Mark 5:30

And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(30) That virtue had gone out of him.—Literally, knowing fully in Himself the virtue that had gone out of Him. The word “virtue” is used in the old medical sense, the power or force which brings about a certain definite result. So men spoke of the soporific “virtue” of this or that drug. And the term is used here, not less than in Luke 5:17, with a like technical precision, for the supernatural power that, as it were, flowed out at the touch of faith.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

5:21-34 A despised gospel will go where it will be better received. One of the rulers of a synagogue earnestly besought Christ for a little daughter, about twelve years old, who was dying. Another cure was wrought by the way. We should do good, not only when in the house, but when we walk by the way, De 6:7. It is common with people not to apply to Christ till they have tried in vain all other helpers, and find them, as certainly they will, physicians of no value. Some run to diversions and gay company; others plunge into business, or even into intemperance; others go about to establish their own righteousness, or torment themselves by vain superstitions. Many perish in these ways; but none will ever find rest to the soul by such devices; while those whom Christ heals of the disease of sin, find in themselves an entire change for the better. As secret acts of sin, so secret acts of faith, are known to the Lord Jesus. The woman told all the truth. It is the will of Christ that his people should be comforted, and he has power to command comfort to troubled spirits. The more simply we depend on Him, and expect great things from him, the more we shall find in ourselves that he is become our salvation. Those who, by faith, are healed of their spiritual diseases, have reason to go in peace.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Virtue had gone out of him - Power to heal. The word in the original means power.

Who touched my clothes? - This be said, not to obtain information, for he had healed her, and must have known on whom the blessing was conferred; but he did it that the woman might herself make a confession of the whole matter, so that the power of her faith and the greatness of the miracle might be manifested to the praise of God.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

30. And Jesus immediately knowing in himself that virtue—or "efficacy."

had gone out of him—He was conscious of the forthgoing of His healing power, which was not—as in prophets and apostles—something foreign to Himself and imparted merely, but what He had dwelling within Him as "His own fulness."

turned him about in the press—crowd.

and said, Who touched my clothes?

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Mark 5:30"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Jesus immediately knowing in himself,.... As soon as ever the woman had touched his garments, and had a cure, Christ, who knew all things in his Spirit, or divine nature, that dwelt in him, knew what was done, that the woman had touched him, and was healed thereby; though, as not without his knowledge, so neither without his will, and entirely by his power:

that virtue was gone out of him; to the healing of some person, though not at all to the diminution of that virtue, which remained as powerful and effective in him as ever. This shows that there was an internal essential virtue in Christ to cure diseases: it was not what he derived from another, or exercised under another's influence; but what was his own, and which he put forth as the Lord God omnipotent. The apostles of Christ cured diseases, but not by their own power and holiness, by any innate virtue in them; but in the name of Christ, and by power derived and received from him: but Christ, being God, had infinite virtue within himself, which went forth from him when he pleased, to the curing of whatsoever disease he thought fit; and which was no ways lessened by the frequent exertions of it; no more than the light and heat of the sun by the continual emanations of them; only there is this difference between the emission of light and heat from the sun, and the sending forth virtue from Christ, that the one is by the necessity of nature, without knowledge, or will, but the other voluntarily, and when, and as he pleases, The same holds good with respect to healing spiritual diseases: Christ has a power within him to forgive all trespasses; and virtue may be said to go out of him to this purpose, when it is his will to make application of pardoning mercy to his people; which requires an exertion of power, as well as a display of grace.

Turned him about in the press, and said, who touched my clothes? that is, turned himself towards the woman behind him, though the press was so large about him, and asked who touched his clothes; not for his own sake, who knew very well who had done it; but that the cure might be known to others: not for the sake of ostentation and popular applause, but for the manifestation of his glory, and for the glory of God, and for the strengthening the faith of Jairus, who was with him, and with whom he was going to raise his daughter to life; and also that he might have an opportunity of showing forth, and commending this poor woman's faith, and of confirming the cure wrought, and of dismissing her with the utmost pleasure and joy.

Geneva Study Bible

And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Mark 5:30. ἐπιγνοὺς τὴν … δύναμιν ἐξελθοῦσαν, conscious of the going forth of the healing virtue; ἐξελθ. is the substantive participle as object of the verb ἐπιγνοὺς. The statement as given by Mk. (and Lk.) implies that the cure was not wrought by the will of Jesus. But it may nevertheless have been so. Jesus may have felt the touch, divined its meaning, and consented to the effect. Vide on Mt., ad loc,—τίς f1μου ἥψατο τῶν ἱματίων: who touched me on my clothes? This verb here, as usual, takes genitive both of person and thing (Buttmann’s Grammar, N. T., p. 167).

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

30. Who touched my clothes?] He who with the eye of His Spirit saw Nathanael under the fig tree (John 1:47-48), recognised at once (Mark 5:30) the magnetic touch of faith however weak and trembling (Luke 8:46). “Many throng Him, but only one touches Him.” “Caro premit, fides tangit,” says St Augustine.

Bengel's Gnomen

Mark 5:30. Ἐπιγνοὺς, perceiving) Faith even acts.—ἐξελθοῦσαν, had gone out) A magnetic power.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 30. - The words in the Greek are ἐπιγνοὺς ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὴν ἐξ αὑτοῦ δύναμιν ἐξελθοῦσαν: Jesus, perceiving in himself that the power emanating from him had gone forth, turned him about in the crowd, and said, Who touched my garments? Christ sees the invisible grace in its hidden operations; man only sees its effects, and not always these. Mark 5:30

Vincent's Word Studies

Knowing (ἐπιγνοὺς)

Rev., perceiving. Lit., having fully known.

That virtue had gone out of him (τὴν ἐξ αὐτοῦ δύναμιν ἐξελθοῦσαν)

More correctly as Rev., that the power proceeding from him had gone forth. The object of the Saviour's knowledge was thus complex: 1st, his power; 2d, that his power had gone forth. This and the following sentence are peculiar to Mark.