Mark 5 25

Mark 5:25 kjv

And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

Mark 5:25 nkjv

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years,

Mark 5:25 niv

And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.

Mark 5:25 esv

And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years,

Mark 5:25 nlt

A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding.

Mark 5 verses

Mark 5 25 Meaning

Mark 5:25 describes a woman who suffered from a continuous flow of blood for a debilitating period of twelve years. This condition rendered her ritually unclean under Mosaic law, leading to profound social isolation, chronic suffering, and likely severe financial hardship. The verse introduces her plight, setting the stage for her desperate yet faith-filled attempt to seek healing from Jesus.

Mark 5 25 Context

Mark 5:25 is part of a narrative "sandwich" structure employed by Mark. The immediate context (Mk 5:21-24 and 5:35-43) involves Jesus going to heal Jairus's daughter, who is also twelve years old. The woman's story is intentionally inserted, or "intercalated," into this larger narrative, creating a literary device that connects their experiences and highlights Jesus's power over both chronic illness and death. The specific setting is likely in Capernaum or its vicinity, following Jesus's ministry by the sea of Galilee.From a historical and cultural standpoint, the woman's condition, rheusis haimatos, extended beyond a physical ailment. Under Levitical law (Lev 15:19-30), a persistent flow of blood rendered a person ritually unclean. This impurity was highly contagious: anyone she touched, anything she sat or lay on, and anyone who touched those things, would also become unclean. This resulted in her complete social ostracization. She could not participate in public worship, engage in normal family life, or mingle freely in society without defiling others. Her chronic suffering, therefore, was not only physical but also social, emotional, and spiritual, likely compounded by poverty from seeking unsuccessful medical help (as highlighted in Luke's account).

Mark 5 25 Word analysis

• And: Greek: kai (καὶ). Functions as a conjunction, connecting this incident directly to the preceding narrative of Jairus's plea. It implies continuity of Jesus's ministry and underscores the spontaneous nature of this encounter.

• a certain woman: Greek: tis gynē (τις γυνὴ). Her anonymity emphasizes her general human suffering rather than a specific personal identity, making her a representative figure of those in desperate need. It draws focus to her condition.

• which had: Greek: housan (οὖσαν), a participle from eimi (εἰμί), "to be." It denotes a continuous state of possession or affliction. This was not a temporary issue but an enduring, relentless condition.

• an issue of blood: Greek: rheusin haimatos (ῥεῦσιν αἵματος). Literally "a flow of blood." This phrase refers to menorrhagia or chronic uterine hemorrhage. Medically debilitating, but critically, it signifies a state of profound ritual impurity according to Old Testament law (Lev 15:19-30). This impurity meant she was cut off from community life, including religious activities, due to the contagious nature of her uncleanness.

• twelve years: Greek: dodeka etē (δώδεκα ἔτη). This extended duration is significant. It highlights the chronic, intractable nature of her suffering, suggesting she had exhausted all human remedies and endured immense physical pain, social isolation, and financial ruin. The number twelve resonates with Jairus's daughter's age, drawing a parallel between prolonged suffering and the impending death, both met by Jesus's life-giving power.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "a certain woman, which had an issue of blood": This phrase succinctly introduces the suffering individual and her defining condition, a persistent flow of blood. It immediately brings to mind the severe physical, social, and religious implications of such an ailment within Jewish society, particularly her state of perpetual ritual impurity.
  • "an issue of blood twelve years": The combination of "issue of blood" and "twelve years" paints a picture of profound, long-term suffering. It denotes an illness that has not only tormented her physically but has also caused prolonged ostracism, continuous loss of resources (financial depletion as she sought cures), and spiritual alienation. The mention of twelve years makes her a figure of great despair, whose hope would have been utterly diminished until Jesus entered her sphere.

Mark 5 25 Bonus section

The number "twelve" appearing in both the woman's years of suffering (Mk 5:25) and Jairus's daughter's age (Mk 5:42) creates a powerful theological resonance. While medically unrelated, it thematically connects their otherwise disparate plights under Jesus's sovereign care, suggesting that whether the problem is prolonged suffering or impending death, the duration points to the impossibility of human solution and the necessity of divine intervention. The "intercalation" of the woman's narrative within Jairus's story highlights Jesus's availability and compassion for all forms of brokenness. The woman's stealthy touch, initially seen as a transgression of purity laws, becomes the very act through which Jesus's healing power is transmitted, subverting the notion that impurity pollutes holiness. Instead, Jesus's inherent holiness has the power to purify and heal, signifying a reversal of the Levitical paradigm of defilement. This story therefore serves as a polemic against the limitations of ritual purity laws when faced with divine transformative power and compassionate love.

Mark 5 25 Commentary

Mark 5:25 serves as a potent, concise introduction to a woman whose twelve years of unceasing "issue of blood" symbolized an existence of prolonged anguish and profound separation. Her condition, more than a physical ailment, enforced an unceasing state of ritual impurity under the Mosaic law, effectively severing her from normal community life, religious participation, and the simple human warmth of touch. Her social and spiritual ostracism was as burdensome as her physical suffering, and Luke's parallel account informs us that her attempts to seek human remedies had only deepened her financial ruin without bringing relief. This verse underscores the extreme hopelessness of her situation from every human perspective, making Jesus's subsequent intervention a testament to His divine power that transcends legalistic boundaries and restores not just health, but dignity, purity, and connection. It emphasizes her desperate readiness for a transformative encounter, driven by a faith forged in the crucible of long-term affliction.