Martha of Korazim

A woman bent for eighteen years, healed, because of her faith, by Jesus on a Sabbath day in the synagogue of Korazim.

This scandalizes the head of the synagogue:

"There are six days to work, six days to ask and to give. So come during those six days, both to ask and to give. Come and be cured during those days without infringing the Sabbath, you sinners and misbelievers, corrupted and corrupters of the Law!"

 But Jesus, seeing him helped by four notable men, answers them:

"Hypocrites! Which of you on this day has not untied his ox or his donkey from the manger and taken it out for watering? And who has not taken a sheaf of grass to his sheep and milked their full udders? If you have six days to do so, why have you done it also today, just for a little milk, or for fear that your ox or your donkey might die of thirst and you might lose it? And should I not have freed this woman from her chains after Satan had held her bound for eighteen years, only because this is the Sabbath?"

Character and appearance

"And the poor woman plods along with her walking stick, with her head just reaching to the top of it."

Apostolic journey

A faithful believer:

"I will give you a souvenir of My passing here and a reward for your silent humble faith. Be cured of your infirmity".

She will be present at Jesus’s farewell, before his Passion, among the few faithful of Chorazin.

Her name

In Aramaic "lady" or "mistress".

Where is she mentioned in the work?

GRM 337
GRM 469

Learn more about this character

The bent woman has often been confused with the woman with the hemorrhage whom the Christ healed. These are two distinct persons: the bent woman (here Martha of Korazim) had been bent for 18 years, while the hemorrhaging woman had been suffering for 12 years.

woman suffering from excessive blood loss (menstruation), who was healed by touching the garment of Jesus. (This is an old term).