The Meaning of Luke 8:44 Explained

Luke 8:44

KJV: Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.

YLT: having come near behind, touched the fringe of his garment, and presently the issue of her blood stood.

Darby: coming up behind, touched the hem of his garment, and immediately her flux of blood stopped.

ASV: came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately the issue of her blood stanched.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Came  behind  [him], and touched  the border  of his  garment:  and  immediately  her  issue  of blood  stanched. 

What does Luke 8:44 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The woman"s superstition has also created problems for some readers. However, God honored even stranger expressions of faith than hers (cf. Acts 5:14; Acts 19:11-12). Even though her knowledge was imperfect she believed that Jesus could heal her, and Jesus honored that faith.

Context Summary

Luke 8:40-56 - Tender Ministry To Maid And Woman
The story of the poor woman has been characterized as that of "Nobody, Somebody and Everybody." Nobody, for she was sick and poor and fearful. Somebody, for she was worthy of Christ's notice. He healed her and even stayed His progress to the house of Jairus to elicit her frank confession and pronounce a further word of peace. Everybody, for her story not only helped Jairus, but has been a blessing to mankind; because we also have been the round of physicians but Jesus only has sufficed for our need.
It is a distressing thing to see a child die! Small wonder that Jairus was impatient for Christ's help. The incident of the woman was permitted for his teaching and encouragement. We lose nothing when we await the Lord's leisure. On the contrary, we profit.
Christ needed the companionship of the Apostles because their faith counted. Do not mind small numbers; they are often the condition of Christ's mightiest achievements. He will do what man cannot do, and leave man to do his little part. "Give her to eat."
For Review Questions, see the e-Sword Book Comments. [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 8

1  Women minister unto Jesus of their own means
4  Jesus, after he had preached from place to place,
9  explains the parable of the sower,
16  and the candle;
19  declares who are his mother, and brothers;
22  rebukes the winds;
26  casts the legion of demons out of the man into the herd of pigs;
37  is rejected by the Gadarenes;
43  heals the woman of her bleeding;
49  and raises Jairus's daughter from death

Greek Commentary for Luke 8:44

The border of his garment [του κρασπεδου του ιματιου]
Probably the tassel of the overgarment. Of the four corners two were in front and two behind. See note on Matthew 9:20. [source]
Stanched [estē)]
Second aorist active indicative, stopped at once (effective aorist). [source]
stopped []
at once (effective aorist). [source]
Hem []
See on Matthew 9:20. [source]
Stanched [ἔστη]
A common medical term. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 8:44

Mark 5:28 If I touch but his garments [Εαν απσωμαι καν των ιματιων αυτου]
She was timid and shy from her disease and did not wish to attract attention. So she crept up in the crowd and touched the hem or border of his garment (κρασπεδον — kraspedon) according to Matthew 9:20 and Luke 8:44. [source]
Luke 6:19 Healed [ἰᾶτο]
Compare Matthew 14:36; Mark 6:56, where διεσώθησαν , were thoroughly saved, and ἐσώζοντο , were saved, are used. Luke is more technical, using the strictly medical term, which occurs twenty-eight times in the New Testament, seventeen of these in Luke. Luke also uses the two words employed by Matthew and Mark, but always with some addition showing the nature of the saving. Thus Luke 7:3, where διασώσῃ (A. V.,heal ) is explained by Luke 7:7, ἰαθήσεται , the technical word, shall be healed, and by Luke 7:10, “found the servant whole ( ὑγιαίνοντα , another professional word - see on Luke 5:31) that had been sick. ” Compare, also, Luke 8:35, Luke 8:36, Luke 8:44, Luke 8:47, Luke 8:48. Medical writers do not use σώζειν or διασώζειν , to save, as equivalent to ἰᾶσθαι , to heal, but in the sense of escaping from a severe illness or from some calamity. Luke employs it in this sense - Acts 27:44; Acts 28:1. [source]
Acts 19:12 Aprons [σιμικιντια]
Latin word also, semicinctilum Only here in the N.T. Linen aprons used by servants or artisans (Martial XIV. 153). Paul did manual work at Ephesus (Acts 20:34) and so wore these aprons. Departed (ωστε — apallalsethai). Present passive infinitive with hōste for actual result as in Acts 19:10. If one wonders how God could honour such superstitious faith, he should remember that there is no power in superstition or in magic, but in God. If God never honoured any faith save that entirely free from superstition, how about Christian people who are troubled over the number 13, over the moon, the rabbit‘s foot? The poor woman with an issue of blood touched the hem of Christ‘s garment and was healed (Luke 8:44-46) as others sought to do (Matthew 14:36). God condescends to meet us in our ignorance and weakness where he can reach us. Elisha had a notion that some of the power of Elijah resided in his mantle (2 Kings 2:13). Some even sought help from Peter‘s shadow (Acts 5:15). [source]
Acts 19:12 Departed [ωστε]
Present passive infinitive with hōste for actual result as in Acts 19:10. If one wonders how God could honour such superstitious faith, he should remember that there is no power in superstition or in magic, but in God. If God never honoured any faith save that entirely free from superstition, how about Christian people who are troubled over the number 13, over the moon, the rabbit‘s foot? The poor woman with an issue of blood touched the hem of Christ‘s garment and was healed (Luke 8:44-46) as others sought to do (Matthew 14:36). God condescends to meet us in our ignorance and weakness where he can reach us. Elisha had a notion that some of the power of Elijah resided in his mantle (2 Kings 2:13). Some even sought help from Peter‘s shadow (Acts 5:15). [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 8:44 mean?

having come behind touched the fringe of cloak of Him and immediately stopped the flux of the blood of her
προσελθοῦσα ὄπισθεν ἥψατο τοῦ κρασπέδου ἱματίου αὐτοῦ καὶ παραχρῆμα ἔστη ῥύσις τοῦ αἵματος αὐτῆς

προσελθοῦσα  having  come 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: προσέρχομαι  
Sense: to come to, approach.
ὄπισθεν  behind 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ὄπισθεν  
Sense: from behind, on the back, behind, after.
ἥψατο  touched 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἅπτω  
Sense: to fasten one’s self to, adhere to, cling to.
κρασπέδου  fringe 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: κράσπεδον  
Sense: the extremity or prominent part of a thing, edge, skirt, margin.
ἱματίου  of  cloak 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: ἱμάτιον  
Sense: a garment (of any sort).
αὐτοῦ  of  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
παραχρῆμα  immediately 
Parse: Adverb
Root: παραχρῆμα  
Sense: immediately, forthwith, instantly.
ἔστη  stopped 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἵστημι  
Sense: to cause or make to stand, to place, put, set.
ῥύσις  flux 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: ῥύσις  
Sense: a flowing issue.
τοῦ  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
αἵματος  blood 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: αἷμα  
Sense: blood.
αὐτῆς  of  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.