Issue
The Word and Its Meanings
The English word "issue" in the Bible translates several Hebrew and Greek terms with two main senses. The first meaning is offspring or descendants, translating Hebrew words like "moledheth" (birth, offspring) and "tse'etsa'im" (those who come forth), as well as the Greek "sperma" (seed). The second meaning is a flow or discharge of bodily fluid, translating the Hebrew "zirmah" and the Greek "rhusis." Both meanings carry substantial weight in biblical theology and narrative.
Issue as Offspring
The concept of "issue" as descendants plays a central role in God's covenant promises. When Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph, he declared that Ephraim and Manasseh's future offspring ("issue") would be reckoned as his own sons (Genesis 48:6). Isaiah 22:24 uses the term to describe the descendants of Eliakim who would depend on him like vessels hung on a peg. In the New Testament, Matthew 22:25 records a question about a man who died without issue (without children), which formed the basis for the Sadducees' challenge to Jesus about the resurrection. The concept of having issue — producing heirs — was fundamental to ancient Israelite identity, as it connected to land inheritance, tribal continuity, and the fulfillment of God's promise to multiply Abraham's seed.
Issue as Bodily Discharge
The second meaning of "issue" refers to bodily discharges, particularly as addressed in the purity laws of Leviticus 15. This chapter provides detailed regulations regarding various discharges that rendered a person ceremonially unclean. These laws applied to both men and women and covered both normal bodily functions and abnormal conditions. The regulations included washing, periods of separation, and sacrificial offerings for purification. While these laws may seem foreign to modern readers, they served to teach Israel about holiness, the distinction between clean and unclean, and the seriousness of approaching God's presence.
The Woman with the Issue of Blood
One of the most powerful narratives involving "issue" is the story of the woman who had suffered from a flow of blood for twelve years (Luke 8:43-48; Mark 5:25-34; Matthew 9:20-22). Her condition made her perpetually unclean under Levitical law (Leviticus 15:25-27), cutting her off from community life and temple worship. She had spent all her resources on physicians but only grew worse. When she touched the hem of Jesus' garment, she was immediately healed. Jesus affirmed her faith, saying, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace" (Luke 8:48). This miracle demonstrates Jesus' power over conditions that the old covenant purity system could only manage, not cure.
Living Water and Flowing Streams
The imagery of flowing or issuing water also carries significance in Scripture. Ezekiel 47:8 describes water issuing from the temple, flowing eastward and bringing life wherever it goes. This vision of healing waters connects the concept of "issue" to God's restorative purposes, transforming the Dead Sea region into a place of abundant life. Jesus drew on this imagery when He spoke of living water flowing from within the believer (John 7:38), linking physical flow to spiritual renewal.
Theological Connections
The two meanings of "issue" intersect theologically in the biblical narrative. Both offspring and bodily discharge relate to matters of life, continuity, and purity. The promise of descendants (issue) sustains hope across generations, while the regulation of bodily discharge (issue) teaches about holiness and access to God's presence. Jesus' healing of the woman with the issue of blood brought both themes together, restoring her to community life and demonstrating that the Messiah brings a cleansing more profound than ritual law could achieve.
Biblical Context
The word 'issue' appears throughout Scripture in two senses: as offspring (Genesis 48:6; Isaiah 22:24; Matthew 22:25) and as bodily discharge (Leviticus 15; Ezekiel 23:20; Luke 8:43). The purity laws of Leviticus 15 provide the most detailed treatment of bodily issues, while the healing of the woman with the issue of blood (Luke 8:43-48) is one of the most significant narrative uses.
Theological Significance
The concept of 'issue' connects to core biblical themes of covenant promise (descendants), holiness (purity laws), and healing (Jesus' restoration of the afflicted). The woman with the issue of blood demonstrates that Christ's power transcends the boundaries of the old covenant purity system, offering complete restoration rather than mere management of uncleanness.
Historical Background
Purity regulations regarding bodily discharges were common in ancient Near Eastern cultures, though Israel's laws were uniquely tied to covenant holiness rather than mere hygiene or superstition. The social isolation caused by chronic conditions like the woman's hemorrhage was devastating in ancient communal societies. Medical treatment in the ancient world was limited, making chronic conditions a source of both physical and social suffering.