Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Mark 5:30

καὶ εὐθὺς … ἐπιγνούς. His perception of what had taken place was simultaneous with the sudden cure.

ἐπιγνοὺς ἐν ἑαυτῷ … ἐξελθοῦσαν. Cf. Mark 2:8. The compound seems to indicate the superiority of His knowledge to hers (ἔγνω). Neither A.V. nor R.V. is correct as to ἐξελθοῦσαν. It does not mean that the power went forth without Christ’s knowledge, and that He did not know of its operation until after it had gone forth and worked the cure. The ἐπιγνούς and the ἐξελθοῦσαν were simultaneous, and to express this in English, as in Latin, the participle must become an Infinitive; perceiving in Himself His miraculous power go forth. R.V. has a similar error Luke 10:18, where ἐθεώρουν and πεσόντα are simultaneous; therefore I beheld Satan fall (A.V.) is right, and “fallen” (R.V.) cannot stand. Christ did not mean that He saw Satan prostrate. Here the meaning is that as soon as the hand of faith touched Christ’s robe there was a response on His part, a response of which He was conscious. We may think of Him as ceaselessly willing to respond to such calls, however imperfectly they might be made.

ἐπιστραφείς. Another combination of participles; see on Mark 1:15. As in Mark 8:33, this passive form is middle in sense. He turned because the touch had come from behind.

Τίς μου ἥψατο τῶν ἱματίων; Who laid hold of My garments? “Touched” is hardly adequate; cf. Mark 1:41; Mark 3:10. It was good for the woman that she should come forward and confess her faith and its result, and Christ may have asked the question for her sake. For educational purposes He sometimes asked questions of which He knew the answer (Mark 9:33). But He seems to have abstained from using supernatural power in cases in which the knowledge could be obtained without it. “How many loaves have ye? go and see” (Mark 6:38; cf. Mark 8:5), “How long time is it since this hath come to him?” (Mark 9:21), “Where have ye laid him?” (John 11:34), are questions in which He asked for information. Mt. omits these and other questions which seem to imply ignorance on the part of Christ; see on Mark 8:12; Mark 8:23; Mark 9:16; Mark 14:14.

Continues after advertising

BibliaPlus

Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Mark 5:30

Old Testament

New Testament