Καὶ ἰδοὺ γυνὴ, αἱμορροοῦσα δώδεκα ἔτη, προσελθοῦσα ὄπισθεν ἥψατο τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ· (Matthew 9:20)
This verse introduces the woman with the flow of blood who comes to Jesus secretly. The grammar paints a vivid scene: participial phrases compress her condition and action into the background of the main verb, while the dramatic interjection ἰδού invites the reader to witness the moment. Each grammatical choice heightens the tension and underscores the woman’s faith.
Exclamatory Attention: Καὶ ἰδού
The particle ἰδού (“behold”) functions as a narrative spotlight, drawing attention to what follows. Matthew often uses ἰδού to introduce sudden or significant events. Its placement signals that this woman’s action is not incidental but central to the unfolding story.
The Subject Identified: γυνὴ, αἱμορροοῦσα δώδεκα ἔτη
The noun γυνή (“woman”) is immediately qualified by the present active participle αἱμορροοῦσα (“suffering a flow of blood”), a medical-spiritual condition that rendered her ritually unclean. The accusative of duration δώδεκα ἔτη (“twelve years”) intensifies the gravity and length of her suffering. The participle gives a continuous sense: her condition has persisted without relief.
Her Approach: προσελθοῦσα ὄπισθεν
The aorist active participle προσελθοῦσα (“having come near”) expresses a completed action preceding the main verb. It is modified by the adverb ὄπισθεν (“from behind”), highlighting the secrecy and humility of her approach. The participle compresses her daring initiative into a single narrative detail before the climactic act.
The Main Action: ἥψατο τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου αὐτοῦ
The aorist middle indicative ἥψατο (from ἅπτομαι, “to touch, grasp”) is the main verb of the sentence. The middle voice conveys personal involvement –she touches for her own benefit. The direct object is τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου (“the fringe of his garment”), likely referring to the tassels prescribed in Numbers 15:38. By touching only the fringe, the woman shows both reverence and desperate faith: even the smallest contact will suffice.
Syntax Table: Grammar of a Healing Moment
| Greek Phrase | Grammar Role | Interpretive Insight |
|---|---|---|
| Καὶ ἰδού | Exclamatory particle | Draws narrative attention to the scene |
| γυνὴ, αἱμορροοῦσα δώδεκα ἔτη | Noun + participle + accusative of duration | Identifies subject and ongoing condition of suffering |
| προσελθοῦσα ὄπισθεν | Aorist participle + adverb | Depicts her completed approach from behind |
| ἥψατο τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου | Aorist middle indicative + genitive object | Climactic act of touching the garment’s fringe |
Grammar as Faith in Action
Matthew 9:20’s grammar carries the emotional weight of the story. The exclamatory ἰδού signals the moment’s significance, the participles narrate her condition and action in compressed detail, and the middle voice of ἥψατο highlights the deeply personal nature of her touch. This is grammar infused with desperation and faith: the syntax itself bears witness to the woman’s determination to encounter Jesus and be healed.
