Luke 8:26-37 · Bible study
Luke 8:26-37 Commentary: Gadarenes, Gerasenes, or Gergesenes?
Greek · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why do Matthew, Mark and Luke name the region differently?
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus demonstrates absolute authority over demonic forces, liberates a man, and triggers a crisis of response in the community.
- Key words: Legion (military term for a host of demons), abyss (bottomless pit, place of confinement), healed (esōthē, saved/delivered).
- Main debate: The location name (Gadarenes/Gerasenes/Gergesenes) and whether it affects interpretation.
- Thermal theme: Christ's sovereignty over the spiritual realm; the cost of deliverance; human fear of divine power.
- Best use: Teaching on spiritual warfare, mission to Gentile regions, and the radical transformation that comes through Christ.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
26Then they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee.
27When Jesus stepped ashore, He was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothing or lived in a house, but he stayed in the tombs.
28When the man saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, shouting in a loud voice, “What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You not to torture me!”
29For Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was bound with chains and shackles, he had broken the chains and been driven by the demon into solitary places.
30“What is your name?” Jesus asked. “Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him.
31And the demons kept begging Jesus not to order them to go into the Abyss.
32There on the hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding. So the demons begged Jesus to let them enter the pigs, and He gave them permission.
33Then the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
34When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside.
35So the people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man whom the demons had left, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
36Meanwhile, those who had seen it reported how the demon-possessed man had been healed.
37Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to depart from them, because great fear had taken hold of them. So He got into the boat and started back.
WEB World English Bible 2000
26Then they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.
27When Jesus stepped ashore, a certain man out of the city who had demons for a long time met him. He wore no clothes, and didn’t live in a house, but in the tombs.
28When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, “What do I have to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torment me!”
29For Jesus was commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For the unclean spirit had often seized the man. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and fetters. Breaking the bonds apart, he was driven by the demon into the desert.
30Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered into him.
31They begged him that he would not command them to go into the abyss.
32Now there was there a herd of many pigs feeding on the mountain, and they begged him that he would allow them to enter into those. Then he allowed them.
33The demons came out of the man and entered into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
34When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.
35People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
36Those who saw it told them how he who had been possessed by demons was healed.
37All the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked him to depart from them, for they were very much afraid. Then he entered into the boat and returned.
KJV King James Version 1769
26And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.
27And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.
28When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.
29(For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)
30And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.
31And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.
32And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.
33Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.
34When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country.
35Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
36They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed.
37Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
26And they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is over against Galilee.
27And when he was come forth upon the land, there met him a certain man out of the city, who had demons; and for a long time he had worn no clothes, and abode not in any house, but in the tombs.
28And when he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God? I beseech thee, torment me not.
29For he was commanding the unclean spirit to come out from the man. For oftentimes it had seized him: and he was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters; and breaking the bands asunder, he was driven of the demon into the deserts.
30And Jesus asked him, What is thy name? And he said, Legion; for many demons were entered into him.
31And they entreated him that he would not command them to depart into the abyss.
32Now there was there a herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they entreated him that he would give them leave to enter into them. And he gave them leave.
33And the demons came out from the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd rushed down the steep into the lake, and were drowned.
34And when they that fed them saw what had come to pass, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country.
35And they went out to see what had come to pass; and they came to Jesus, and found the man, from whom the demons were gone out, sitting, clothed and in his right mind, at the feet of Jesus: and they were afraid.
36And they that saw it told them how he that was possessed with demons was made whole.
37And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes round about asked him to depart from them; for they were holden with great fear: and he entered into a boat, and returned.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
26And they sailed down to the region of the Gadarenes, that is over-against Galilee,
27and he having gone forth upon the land, there met him a certain man, out of the city, who had demons for a long time, and with a garment was not clothed, and in a house was not abiding, but in the tombs,
28and having seen Jesus, and having cried out, he fell before him, and with a loud voice, said, `What--to me and to thee, Jesus, Son of God Most High? I beseech thee, mayest thou not afflict me!'
29For he commanded the unclean spirit to come forth from the man, for many times it had caught him, and he was being bound with chains and fetters--guarded, and breaking asunder the bonds he was driven by the demons to the deserts.
