or ritual purity (see Matthew 9:22; Luke 8:48). The healing encompasses peace and wholeness–a restoration to community and to relationship with God.
Jesus’ use of the term “daughter” is deeply significant. Nowhere else in the Gospels does Jesus address a woman in this way. The term conveys intimacy, acceptance, and belonging. In the context of her social exclusion and ritual impurity, to be called “daughter” by Jesus is to be publicly affirmed as a member of God’s family. This echoes Old Testament language in which Israel is described as God’s son (Exodus 4:22-23), but here the image is applied to an individual, highlighting the personal nature of Jesus’ ministry. The language of sonship reminds us of Exodus 4:22-23, in which Israel is called the son of God, but here the image is applied to one person, David’s son. David’s son will rule not only over the people of Israel, but also over the nations" (see 2 Samuel 7:14). In calling the woman “daughter,” Jesus extends the privileges of covenant relationship to one who had been excluded.
Faith, Fear, and the Kingdom of God
The narrative of the woman with the issue of blood is framed by themes of faith and fear. The woman comes to Jesus in fear and trembling, yet it is her faith that is commended and rewarded. Jesus’ words, “Do not fear, only believe” (Mark 5:36), spoken to Jairus immediately after this episode, reinforce the centrality of faith in the kingdom of God. The juxtaposition of the two stories–the healing of the woman and the raising of Jairus’s daughter–underscores the inclusivity of Jesus’ ministry. He responds to the needs of the marginalized and the powerful alike, inviting all to approach him in faith.
The story also challenges conventional boundaries of purity and exclusion. Jesus is not defiled by the woman’s touch; rather, she is made clean by his power. This reversal anticipates the broader mission of Jesus, who comes to seek and save the lost, to break down barriers, and to inaugurate a new era of access to God. The woman’s restoration is a foretaste of the healing and reconciliation that Jesus brings to all who trust in him.
Conclusion
The account of the woman with issue of blood in Mark 5 is a profound narrative of faith, restoration, and identity. The twelve years of her suffering highlight the completeness of her need and the depth of her exclusion, while Jesus’ address of her as “daughter” signifies her full inclusion in the family of God. The story invites us to recognize the power of faith, the compassion of Jesus, and the radical inclusivity of the kingdom of God. In a world full of suffering, exclusion, and fear, the story offers hope and assurance that all who come to Jesus in faith will find healing, peace, and belonging.