Luke 8:44-46

8:44 She ¹  came up behind Jesus ²  and touched the edge ³  of his cloak, ⁴  and at once the bleeding ⁵  stopped. 8:45 Then ⁶  Jesus asked, ⁷  “Who was it who touched me?” When they all denied it, Peter ⁸  said, “Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing ⁹  against you!” 8:46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I know that power has gone out ¹⁰  from me.”

[8:44]  ¹ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[8:44]  ² tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:44]  ³ sn The edge of his cloak refers to the kraspedon, the blue tassel on the garment that symbolized a Jewish man’s obedience to the law (cf. Num 15:37-41). The woman thus touched the very part of Jesus’ clothing that indicated his ritual purity.

[8:44]  ⁴ tn Grk “garment,” but here ἱμάτιον (Jimation) denotes the outer garment in particular.

[8:44]  ⁵ tn Grk “the flow of her blood.”

[8:45]  ⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[8:45]  ⁷ tn Grk “said.”

[8:45]  ⁸ tc Most mss, especially the later ones (א A C*^,3 D L W Θ Ξ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï latt), also have “and those together with him” (with two different Greek constructions for the phrase “with him”), while several important witnesses omit this phrase (Ì⁷⁵ B Π 700* al sa). The singular verb εἶπεν (eipen, “he said”) could possibly suggest that only Peter was originally mentioned, but, if the longer reading is authentic, then εἶπεν would focus on Peter as the spokesman for the group, highlighting his prominence (cf. ExSyn 401-2). Nevertheless, the longer reading looks like a clarifying note, harmonizing this account with Mark 5:31.

[8:45]  ⁹ sn Pressing is a graphic term used in everyday Greek of pressing grapes. Peter says in effect, “How could you ask this? Everyone is touching you!”

[8:46]  ¹¹ tn This is a consummative perfect. Jesus sensed that someone had approached him to be healed, as his reference to power makes clear. The perception underlies Jesus’ prophetic sense as well.