“Who touched me? Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?”
The full verse · Luke 8:45 · KJV
, ? , they that were , , the thee, thou, ?
Asked by
Jesus: the Son of God and promised Messiah, on His way to the house of Jairus, whose only daughter lay dying (Luke 8:41-42); Peter: Simon called Peter, one of the twelve apostles, who answered for the group; Disciples: "they that were with him" (Luke 8:45), the disciples who had crossed the lake with Jesus (Luke 8:22); when all denied touching Him, they joined Peter in answering, "Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee" (Luke 8:45)
The Scene
As Jesus goes with Jairus, whose only daughter lies dying, the crowd presses around Him, and a woman who has had an issue of blood for twelve years comes behind Him, touches the border of His garment, and is healed at once (Luke 8:41-44).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionJesus asked a question He already knew the answer to. Gill says He asked "not as ignorant of the person that had done it, but in order to discover her to the people," along with her cure and her faith. Barnes, writing on the parallel in Mark 5:30, says Jesus asked so "that the woman might herself make a confession of the whole matter," so that her faith and the miracle would be seen "to the praise of God."
Peter's question pushed back. With a crowd pressing on every side, asking who touched Him seemed strange. Peter did not yet see the difference between being jostled by a crowd and being touched in faith. Jesus explains that difference in His reply (Luke 8:46).
The Response
What Scripture recordsJesus answered Peter plainly: "Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me" (Luke 8:46). The woman saw "that she was not hid." She came trembling, fell down before Him, and "declared unto him before all the people" why she had touched Him and how she was healed at once (Luke 8:47). Jesus answered her with comfort: "Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace" (Luke 8:48).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsUnder the Law of Moses, a woman with an issue of blood beyond her normal time was counted unclean for as long as it lasted (Leviticus 15:25). Gill, writing on Mark 5:33, offers several possible reasons for her fear, including that she might be reproved "for appearing in public during the time of her uncleanness," or that Christ was displeased with her. Gill also says she touched Christ "in a private manner, so as not to be observed by any" (Mark 5:27).
Peter's word "press" translates apothlibo, which Thayer defines as "to press on all sides, squeeze, press hard." It appears only here in the New Testament. The KJV follows the Textus Receptus, the Greek text behind the KJV, which includes "and they that were with him" and the closing words "and sayest thou, Who touched me?" Many modern editions lack those words, which is why the ESV's version of Peter's reply is shorter.
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyJesus noticed one touch of faith in a pressing crowd. Many people touched Him that day, but only one reached out believing she would be healed, and He knew it. Matthew Henry, on the parallel in Mark 5, says, "As secret acts of sin, so secret acts of faith, are known to the Lord Jesus."
Jesus did not let her slip away healed but hidden. His question brought her into the open, where He could speak to her as "Daughter" and send her away in peace (Luke 8:48). Meanwhile Jairus was waiting, and word came that his daughter had died (Luke 8:49). The delay was not wasted. Jesus answered Jairus with "Fear not: believe only" and raised the girl (Luke 8:50, 54-55). In both stories He meets faith in people who had run out of other options.
Look Closer
Why did Jesus ask "Who touched me?"
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord Jesus, You noticed one touch of faith in a crowd; what are You inviting me to bring out into the open with You?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- The woman came trembling. What makes it hard for you to come to Jesus openly instead of hoping to stay unnoticed?
- Tell about a time you felt seen by God when you thought you were lost in the crowd.
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
Being near Jesus is not the same as reaching out to Him in faith. The crowd pressed on Him, but only one person touched Him believing. You can be in church, in a group, or around Christian things and still need to bring your own need to Him personally.
If you come to Him afraid, you are in good company. The woman came "trembling," yet the first word she heard was "Daughter" (Luke 8:47-48). Jesus does not draw people out to shame them but to bless them.
This does not mean every healing will come the same way or at once. Jesus answered her faith one way and Jairus's faith another way, with a delay and a harder wait (Luke 8:49-50). Trust Him with the timing as well as the need.
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
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