Bible Strands
Matthew 9:21
She said to herself, “If only I touch His cloak, I will be healed.”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The bleeding woman speaks to herself after approaching Jesus from behind and touching the fringe of His cloak.
The words — The Greek ἅψωμαι (hapsōmai) means "I shall touch," and ἔλεγεν (elegen) translates as "She was saying," framing her internal resolution as a continuous action.
The thread — The motif of healing through contact with a holy figure appears in Acts 19:12, where garments that touched Paul removed diseases. The parallel narrative of this event is found in Mark 5:26, which details her prior medical suffering, while Luke 8:45 records Jesus asking who touched Him and Peter’s reply about the pressing crowd.
Why it lands — The text states her internal calculation that physical contact with His garment will produce healing, which Jesus later confirms was activated by her faith rather than the touch itself.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
Cross-references
- Mark 5:26 She had borne much agony under the care of many physicians and had spent all she had, but to no avail. Instead, her condition had only grown worse.
- Luke 8:45 “Who touched Me?” Jesus asked. But they all denied it. “Master,” said Peter, “the people are crowding and pressing against You.”
- Acts 19:12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and the diseases and evil spirits left them.