What is the meaning of Mark 5:25?

And a woman was there

• In the midst of Jairus’s urgent situation, the Holy Spirit pauses to spotlight an unnamed, ordinary woman.

• Scripture often elevates the overlooked (cf. John 4:7–30; Luke 7:37–38), reminding us that no one is invisible to God.

• Her presence in this crowd is intentional, showing God’s sovereignty over timing and encounters (Proverbs 16:9).

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who had suffered

• The verb highlights real, ongoing pain—physical, emotional, and social.

• Like Job (Job 2:7–8) and Hannah (1 Samuel 1:6–7), she lived under prolonged affliction, demonstrating that suffering is not evidence of God’s absence but can be the setting for His power (Romans 5:3–5).

• Her suffering prepares her heart to seek Christ above all else (Psalm 34:18).

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from bleeding

• According to Levitical law, her hemorrhage rendered her ceremonially unclean (Leviticus 15:25–27), barring her from temple worship and close relationships.

• She embodies the isolation of sin and impurity that only Jesus can touch and heal (Isaiah 64:6; Ephesians 2:12–13).

• Her ailment pictures humanity’s need for cleansing beyond human means (Jeremiah 17:14).

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for twelve years

• Twelve years equals Jairus’s daughter’s entire lifetime (Mark 5:42), contrasting a young life beginning to fade with a long life fading away.

• The number underscores the completeness of her trial; it did not lessen with time. God sometimes allows lengthy seasons to magnify His eventual deliverance (Genesis 15:13–14; Psalm 13:1).

• Her perseverance models steadfast faith that waits until God acts (Lamentations 3:25–26; Galatians 6:9).

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summary

Mark 5:25 introduces a real woman whose dozen-year hemorrhage left her isolated and hopeless—yet perfectly positioned for Jesus. Her prolonged suffering, uncleanness, and perseverance set the stage for Christ’s power to cleanse and restore, assuring believers that no pain or delay is wasted when it drives us to the Savior.