Luke 8:41-48 · Bible study
Luke 8:41-48 Commentary: Jairus, the Woman, and the Faith That Touches
Greek · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus heals a desperate ruler’s daughter and a woman with a long-term bleeding disorder. Two stories, one lesson: faith reaches through the crowd.
Research Summary
- Meaning: In the middle of an urgent journey, Jesus stops for a woman whose deliberate, faith-driven touch releases his healing power.
- Key words: δύναμις (power), πίστις (faith), σῴζω (to save/heal, perfect tense), κράσπεδον (fringe), θυγάτηρ (daughter, only time Jesus uses this to a woman).
- Main debate: Does power leave Jesus automatically when someone touches in faith, or does he consciously release it? Calvin and Gill argue he knowingly wills it; Clarke emphasises that faith “attracts” the power.
- Theological theme: Jesus welcomes the outcast, affirms the faith of the desperate, and uses delay to grow trust, even as Jairus’s situation worsens.
- Best use: A model of personal faith in a crowd, and a reminder that Jesus notices the one who reaches for him in sincerity.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
41Just then a synagogue leader named Jairus came and fell at Jesus’ feet. He begged Him to come to his house,
42because his only daughter, who was about twelve, was dying. As Jesus went with him, the crowds pressed around Him,
43including a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. She had spent all her money on physicians, but no one was able to heal her.
44She came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.
45“Who touched Me?” Jesus asked. But they all denied it. “Master,” said Peter, “the people are crowding and pressing against You.”
46But Jesus declared, “Someone touched Me, for I know that power has gone out from Me.”
47Then the woman, seeing that she could not escape notice, came trembling and fell down before Him. In the presence of all the people, she explained why she had touched Him and how she had immediately been healed.
48“Daughter,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
41Behold, a man named Jairus came. He was a ruler of the synagogue. He fell down at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come into his house,
42for he had an only born daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as he went, the multitudes pressed against him.
43A woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her living on physicians and could not be healed by any,
44came behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak. Immediately the flow of her blood stopped.
45Jesus said, “Who touched me?” When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes press and jostle you, and you say, ‘Who touched me?’”
46But Jesus said, “Someone did touch me, for I perceived that power has gone out of me.”
47When the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before him declared to him in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.
48He said to her, “Daughter, cheer up. Your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”
KJV King James Version 1769
41And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus’ feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:
42For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him.
43And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,
44Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.
45And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
46And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.
47And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.
48And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
41And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus’ feet, and besought him to come into his house;
42for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as he went the multitudes thronged him.
43And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, who had spent all her living upon physicians, and could not be healed of any,
44came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately the issue of her blood stanched.
45And Jesus said, Who is it that touched me? And when all denied, Peter said, and they that were with him, Master, the multitudes press thee and crush thee.
46But Jesus said, Some one did touch me; for I perceived that power had gone forth from me.
47And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people for what cause she touched him, and how she was healed immediately.
48And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
41and lo, there came a man, whose name is Jairus, and he was a chief of the synagogue, and having fallen at the feet of Jesus, was calling on him to come to his house;
42because he had an only daughter about twelve years old , and she was dying. And in his going away, the multitudes were thronging him,
43and a woman, having an issue of blood for twelve years, who, having spent on physicians all her living, was not able to be healed by any,
44having come near behind, touched the fringe of his garment, and presently the issue of her blood stood.
45And Jesus said, `Who is it that touched me?' and all denying, Peter and those with him said, `Master, the multitudes press thee, and throng thee , and thou dost say, Who is it that touched me!'
46And Jesus said, `Some one did touch me, for I knew power having gone forth from me.'
47And the woman, having seen that she was not hid, trembling, came, and having fallen before him, for what cause she touched him declared to him before all the people, and how she was healed presently;
48and he said to her, `Take courage, daughter, thy faith hath saved thee, be going on to peace.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
41And behold, a man came, whose name was Jairus, and he was [a] ruler of the synagogue, and falling at the feet of Jesus besought him to come to his house,
42because he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. And as he went the crowds thronged him.
43And a woman who had a flux of blood since twelve years, who, having spent all her living on physicians, could not be cured by any one,
44coming up behind, touched the hem of his garment, and immediately her flux of blood stopped.
45And Jesus said, Who has touched me? But all denying, Peter and those with him said, Master, the crowds close thee in and press upon thee, and sayest thou, Who has touched me?
46And Jesus said, Some one has touched me, for I have known that power has gone out from me.
47And the woman, seeing that she was not hid, came trembling, and falling down before him declared before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was immediately healed.
48And he said to her, [Be of good courage,] daughter; thy faith has healed thee; go in peace.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
41And behold there came a man whose name was Jairus: and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at the feet of Jesus, beseeching him that he would come into his house:
42For he had an only daughter, almost twelve years old, and she was dying. And it happened as he went that he was thronged by the multitudes.
43And there was a certain woman having an issue of blood twelve years, who had bestowed all her substance on physicians and could not be healed by any.
