For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
Parallel translations
- WEB For she said, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be made well.”
- BSB For she kept saying, “If only I touch His garments, I will be healed.”
- NKJV For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
- NASB For she had been saying to herself, “If I just touch His garments, I will get well.”
- NLT For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
She believed that merely touching Jesus' clothes would make her well.
Overview
Mark reveals the woman's inner conviction that even Jesus' garment carried healing power. Though her understanding was imperfect, her faith truly rested in him. Jesus honors such faith, showing that he welcomes those who come to him even in weakness and fear.
Cross-references & the web
No cross-references recorded for this verse.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 5:28 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.