Luke 8 43

Luke 8:43 kjv

And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,

Luke 8:43 nkjv

Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any,

Luke 8:43 niv

And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her.

Luke 8:43 esv

And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone.

Luke 8:43 nlt

A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure.

Luke 8 verses

Luke 8 43 Meaning

Luke 8:43 describes the dire state of a woman afflicted with a persistent hemorrhage for twelve years. This condition rendered her ceremonially unclean according to Mosaic Law, leading to severe social ostracization and spiritual isolation. Despite exhausting all her financial resources on various physicians, her condition remained uncured and had, in fact, worsened. This verse sets the scene for Jesus' miraculous and compassionate intervention, highlighting the limits of human capability and the profound need for divine healing.

Luke 8 43 Context

Luke 8:43 is part of a series of miracles Jesus performs, specifically embedded within the account of Jairus' request for his dying daughter (Luke 8:40-56). As Jesus is on His way to Jairus' house, surrounded by a large crowd, this woman approaches Him from behind. The immediate context showcases Jesus' divine power over both illness and death, presenting two instances of His life-giving authority – one a woman sick unto death, the other a child dead. Historically and culturally, a woman with a chronic "issue of blood" (a continuous hemorrhage) was perpetually in a state of ceremonial uncleanness according to Mosaic Law (Leviticus 15). This meant she was isolated from society; she could not participate in public worship, touch anyone, or be touched without rendering them unclean. Her home, her seat, her bed—everything she came into contact with—was considered unclean. This verse emphasizes her prolonged suffering, financial ruin due to futile medical treatments, and absolute despair, preparing the reader for the profound compassion and power Jesus exhibits in healing her. The narrative highlights the inadequacy of human remedies versus the efficacy of divine power, indirectly challenging reliance on mere earthly solutions for profound human needs.

Luke 8 43 Word analysis

• And a woman: (Greek: kai gynē) – Introduces a new character central to the interruption of the narrative concerning Jairus. Her anonymity (she is never named) highlights her marginalized status and perhaps represents all who suffer hidden afflictions.
• having an issue of blood: (Greek: huparhousa en rusei haimatos) – Literally "being in a flow of blood." This phrase denotes a severe, continuous hemorrhage. Biblically and culturally, this condition, as outlined in Leviticus 15:25-30, made her ritually impure (ṭame') without pause. This perpetual impurity meant she was a social outcast, unable to participate in community life or temple worship, touch others, or be touched, which brought deep shame and loneliness.
• twelve years: (Greek: etē dōdeka) – This specific duration emphasizes the chronic, debilitating, and hopeless nature of her condition. It also subtly links to the age of Jairus' daughter, who was also twelve years old (Luke 8:42), drawing a parallel between her state of prolonged "living death" and the young girl's approaching physical death. This chronic affliction signifies extreme physical and emotional exhaustion.
• which had spent: (Greek: tis to holon ton bion pros iatrous prosenegkasēn) – Literally "who had spent her entire living/property on physicians." Luke, a physician himself, highlights the economic devastation this long-term illness had inflicted. This implies she was likely wealthy at one point but had exhausted all her assets seeking a cure.
• all her living: (Greek: to holon ton bion) – Refers to her entire financial resources, her livelihood, her whole estate. This shows the absolute desperation and extreme measures she had taken, indicative of total financial ruin on top of her physical suffering.
• upon physicians: (Greek: pros iatrous) – This specifies the recipients of her vast expenditure. In ancient times, medical practices were often rudimentary, ineffective, or even harmful. This phrase implicitly underscores the futility and powerlessness of human medicine to cure her severe condition.
• neither could be healed of any: (Greek: oudenos iathēnai) – Literally "by no one could be healed." This conclusive statement reiterates the utter failure of all human efforts and medical interventions. It builds a crescendo of despair, showing that her situation was utterly hopeless from any earthly perspective. It prepares the reader for the truly extraordinary, divine intervention of Jesus, whose power stands in stark contrast to human limitations.

Luke 8 43 Bonus section

• The detail of "twelve years" creates a poignant narrative bridge with Jairus's daughter, who was also "about twelve years old" (Luke 8:42). This parallelism contrasts a young life just beginning but facing death with a life prolonged in suffering, signifying death-in-life. Both needed Jesus' life-giving power.
• The woman's condition highlights the extensive reach of ceremonial laws. She was not just sick, but legally untouchable, meaning she violated societal norms merely by being in the crowd and certainly by touching Jesus. Her courageous (and desperate) act reveals her faith in Jesus' power over traditional purity laws.
• This verse (and the subsequent healing) reveals Jesus' compassion for the marginalized and outcasts, showing that His ministry reached beyond the physically afflicted to those ostracized by religious or social codes. He reversed the impurity by becoming the source of ultimate purity.

Luke 8 43 Commentary

Luke 8:43 is a profound depiction of human suffering, desperation, and the futility of worldly solutions without Christ. The woman's chronic "issue of blood" wasn't merely a physical ailment; it was a profound spiritual and social burden. Levitical law deemed her perpetually unclean, segregating her from society, making her untouchable and excluding her from all religious and communal life. Her expenditure of "all her living upon physicians" not only speaks to her extreme financial loss but also serves as a stark commentary on the inadequacy of human remedies in the face of deep-seated human problems. Luke, as a physician, pointedly notes the failure of his own profession in this case, underscoring that some afflictions require more than human skill.

This verse sets the stage for a dramatic contrast: human powerlessness versus divine omnipotence. Her hopeless situation—physical decay, financial ruin, social shame, and spiritual isolation—is precisely the kind of burden Jesus came to address. Her subsequent action of touching Jesus, an act that should have made Jesus unclean by law, instead results in her immediate healing and purity, demonstrating Jesus' transformative power. His holiness doesn't get defiled by her touch; rather, His purity consumes her impurity, bringing radical healing and restoration. The phrase "neither could be healed of any" emphasizes the absolute need for a unique, divine intervention, powerfully illustrating that where human efforts fail completely, Jesus Christ triumphs perfectly.