44She came behind him and touched the hem of his garment: and immediately the issue of her blood stopped.
45And Jesus said: Who is it that touched me? And all denying, Peter and they that were with him said: Master, the multitudes throng and press thee; and dost thou say, who touched me?
46And Jesus said: Somebody hath touched me; for I know that virtue is gone out from me.
47And the woman seeing that she was not hid, came trembling and fell down before his feet and declared before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was immediately healed.
48But he said to her: Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. Go thy way in peace.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 8:41
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree this passage presents two healings that are deliberately woven together. Jairus, a synagogue ruler, falls at Jesus’ feet and begs for his dying daughter. The Cambridge Bible notes Luke’s tender detail, this is his “only daughter,” about twelve, the same number of years the woman has bled. On the way, the woman touches the fringe of Jesus’ garment and is healed instantly.
Jesus’ question “Who touched me?” is not ignorance. Calvin argues Jesus knew exactly whom he healed; the question draws the woman into public testimony. Gill and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown add that the crowd’s jostling is mere physical contact, while the woman’s touch is a deliberate reach of faith, Augustine’s “flesh presses; faith touches.” When she comes trembling, Jesus calls her “Daughter,” the only time he uses that word to a woman (Cambridge). He attributes her healing not to the fringe or the act itself, but to her faith: “Your faith has made you well” (σέσωκέν σε, perfect tense, a completed, permanent wholeness). The woman’s public confession is part of her restoration; she goes in peace.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Faith draws power (Wesleyan/Arminian): Clarke: the woman’s faith actively “attracts” the power, implying a responsive mechanism built into Jesus’s ministry.
- Sovereign intentionality (Reformed): Calvin, Gill: Jesus knowingly and willingly healed the woman; power did not leave him apart from his will.
- Public testimony as goal: JFB, Cambridge, Gill: Jesus asks the question not for information but to draw her out, so her confession strengthens faith and prepares Jairus.
What is clear: Jesus heals the woman immediately, calls her “Daughter,” and credits her faith—while still en route to raise a dead girl, demonstrating his power over both chronic disease and death.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Jesus's awareness of the woman | Jesus knew exactly who had touched him and why. | Some say he knew by his divine omniscience; others emphasise that he “perceived” (ἔγνων) the power leaving him, which indicated the event. |
| The nature of power going out | Power (δύναμις) actually went out from Jesus; the woman was physically healed. | Did this happen automatically when faith touched him (Clarke), or was it a sovereign, intentional act (Calvin)? Both sides agree Jesus consented to it. |
| Ritual impurity | The woman was unclean under Levitical law; touching Jesus would technically have conveyed impurity. | Some traditions see her fear as the shame of making Jesus unclean. Others note Jesus does not treat impurity as transferrable this way, he heals instead. |
| The delay for Jairus | The story interrupts Jairus’s urgent request, and his daughter dies before Jesus reaches her. | Some see the delay as a test of faith; others as a teaching moment (the woman’s public testimony prepared Jairus). All agree Jesus raises the girl in the end. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jairus is a “ruler of the synagogue” (ἄρχων τῆς συναγωγῆς), a position of significant authority. He would have overseen the order of worship, selected readers, and maintained the building. For such a man to fall at Jesus’ feet in public meant setting aside every social and religious barrier. Vincent notes that Jairus’s name echoes an ancient Israelite chief who conquered Bashan, a name that “lingered down to the time of the Christian era.”
The woman’s condition, a flow of blood for twelve years, made her ceremonially unclean under Leviticus 15:19, 30. She could not enter the temple or synagogue, could not touch others, and would have been socially isolated. Luke adds that she “had spent all her living on physicians” (προσαναλώσασα, a word found only here in the New Testament). The Cambridge Bible observes Luke’s fellow-feeling for physicians; he omits Mark’s sharper comment that she “suffered many things” and only grew worse.
The “fringe of his garment” (τοῦ κρασπέδου) refers to the tassels (tzitzit) commanded in Numbers 15:38, 39. These were reminders of God’s commandments and were often associated with piety. The woman reaches for the most sacred part of his clothing. She comes “from behind” (ὄπισθεν), hoping to remain hidden in the crowd. The crowd itself is described with the verb συνέπνιγον, an imperfect tense that means they were “pressing together, choking, almost suffocating” Jesus (Clarke, Vincent). The verb ἀποθλίβουσιν (v.45) suggests being crushed as though squeezed for wine. The difference between the crowd’s accidental pressure and the woman’s intentional touch could not be sharper.
Textual Notes
No significant textual variants are noted in the supplied commentaries. The verse 48 includes “cheer up” (θάρσει) in most early manuscripts; a few Western witnesses omit it, but the phrase is well attested in Alexandrian and Byzantine traditions. The passage is stable across the Greek textual tradition.
