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Matthew 8:28-34

Mark 5:1-20

Luke 8:26-39

28. And when he had come to the opposite bank, [542] into the country
of the Gergesenes, two demoniacs, who had come from among the tombs,
met him: and they were fierce beyond measure, so that no man could pass
along that road. 29. And, lo, they cried out, saying, What have we to
do with thee, Jesus, Son of God? Hast thou come hither before the time
to torment us? 30. And at a distance from them there was a herd of many
swine feeding. 31. And the devils entreated him, saying, If thou cast
us out, permit us to remove into the herd of swine. 32. And he said to
them, Go. And when they had gone out, they went away into the heard of
swine. And, lo, the whole herd was carried headlong into the sea, and
perished in the waters. 33. And those who had the charge of them fled;
and going away into the city, they related all things, and what had
happened to the demoniacs, 34. And, lo, the whole city went out to meet
Jesus; and when they saw him, they entreated him, that he would depart
from their territories.

1. And having crossed the sea, they came into the country of Gaderanes.
2. And when he left the ship, immediately there met him out of the
tombs a man possessed by an unclean spirit, 3. Who had a dwelling among
the tombs, [543] and no man could bind him, not even with chains:
4. Because frequently, when he had been bound with fetters and chains,
the chains were torn asunder by him, and the fetters were broken in
pieces, so that no man could tame him. 5. And always, day and night, he
was in the mountains, and among the tombs, crying, and cutting himself
with stones. 6. And when he saw Jesus at a distance, he ran and
worshipped him: 7. And, crying with a loud voice, he said, What have I
to do with thee, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure thee by God,
that thou do not torment me. 8. For he said to him, Go out of the man,
unclean spirit. 9. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered,
saying to him, My name is Legion: for there are many. 10. And he
entreated him earnestly, that he would not send him out of the country.
11. And there was there, near the mountains, a great herd of swine
feeding. 12. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the
swine, that we may enter into them. 13. And immediately Jesus permitted
them. And the unclean spirit having gone out, entered into the swine,
and the herd was carried headlong into the sea: and they were about two
thousand, and were choked in the sea. 14. Then those who tended the
swine fled, and told it in the city and in the fields. And they went
out to see what it was that had happened. 15. And they come to Jesus,
and see the demoniac who had had the Legion, sitting and clothed, and
in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16. And those who had seen,
related how it had happened to the demoniac, and concerning the swine.
17. And they began to request him to depart from their territories.
18. And when he entered into a ship, he who had been possessed by a
devil besought him that he might be with him. 19. But Jesus did not
permit him: but said to him, Go to thy home, to thy friends, and relate
to them how great things God hath done to thee, and hath pitied thee.
20. And he went away, and began to publish in Decapolis how great
things Jesus had done for him: and all wondered.

26. And they sailed to the country of the Gaderenes, which is opposite
to Galilee. 27. And when he had gone out of the ship into the land,
there met him a certain man out of the city, who had devils for along
time, and wore no clothes, and did not dwell in a house, but among the
tombs. 28. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him,
[544] and said with a loud voice, What have I to do with thee, Jesus,
Son of the Most High God? I beseech thee, do not torment me. 29. For he
was commanding the unclean spirit to go out of the man: for many times
it had seized him, and he was bound by chains, and kept in fetters, and
he broke the chains, and was driven by the devil into the deserts.
30. And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion:
for many devils had entered into him. 31. And they entreated him that
he would not command them to go into the deep. 32. And there was there
a herd of many swine feeding on the mountains, and they requested him
to permit them to enter into them: and he permitted them. 33. And the
devils going out of the man entered into the swine, and the herd ran
violently down headlong into the lake, and were choked. 34. And when
those who tended them saw what was done, they fled, and told it in the
city and in the villages. 35. And they went out [545] to see what was
done, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the devils and had
gone out, clothed, and in his right mind, at the feet of Jesus; and
they were afraid. 36. And those who had seen, related to them how the
demoniac had been cured. 37. And the whole multitude of the country of
the Gadarenes besought him to depart from them: for they were seized
with a great fear; and he went up into the ship, and returned back
again. 38. And the man out of whom the devils had departed requested to
be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39. Return to thy house,
and relate what things God hath done to thee. [546] And he went away
through the whole city proclaiming what thing Jesus had done to him.


The error of those who think that Mark and Luke relate a different
miracle from this, has been already refuted. It is the same country
which was opposite, as Luke expressly states, to Galilee, that is
described by the three Evangelists, and all the circumstances agree.
Who then will believe that the same things, so fully coincident at all
points, happened at different times?