30And Jesus questioned him, saying, `What is thy name?' and he said, `Legion,' (because many demons were entered into him,)
31and he was calling on him, that he may not command them to go away to the abyss,
32and there was there a herd of many swine feeding in the mountain, and they were calling on him, that he might suffer them to enter into these, and he suffered them,
33and the demons having gone forth from the man, did enter into the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep to the lake, and were choked.
34And those feeding them , having seen what was come to pass, fled, and having gone, told it to the city, and to the fields;
35and they came forth to see what was come to pass, and they came unto Jesus, and found the man sitting, out of whom the demons had gone forth, clothed, and right-minded, at the feet of Jesus, and they were afraid;
36and those also having seen it , told them how the demoniac was saved.
37And the whole multitude of the region of the Gadarenes round about asked him to go away from them, because with great fear they were pressed, and he having entered into the boat, did turn back.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
26And they arrived in the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.
27And as he got out [of the ship] on the land, a certain man out of the city met him, who had demons a long time, and put on no clothes, and did not abide in a house, but in the tombs.
28But seeing Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus Son of the Most High God? I beseech thee torment me not.
29For he had commanded the unclean spirit to go out from the man. For very often it had seized him; and he had been bound, kept with chains and fetters; and breaking the bonds he was driven by the demon into the deserts.
30And Jesus asked him saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: for many demons had entered into him.
31And they besought him that he would not command them to go away into the bottomless pit.
32And there was there a herd of many swine feeding on the mountain, and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into those; and he suffered them.
33And the demons, going out from the man, entered into the swine, and the herd rushed down the precipice into the lake, and were choked.
34But they that fed [them], seeing what had happened, fled, and told [it] to the city and to the country.
35And they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting, clothed and sensible, at the feet of Jesus. And they were afraid.
36And they also who had seen it told them how the possessed man had been healed.
37And all the multitude of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked him to depart from them, for they were possessed with great fear; and he, entering into the ship, returned.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
26And they sailed to the country of the Gerasens, which is over against Galilee.
27And when he was come forth to the land, there met him a certain man who had a devil now a very long time. And he wore no clothes: neither did he abide in a house, but in the sepulchres.
28And when he saw Jesus, he fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said: What have I to do with thee, Jesus, Son of the most high God? I beseech thee, do not torment me.
29For he commanded the unclean spirit to go out of the man. For many times it seized him: and he was bound with chains and kept in fetters: and breaking the bonds, he was driven by the devil into the deserts.
30And Jesus asked him, saying: What is thy name? But he said: Legion. Because many devils were entered into him.
31And they besought him that he would not command them to go into the abyss.
32And there was there a herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.
33The devils therefore went out of the man and entered into the swine. And the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake and were stifled.
34Which when they that fed them saw done, they fled away and told it in the city and in the villages.
35And they went out to see what was done. And they came to Jesus and found the man out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at his feet, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.
36And they also that had seen told them how he had been healed from the legion.
37And all the multitude of the country of the Gerasens besought him to depart from them: for they were taken with great fear. And he, going up into the ship, returned back again.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 8:26
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree on the central facts: Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee, met a violently demon-possessed man, expelled the spirits, and the townspeople asked him to leave. The debated detail, how to name the region, does not change the story's core. Matthew Henry emphasises Christ's authority over the spiritual realm. Calvin describes the man's wretched condition, chained and dwelling among tombs, as evidence of the devil's cruelty. Adam Clarke notes that manuscript readings vary among 'Gadarenes,' 'Gerasenes,' and 'Gergesenes,' likely reflecting the region's proximity to multiple cities. The Cambridge Bible adds that near modern Kherza a steep bank runs into the lake, matching the herd's plunge. Vincent's Word Studies highlights Luke's precise nautical term katepleusan ('they sailed down'), marking the arrival from open water. All agree the man was delivered, the pigs were destroyed, and the town's fear outweighed gratitude, a sobering reminder that divine power can unsettle as much as it saves.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Traditional supernatural view: The text describes real demonic possession; Jesus exorcises the spirits, who then enter the pigs.
