Matthew 9:20Behold, a woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years came behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment;
The setting
Crowded Capernaum street, ~30 AD. A woman bleeds through the crowd, ritually unclean for 12 years, making everyone she touches unclean too. Modern Capernaum, Israel.
The emotion here: carefully documenting a dangerous act of desperate faith
The original word
kraspedon (κράσπεδον) — the tassels with blue cord that reminded Jews of God's commandments
Why it matters
Her bleeding made her perpetually unclean — she couldn't enter the temple, touch anyone, or be touched for twelve years
Read with care
What most readers miss in Matthew 9:20
She's breaking religious law by being in the crowd — if discovered, she could be stoned
Common misconceptionPeople think she touched His robe casually, but she was risking her life — being 'unclean' in a crowd could result in public stoning if discovered.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Matthew 9:20
Bible Genome reading
Matthew 9:20 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Matthew 9:20 comes from the book of Matthew, written during the gospel period. These words are attributed to Matthew. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 50% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include suffering, faith, desperation. Notable phrases: woman who had an issue of blood; twelve years; touched the fringe.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same seeking
“Pray without ceasing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
— Amos 5:24
“Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that …”
— Genesis 18:25
“Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know.”
— Jeremiah 33:3
“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evi…”
— Luke 11:4
Your reflection
What does Matthew 9:20 mean to you, today?
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