Reception History
Church fathers from at least the fourth century drew on this passage to distinguish between superficial contact with Christ and genuine faith. Augustine’s well-known comment, “Flesh presses; faith touches”, became a standard exegetical touchstone. In medieval piety, the woman was seen as a figure of the Church reaching out from ritual impurity to find healing. Protestant Reformers such as Calvin emphasised the woman’s public confession and Jesus’s affirmation of her faith, while Pietist and Wesleyan traditions (Clarke) used the account to teach that faith alone draws divine power. The pairing of Jairus with the bleeding woman has been used in hymnody to illustrate Christ’s sovereignty over life and death.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Desperate leaders fall low. Jairus, a man of status and religious authority, falls at Jesus’ feet. Nothing else matters, only his daughter’s life.
- The crowd pushes; faith touches. The woman’s touch is not accidental. She reaches deliberately, in faith, and power (δύναμις) goes out from Jesus.
- Jesus stops for the one. Even while urgent needs press, Jesus pauses to draw out the woman. Her public confession becomes part of her healing.
Five-point outline
- Jairus comes to Jesus. A ruler of the synagogue falls down and begs. His position does not prevent his need.
- The desperate woman intervenes. Twelve years of bleeding, no money left, no cure, she believes a touch will save her.
- Jesus feels the power depart. δύναμις leaves him, and he knows it. This is not magic; it is a personal transaction.
- The woman fears and confesses. She comes trembling, falls before him in front of the crowd, and tells her story.
- Jesus sends her in peace. “Daughter, cheer up. Your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” Her healing is complete, body, soul, and community.
Illustration hooks
- The crowd and the single set of hands. Everyone pressed in, but only one person reached out with intention. A concert: the crowd jostles, but only the person who really wants to meet the artist breaks through.
- The parent who would do anything. A mother whose child is in hospital will take advice from anyone, wait in any hallway, speak to any stranger, if it might help. That is Jairus.
- The chronic condition nobody sees. A person with a long illness often hides, exhausted by treatments and tired of explaining. The woman knows that shame, and the risk of reaching out anyway.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does Jesus notice me among the many who crowd him?
- What is the difference between just showing up and really reaching for Jesus?
- Why did Jesus delay for the woman when Jairus’s daughter was dying?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows two people with very different kinds of access, a powerful official and an unclean outcast. Both approach Jesus in need, and both receive his full attention. The interruption by the woman is not a distraction; it is part of the lesson.
Discussion questions
- Read verses 41, 42. How does Jairus’s position make his desperation more remarkable? What does his falling down tell you about Jesus?
- Verse 43 mentions the woman’s twelve years of suffering and her wasted resources. Why do you think Luke includes that detail? What does it say about her hope?
- Jesus says “Someone did touch me.” Why does he distinguish her touch from the crowd’s pressure (v.45, 46)? What does that distinction imply about faith?
- The woman comes trembling (v.47). Why is she afraid? What does Jesus’s word “Daughter” do to her fear?
- Based on v.48, what does Jesus mean by “Your faith has made you well”? The Greek verb σέσωκεν is perfect tense, a completed, lasting salvation. Did the fringe have power, or her faith, or Jesus? Discuss.
- How does the woman’s healing and public confession affect Jairus? The news of his daughter’s death comes in the next verse. How might her testimony have prepared him for what happens next?
- In what ways are we like the crowd, pressing around Jesus without really reaching him? What would it take to “touch” him in a way that draws power?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Matthew 8:7 | Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” |
| Matthew 8:8 | The centurion answered, “Lord, I’m not worthy for you to come under my roof. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed. |
| Matthew 9:18 | While he told these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” |
| Matthew 9:26 | The report of this went out into all that land. |
| Mark 5:22 | Behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, came; and seeing him, he fell at his feet |
| Mark 5:23 | and begged him much, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Please come and lay your hands on her, that she may be made healthy, and live.” |
| Mark 5:43 | He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and commanded that something should be given to her to eat. |
| Luke 5:8 | But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
5 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke stresses that the healing power flowing from Jesus was not automatic like a scent from a plant; it only went to those who touched him in faith. He argues that faith alone draws God's active energy, and that more spiritual healings would occur if believers had more faith.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin sees Jesus' question not as ignorance but as a deliberate move to draw out a public confession. The miracle was already complete, but the woman's spoken testimony carried more weight than any bare display of power. Jesus wanted her faith acknowledged openly.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill draws attention to how remarkable it was that Jairus, a synagogue ruler, came to Jesus at all, which is why Luke opens with "behold". He also explains that Jesus asked "who touched me?" not from ignorance but to bring the woman forward, and notes that she deliberately touched the fringe of his garment, a religious sign of piety.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws a sharp contrast between the crowd that merely jostled Jesus and the one person who touched Him with deliberate, trusting faith. Only that conscious, voluntary contact draws healing power from Christ. Jesus then insists on a public confession, both to honor the woman's faith and to make her testimony plain.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent observes that Luke, writing as a physician, deliberately omits Mark's harsh detail about the woman suffering at the hands of many doctors and only growing worse. He also cautions against reading too much into Luke's medical terms, noting Mark uses the same wording for "power" coming from Jesus.