Matthew 8:28 Two demoniacs met him Commentators have been led into the
error of separating Matthew's narrative from that of the others by this
single difference, that he mentions two, while the others mention but
one. There is probability in the conjecture of Augustine, who thinks
that there were two, but accounts for not more than one being mentioned
here by saying, that this one was more generally known, and that the
aggravation of his disease made the miracle performed on him the more
remarkable. And, indeed, we see that Luke and Mark employ many words in
describing the extraordinary rage of the devil, so as to make it
evident that the wretched man, of whom they speak, was grievously
fomented. The circumstance of their holding up to commendation one
singular instance of Christ's divine power is not inconsistent with the
narrative of Matthew, in which another, though less known man, [547] is
also mentioned.

Luke 8:26. There met him a certain man out of the city It is uncertain
whether Luke means that he was a citizen of Gadara, or that he came out
of it to meet Christ. For, when he was ordered to go home and proclaim
among his friends the grace of God, Mark says, that he did this in
Decapolis, which was a neighboring country stretching towards Galilee;
and hence it is conjectured that he was not a native of Gadara. Again,
Matthew and Mark expressly state that he did not go out of the city,
but from the tombs, and Luke himself, throughout the whole passage,
gives us to understand that the man lived in solitary places. These
words, therefore, there met him a certain man out of the city, I
understand to mean, that, before Christ came near the city, the
demoniac met him in that direction.

As to the opinion that the man dwelt among the graves, either because
devils are delighted with the stench of dead bodies, or gratified by
the smell of oblations, or because they watch over souls which are
desirous to approach their bodies; it is an idle, and, indeed, a
foolish conjecture. On the contrary, this wretched man was kept among
the graves by an unclean spirit, that he might have an opportunity of
terrifying him continually with the mournful spectacle of death, as if
he were cut off from the society of men, and already dwelt among the
dead. We learn from this also that the devil does not only torment men
in the present life, but pursues them even to death, and that in death
his dominion over them is chiefly exercised.

Mark 5:3. And no man could bind him, not even with chains Naturally, he
was not able to break the chains; and hence we infer that Satan is
sometimes permitted to make extraordinary movements, the effect of
which goes beyond our comprehension and beyond ordinary means. We often
perceive in madmen much greater strength than belongs to their natural
capacity; and we are not at liberty to deny that, in such cases, the
devil does his part when God permits him: but the force, which is
described by the Evangelists, was far greater. [548] It was indeed a
sad and shocking exhibition, but may serve to remind us how wretched
and alarming it is to be placed under the tyranny of Satan, and also
that bodily agony, however violent or cruel, is not more to be dreaded
than distress of mind.

Mark 5:6 Worshipped him [549] The arrangement of the narrative may be
thus stated. When the demoniacs came to meet him, Christ ordered the
unclean spirits to go out of them, and then they prayed and entreated
that he would not torment them before the time The worship, therefore,
did not precede Christ's words: nor did they complain that Christ gave
them uneasiness, [550] till he urged them to go out. We ought to be
aware that they did not come of their own accord into the presence of
Christ, but were drawn by a secret exercise of his authority. As they
had formerly been accustomed to carry men off, in furious violence, to
the tombs, so now a superior power compels them to appear reluctantly
at the tribunal of their judge.

Hence we infer, that the whole of Satan's kingdom is subject to the
authority of Christ. [551] For the devils, when Christ summons them to
appear before him, are not more at their own disposal than were the
wretched men whom their tyranny was wont to drive about in every
direction. At length, by the secret power of Christ, they are dragged
before him, that, by casting them out, he may prove himself to be the
deliverer of men. Reluctantly too they worship him, and their
rebellious complaints testify that their confession was not made from
choice, but was drawn from them by force.

Matthew 8:29. What have we to do with thee? Willingly would they, by
this word, drive him far from them. But when they see that they are
held under restraint, and that it is in vain for them to decline his
authority, they complain that they are tormented before the time, and
likewise mingle entreaty. Thus we see that the devils breathe nothing
but rebellion against God; and yet, with all their swelling pride, they
are crushed and fall in a moment: for their malice and obstinacy, which
is never subdued, ceases not to struggle against the government of God,
and yet it is compelled to yield.