- Rationalistic/psychological view: The man was mentally ill; the pigs died accidentally. Clarke calls this 'solemn trifling' and rejects it.
- Text-critical/location view: Focuses on resolving the variant readings of the region's name, often without resolving the demonic reality.
What is clear: Jesus delivered a man from bondage, and the event provoked a decisive response of either faith or fear from the community.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Location of the event | The exorcism took place on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee in a predominantly Gentile region. | Manuscripts vary among Gadarenes, Gerasenes, and Gergesenes. Some commentators link this to nearby cities Gadara or Gerasa; others argue for a smaller site like Gergesa (Kursi) that better matches the steep slope into the lake. |
| Nature of the possession | The man was under the control of multiple evil spirits that Jesus expelled. | Most traditions read this as literal demonic possession. A rationalistic view, dismissed by Clarke as 'solemn trifling,' suggests the man was mentally ill and drove the pigs himself. Christian interpreters across denominations typically affirm the supernatural reading. |
| Destruction of the pigs | The herd rushed into the lake and drowned after the demons entered them. | Some see this as a sign of the demons' destructive nature. Others view it as a judgment on the Gentile economy or a vivid proof of the exorcism's reality. A few ask why Jesus permitted such economic loss. |
| The abyss as a destination for demons | The demons begged not to be sent into the abyss, understood as a prison for evil spirits. | Whether the demons went directly to the abyss after the pigs drowned or remained in the region is unclear. Mark 5:10 records a separate request not to be sent 'out of the country.' Some see the abyss as a final confinement; others believe the demons were given a temporary reprieve. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The region east of the Sea of Galilee, often linked to the Decapolis, was largely Gentile territory. Pigs, unclean to Jews, were raised there freely (Cambridge Bible notes that if the owners were Jewish, they violated the law). The man's dwelling among tombs reflected a common belief that demons haunted burial places. Calvin says the devil used the sight of death to torment him. Adam Clarke cites the Chaldaic notion that material demons dreaded confinement in the abyss, a horror that drives their plea in v.31.
The man was bound with chains and fetters but shattered them, suggesting superhuman force. His nakedness added to his isolation; he was a social outcast. Legion, a Roman military unit of roughly 6,000 soldiers, signals the scale of demonic occupation. The abyss (abussos) is the bottomless pit, a prison for evil spirits (Vincent notes its use in Revelation). The geography matters: the steep precipice near the lake is a real feature, and the herd's drowning ends the demons' temporary refuge. The location confusion arises because several towns, Gadara (6 miles southeast), Gerasa (modern Jerash, 30 miles inland), and a smaller site Gergesa, claimed the territory. Early scribes selected the name they knew, but the event's setting is the eastern shore, where Jesus stepped into a land of tombs, pigs, and frightened people.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note the most significant textual variant is the region's name. The best Greek manuscripts read Γερασηνῶν (Gerasenes) or Γαδαρηνῶν (Gadarenes); a few have Γεργεσηνῶν (Gergesenes). The Cambridge Bible and Clarke highlight the variation, which likely arose because several towns claimed the territory. In v.31, some witnesses read the singular παρεκάλει ('he begged') instead of the plural, affecting whether the whole legion or one spokesman pleaded. These variants do not alter the narrative's theology or core event. No other significant variants affect interpretation.
Reception History
This passage has shaped Christian teaching on demonic power and Christ's authority. Early church writers like Irenaeus used it to argue that Jesus is superior to all spiritual forces. The name “Legion” became a standard term for demonic multitudes. In medieval art, the Gerasene demoniac was depicted chained among tombs, symbolising humanity's bondage to sin. The Reformed tradition (Poole, Calvin) emphasised that even demons cannot act without God's permission. During the Enlightenment, rationalist readings questioned the literal exorcism, while evangelical and Catholic traditions continued to affirm it as a model of spiritual warfare. The community's fearful rejection of Jesus has been preached as a warning against valuing economic stability over the kingdom of God. The healed man's commission to tell his story has inspired countless sermons on evangelism and personal testimony.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Man No One Could Help (vv.26-29), Naked, chained, living among the dead, this man was beyond human reach. Jesus steps into his world, and the demons react with terror.
