8:43a-b

This part of the verse begins a new story within the story about Jairus. It introduces the woman who is a very important person in this new story. It also gives background information about her.

including a woman: This part of the verse introduces the woman as an important person in the events that follow. Introduce her in a natural way in your language. For example:

Among them was a woman who (Good News Translation)
-or-
In the crowd was a woman who (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Meanwhile, a woman had come into the crowd. She

who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as who had suffered from bleeding is literally “being in a flow of blood.” It means that the woman had a sickness that caused her to bleed from her womb/uterus at times when it was not normal. Other ways to translate this are:

who bled from her womb for twelve years without stopping
-or-
who had had a female disorder for twelve years

In some cultures it may be unacceptable to mention a condition like this explicitly. If this is true in your language, here are two other ways to translate this:

• Use a euphemism that is clearly understood and is suitable for public reading.

• Use a more general expression. For example:

had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
had been bleeding for twelve years (Contemporary English Version)

The woman was unclean according to the law of Moses because of the bleeding that was caused by her sickness. You may want to include a footnote in your translation to give information about this. For example:

According to the law of Moses (Leviticus 15:19–30), a woman was considered ritually unclean when she was menstruating. She was also considered ritually unclean when she was bleeding from her womb because of other causes.

8:43c

There is a textual issue here.

(1) Some Greek manuscripts do not include the words “she had spent all she had on doctors.” For example:

And a woman who had had a flow of blood for twelve years and could not be healed by any one… (Revised Standard Version)

(Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, NET Bible, God’s Word, New Century Version, New Living Translation (2004))

(2) Other Greek manuscripts include these words. For example:

Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years; and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her. (New Revised Standard Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, Good News Translation, King James Version, New Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (1996))

It is recommended that you follow option (1), as a slight majority of English versions do. However, if the national language version in your area follows option (2), consider following that option. It is good to include a footnote to mention the option that you do not follow. For example:

Some early Greek manuscripts of this verse include/exclude the words “she had spent all she had on doctors.”

8:43d

but: The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the word but. There is no connector in the Greek text, and it is probably not necessary in this context.

no one was able to heal her: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as no one was able to heal her is passive. It is literally “she could not be healed by anyone.” Translate this in a way that is natural in your language. Some ways to translate this verb are:

• As a passive verb. For example:

and could not be healed by anyone (Revised Standard Version)

• As an active verb. For example:

No one could cure her. (God’s Word)

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