Christ does not openly reject, as he did on other occasions, the
confession of the devil; and the reason appears to be, that their
enmity towards him was so manifest, as to remove every opportunity of
unfavorable or calumnious imputation. Besides, Christ paid regard to
the spectators. Accordingly, when malicious and wicked men were
present, he was more eager to repress calumnies, and more inclined to
put a severe restraint on devils. On the present occasion, it was quite
enough that the devils, while they were offering a prayer and entreaty,
raged and stormed against him.

Hast thou come hither before the time to torment us? Some explain this
kind of torment as consisting in their being compelled to set at
absolute liberty the man whom they possessed. Others understand it as
referring to the last day of judgment. My view of it is, that they
trembled in the presence of their Judge, while they thought of their
punishment: for, though Christ said nothing, [552] a bad conscience
told them what they deserved. As criminals, when they come to the
judgment-seat, expect their punishment, so devils and all wicked men
must tremble at the sight of God, as truly as if they already
experienced hell, the unquenchable fire, and the torments that await
them. Now, the devils knew that Christ was the Judge of the world; and
therefore we need not wonder that the sight of him impressed them with
dread of immediate torment.

Were they acquainted with the day of the last judgment? This question,
which some have proposed, is uncalled for. What, then, is the meaning
of the phrase, before the time? It means that the reprobate never
reckon that the time for punishing them is fully come: for they would
willingly delay it from day to day. [553] Any measure of delay, which
the Lord is pleased to allow them, is counted gain; and thus by
subterfuges they endeavor to avoid his sentence, though the attempt is
to no purpose.

Mark 5:9 My name is Legion. The devil was compelled by Christ to
pronounce this word, that he might more fully display the greatness and
excellence of his grace. There must have been good reasons why this man
should have endured so severe a punishment as to have an army of
devils, so to speak, dwelling within him. What compassion then was it,
to rescue from so many deaths a man who was more than a thousand times
ruined! It was a magnificent display of the power of Christ., that by
his voice not one devil, but a great multitude of devils, were suddenly
driven out. Legion denotes here not a definite number of men, but
merely a great multitude.

Hence it is evident what a wretched creature man is, when he is
deprived of the divine protection. Every man is not only exposed to a
single devil, but becomes the retreat of vast numbers. This passage
refutes also the common error, which has been borrowed by Jews and
Christians from the heathens, that every man is attacked by his own
particular devil? On the contrary, Scripture plainly declares, that,
just as it pleases God, one devil [554] is sometimes sent to punish a
whole nation, and at other times many devils are permitted to punish
one man: as, on the other hand, one angel sometimes protects a whole
nation, and every man has many angels to act as his guardians. There is
the greater necessity for keeping diligent watch, lest so great a
multitude of enemies should take us by surprise.

Mark 5:10. And entreated him earnestly Luke says, they requested that
they might not be sent into the deep Some explain these words to mean
that they wished to avoid uninhabited places. [555] I rather view it as
referring to their rage for doing mischief. As the devils have no other
object than to prowl among men, like lions in search of prey, they are
grieved at being plunged into the deep, where they will have no
opportunity of injuring and ruining men. That this is the true meaning
may be inferred from the words of Mark, who says that they requested
that they might not be compelled to go out of the country In a word,
they manifest their disposition to be such, that there is nothing which
they more eagerly desire than the destruction of mankind.

Matthew 8:31. Permit us to depart into the herd of swine Some
conjecture that they wished to attack the swine, because they are
filled with enmity to all God's creatures. I do admit it to be true,
that they are entirely bent on confounding and overthrowing the whole
order of nature which God has appointed. But it is certain that they
had a more remote object in view, to excite the inhabitants of that
country to curse God on account of the loss of the swine. When the
devil thunders against Job's house, he does so not from any hatred he
bears to timber or stones, but in order that the good man, through
impatience at suffering loss, may break out against God. Again, when
Christ consents, he does not listen to their prayers, but chooses to
try in this manner what sort of people the Gadarenes are. Perhaps, too,
it is to punish their crimes that he grants to the devils so much power
over their swine. While the reason of it is not known by us with
certainty, it is proper for us to behold with reverence and to adore
with devout humility, the hidden judgment of God. This passage shows
also the foolish trifling of some irreligious men, who imagine that the
devils are not actually existing spirits, but merely the depraved
affections of men: for how could covetousness, ambition, cruelty, and
deceit, enter into the swine? Let us learn also, that unclean spirits
(as they are devoted to destruction) are the enemies of mankind; so
that they plunge all whom they can into the same destruction with
themselves.