Why did the woman suffering from the discharge of blood approach Jesus from behind to touch his garment?
The woman suffering from the discharge of blood approached Jesus from behind to touch his garment (referring to one of the four tassels of the outer garment: Numbers 15:38–39;Deuteronomy 22:12) out of shyness due to her condition, and perhaps also fearing that Jesus did not want to be touched by an unclean (Leviticus 15:19–25) woman. She also probably did not want to speak about her illness in front of so many people. Matthew 9:20 contrasts Jesus’ immediately preceding statement about the joy of the bridegroom (Matthew 9:15) with the event of a joyless unclean woman who approaches him discreetly, expecting, like Jairus, to be instantly healed by Jesus, following twelve years of suffering.
Because the woman was shy on account of her condition, she approached Jesus from behind, only touching the fringe of his garment (referring to one of the four tassels of the outer garment: Numbers 15:38–39; Deuteronomy 22:12). Perhaps she also feared that Jesus himself would not want to come into direct contact with her as she was considered unclean (Leviticus 15:19–25). She quite probably also did not want to openly speak to Jesus about her illness in the presence of such a large crowd.1 Matthew 9:20 highlights the contrast between Jesus’ immediately preceding statement concerning the joy of the bridegroom (Matthew 9:15) and the almost simultaneous event of the joyless unclean woman who approaches him discreetly. Just like Jairus, she too expects instant healing from Jesus following twelve years of suffering2
20 Et voici, une femme atteinte d'une perte de sang depuis douze ans s'approcha par derrière, et toucha le bord de son vêtement.