- The Authority of Jesus Over the Demonic (vv.30-33), Jesus asks the man's name. The answer, “Legion,” reveals the scale. The demons beg for the pigs; Jesus permits it, and the herd rushes into the lake. Authority is total.
- The Two Responses to Jesus (vv.34-37), The healed man sits at Jesus’ feet, clothed and calm. The community, afraid of the power and the loss, asks Jesus to leave. Salvation and rejection stand side by side.
Five-point outline
- Jesus crosses into hostile territory (the crossing itself echoes the stilling of the storm).
- The encounter with the demoniac: his condition, the demons' confession (“Son of the Most High God”).
- The question of the name: Jesus restores the man’s identity even before the exorcism.
- The destruction of the pigs: a visible display of the demons' destructive intent and Jesus’ permission.
- The sending of the healed man: Jesus tells him to declare what God has done, mission begins.
Illustration hooks
- A neighborhood finally gets a dangerous intersection fixed, but the construction disrupts traffic for weeks. Residents complain, the cure feels worse than the problem.
- A costly cleanup of a toxic industrial site destroys jobs; the community mourns the loss even as the land is restored.
- A person’s recovery from addiction means leaving old friends and habits behind; family members miss the “familiar” chaos and resent the new normal.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why did Jesus let the pigs drown? That’s a huge financial loss, doesn’t he care about people’s livelihoods?
- If Jesus has that kind of power over demons, why don’t we see exorcisms like this today?
- Why were the people so afraid after seeing a miracle? Doesn’t fear push them away from Jesus instead of toward him?
Leading a Discussion
This passage is unsettling. Jesus steps into a Gentile region, confronts a legion of demons, and the result is a community that wants him gone. The healing brings both liberation and loss. As you work through these questions, pay attention to where you sympathise with the healed man, and where you share the townspeople’s fear.
Discussion questions
- What details stand out about the man’s condition (tombs, chains, nakedness)? What do they tell you about his isolation?
- Why do the demons address Jesus as “Son of the Most High God”? What does this reveal about their knowledge?
- Jesus asks the man, “What is your name?” Why would Jesus ask this before the exorcism? What effect might it have had on the man?
- The demons prefer entering pigs over going into the abyss. What does this suggest about their nature and their view of the abyss?
- Why do the townspeople ask Jesus to leave? What exactly are they afraid of? Compare their reaction with the demoniac’s desire to stay with Jesus.
- The healed man is sent back to his community to tell what God has done. How does his mission differ from the disciples’ mission? What does that say about where we are sent?
- Where in your own life might you prefer the familiar, even if it is broken, over the disruption Jesus brings?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Matthew 8:28 | When he came to the other side, into the country of the Gergesenes, two people possessed by demons met him there, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that nobody could pass that way. |
| Matthew 8:34 | Behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged that he would depart from their borders. |
| Mark 5:1 | They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. |
| Mark 5:20 | He went his way, and began to proclaim in Decapolis how Jesus had done great things for him, and everyone marveled. |
| Numbers 19:16 | “Whoever in the open field touches one who is slain with a sword, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days. |
| I Samuel 19:24 | He also stripped off his clothes. He also prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” |
| Isaiah 65:4 | who sit among the graves, and spend nights in secret places; who eat pig’s meat, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; |
| Mark 5:2 | When he had come out of the boat, immediately a man with an unclean spirit met him out of the tombs. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
3 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues the demoniac was kept among the tombs not because demons delight in death's stench, but to torment him continually with the grim sight of mortality. This shows the devil does more than afflict the living; his dominion reaches its peak in death itself.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentary focuses on the textual question of whether the miracle happened near Gadara, Gerasa, or Gergesa. It argues that Gergesa, a small obscure town opposite Capernaum, is almost certainly the right reading here, noting that the name was later altered by copyists who knew the more famous Gadara and Gerasa.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry pairs the stilling of the storm with the casting out of demons to show Christ's authority over both the natural and spiritual realms. In each case a single word from Jesus brings instant obedience from wind, water, and legions of devils, leaving the disciples awestruck at His divine power.