ἡ δὲ γυνὴ φοβηθεῖσα καὶ τρέμουσα, εἰδυῖα ὃ γέγονεν ἐπ’ αὐτῇ, ἦλθε καὶ προσέπεσεν αὐτῷ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ πᾶσαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν. (Mark 5:33)
A Woman’s Confession Framed in Greek Precision
Mark 5:33 captures the pivotal moment when the woman healed by touching Jesus’ garment reveals herself. This verse is a cascade of participles, perfects, and finite verbs, narrating not only what she does but how she feels and what she knows. The Greek syntax is intensely personal, as it enfolds her inner state, her physical response, and her ultimate truth-telling into a single flowing structure.
This study will explore:
- The use of perfect participles φοβηθεῖσα and εἰδυῖα to express internal state
- The narrative layering of finite verbs and participles
- The impact of πᾶσαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν in accusative totality
φοβηθεῖσα καὶ τρέμουσα – A Double Portrait of Fear
The verse begins with a striking depiction of emotional and physical response.
Grammatical Structure:
- φοβηθεῖσα – aorist passive participle, nominative feminine singular from φοβέομαι (“to fear”)
- τρέμουσα – present active participle, nominative feminine singular from τρέμω (“to tremble”)
The participle φοβηθεῖσα shows that fear struck her—an aoristic snapshot of sudden terror. τρέμουσα adds duration: she was trembling—ongoing, uncontrolled. Together, they paint a holistic image: shock and sustained trembling.
εἰδυῖα ὃ γέγονεν ἐπ’ αὐτῇ – Knowing What Had Happened
This clause gives the cause of her fear and trembling.
Verbal Note:
- εἰδυῖα – perfect active participle, feminine nominative singular from οἶδα (“to know”)
- γέγονεν – perfect active indicative, 3rd person singular from γίγνομαι (“to happen, to become”)
The perfect tense emphasizes that she knew what had happened and still knows. The healing was not just an event—it had ongoing impact. The structure ὃ γέγονεν ἐπ’ αὐτῇ means “what had occurred to her,” underscoring her personal awareness of the transformation.
ἦλθε καὶ προσέπεσεν… καὶ εἶπεν – Courage and Confession
These three finite verbs advance the story:
- ἦλθε – aorist active indicative, “she came”
- προσέπεσεν – aorist active indicative, “she fell down before him”
- εἶπεν – aorist active indicative, “she said”
These aorists convey decisive, completed actions: though trembling, she came; though afraid, she fell; though exposed, she spoke.
πᾶσαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν – Total Truth
The object of her speech is not partial: she told πᾶσαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν—“the whole truth.”
Grammatical Note:
- πᾶσαν – accusative feminine singular, modifying ἀλήθειαν
- The accusative here marks the full extent of what she disclosed
This phrase closes the verse with emphatic totality. There is nothing left hidden. The physical healing gives way to verbal wholeness—a restoration of both body and voice.
Emotional Grammar in Motion
| Greek Expression | Grammatical Form | Emotional or Narrative Effect |
|---|---|---|
| φοβηθεῖσα καὶ τρέμουσα | Aorist passive + present participle | Sudden fear and ongoing trembling |
| εἰδυῖα ὃ γέγονεν | Perfect participle + perfect verb | Deep awareness of the irreversible change |
| ἦλθε… προσέπεσεν… εἶπεν | Aorist active verbs | Decisive acts of bravery and surrender |
| πᾶσαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν | Accusative of total object | Complete confession—nothing withheld |
The Grammar of Fear Transformed
The woman’s story is told in grammar that breathes: it shakes, pauses, then moves forward. The aorists provide bold strokes, the participles unveil emotion, and the perfects anchor memory and knowledge.
Greek syntax becomes a vessel for vulnerability. Mark could have written “she was afraid and spoke.” But instead, he weaves a grammatical tapestry of trembling, knowing, approaching, and finally—confessing.
What she says is simple. But what she feels and does is complex—and the Greek tells it all.
This is a theology of disclosure: in Jesus’ presence, fear doesn’t silence—it reveals. And grammar, in this verse, gives voice to the very heartbeat of confession.
