Strong’s Greek 4321 conveys the idea of “spending in addition” or “pouring out more” of one’s resources. In Luke 8:43 the participle describes the unnamed woman who had “spent all she had on physicians, but no one was able to heal her”. The term thus portrays an exhaustive outlay that ends in utter depletion.

Scriptural Setting

Luke 8:43–48 records the only New Testament occurrence, yet its placement alongside Jairus’s crisis heightens the contrast between human inability and Christ’s sufficiency. The woman’s twelve-year hemorrhage rendered her ceremonially unclean (Leviticus 15:25–27), socially isolated, and financially ruined. Her futile expenditures underscore the futility of merely human remedies when separated from the power of God.

Historical and Cultural Background

First-century medicine combined Greek theory, folk practices, and rabbinic prescriptions. Treatments for chronic bleeding included costly tonics, mineral compounds, and priestly fees. The participle προσαναλώσασα suggests that her attempts were continuous and progressive; she kept adding payments in hope of relief. The hemorrhage also barred her from Temple courts and normal community life, intensifying her desperation.

Theological Reflection

1. Human resourcefulness reaches a limit: Luke deliberately records that she “could not be healed by anyone,” revealing the boundary of natural means (cf. Psalm 60:11).
2. Christ meets needs beyond that limit: one touch of His garment reversed twelve years of decay, demonstrating divine authority over both body and law (Luke 8:44).
3. Costly grace, freely given: whereas the woman exhausted her livelihood, Jesus required no payment—His power flows to faith (Isaiah 55:1).
4. Restoration is holistic: Jesus not only heals but publicly affirms, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace” (Luke 8:48), reinstating her socially and spiritually.

Practical Ministry Application

• Compassionate care: Believers should acknowledge legitimate medical practice while pointing sufferers to Christ as the ultimate healer (2 Kings 20:7; James 5:14–16).
• Stewardship: The passage warns against uncritical spending driven by fear. Wise counsel and prayer guard believers from predatory remedies (Proverbs 15:22).
• Hope for the marginalized: Ministers can assure those drained by chronic conditions that Jesus still welcomes the “unclean” and the bankrupt (Matthew 11:28).

Homiletical Themes

“Bankrupt yet Blessed” (Luke 8:43–48); “When the Doctor Bills Pile Up”; “Faith that Touches Christ”; “From Expenditure to Expectancy.” Each theme highlights the shift from self-reliance to Christ-dependence, anchored in the verb’s sense of exhaustive spending.

Related Biblical Passages

Mark 5:26 depicts the same woman, noting she “had spent everything she had.” Though Mark employs a different Greek verb, the parallel reinforces Luke’s focus on depletion. Proverbs 21:20 warns against wasteful consumption, whereas Isaiah 55:2 invites seekers from fruitless expenditure to God’s freely given abundance.

Conclusion

Strong’s 4321 serves as a narrative hinge: it closes the chapter on futile human expense and opens the door to God’s gracious intervention. Luke’s single use of the word crystallizes the gospel message—Christ alone satisfies when every other resource is spent.