Poetry · Character

The Woman Who Came Behind Him in the Crowd

A woman who steals through the crowd rank after rank, believing that a single touch will disenchant her and grant her prayer.

supporting

Also known as The Woman Who Came Behind Him in the Crowd Near him she stole, rank after rank

First appearance: The Gospel Women

As a supporting figure in Poetry, The Woman Who Came Behind Him in the Crowd is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

A woman with a twelve-year affliction who touches Jesus' garment in faith and is healed, receiving the tender name 'Daughter'.

In the storyThe Gospel WomenOpen this moment free

She comes behind him in the crowd, stealing near through rank after rank, her faith a quiet act of reaching rather than speaking. Her distinctive tension is between her hiddenness and her bold belief—she folds her arms, blind and dumb, trusting that night will free her hands for fair delight. She matters because her touch embodies the book's recurring hope that the smallest, most secret gesture can thaw charmed bands and release ransomed music into the soul.

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Character Web

38 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Religious and Mythological Figures
Diverse Allegorical and Named Characters
Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

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In the story

The Woman Who Came Behind Him in the Crowd appears across 11 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Gospel Women
A woman with a twelve-year affliction who touches Jesus' garment in faith and is healed, receiving the tender name 'Daughter'.
II: The Woman That Lifted Up Her Voice
She lifts up her voice in loving agony, blessing Jesus' mother, and is gently redirected by Jesus.
III: The Mother of Zebedee's Children
The mother of Zebedee's children, who kneels and makes a bold request for her sons' exaltation.
V: The Widow of Nain
The widow of Nain, whose son is raised; she clings to her restored son in silent, trusting joy.
VI: The Woman Whom Satan Had Bound
The central figure of the poem, bound by Satan for eighteen years, patient and bowed, who is healed and rises.
VII: The Woman Who Came Behind Him in the Crowd
She steals through the crowd, touches Jesus' garment in faith, and is healed after twelve years of suffering. She confesses all at his feet.
XI: The Woman of Samaria
The woman of Samaria, initially listless and weary, encounters Jesus at the well and becomes a herald of his presence.
XIII: The Woman in the Temple
The accused woman, described with shame and terror, who receives Jesus' mercy.
The Woman That Was a Sinner
The repentant sinner who washes Jesus' feet with her tears, wipes them with her hair, and anoints him with ointment.
Somnium Mystici
A patient watcher who has lifted the narrator from many tombs, sitting alone in the hut.
A Manchester Poem
The woman in the poem, who works in the factory and shares a domestic life with the man; she notices the moon and smiles.

Chapter companion notes

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See The Woman Who Came Behind Him in the Crowd in The Gospel Women