Luke 8:26-37 Meaning: Why Different Names for the Same Place?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Meaning in one sentence
Why do Matthew, Mark, and Luke call the region Gadarenes, Gerasenes, or Gergesenes? Discover the location and meaning behind the story of the demoniac.
Context
Luke places this dramatic scene right after Jesus calms the storm. He and his disciples cross the Sea of Galilee to the eastern shore. The region is called Gadarenes, Gerasenes, or Gergesenes in different manuscripts, but all refer to the same general area, Gentile territory where pigs were raised, an animal Jews considered unclean. Stepping onto this shore, Jesus is met by a man possessed by many demons, living among the tombs, isolated and violent. The passage shows Jesus crossing boundaries of territory and spiritual darkness, bringing freedom where no one else could.
Key Words
Three Greek words capture the weight of this story. The name "Legion" (G3003) referred to a Roman army unit of several thousand soldiers. This man was not merely troubled; he was occupied by a vast, organized force of evil. The demons’ plea not to be sent into the "abyss" (G12) reveals their terror of judgment, the bottomless pit, the place of final confinement. And the most hopeful word comes after deliverance: the man was "of sound mind" (G4993, sōphroneō), literally in his right mind. Jesus restored not only his freedom but his very sanity and self-control. These words together show the scale of the oppression and the completeness of the restoration Jesus brings.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions see this story as a powerful demonstration of Jesus’ authority over evil. Reformed commentators like Matthew Henry emphasize that the demons recognized Jesus as Son of the Most High God, confirming His divine power. Catholic and Orthodox readers often highlight the man’s restoration as a picture of baptismal deliverance and new life. Wesleyan traditions note the compassion of Jesus who crossed into Gentile territory to save one suffering soul. All agree that the townspeople’s request for Jesus to leave shows the unsettling nature of His power, sometimes people prefer the familiar evil over the disruptive presence of God.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is that Jesus was wasteful by allowing the demons to destroy the pigs. In fact, the story shows the destructive intent of the demons: they immediately drove the herd to drown. Jesus permitted it to reveal their murderous nature and to confirm the reality of the man’s deliverance. The loss of property is real, but the saving of a human soul is far greater.
Living This Out
This week, consider what “tombs” you are living in, places of isolation, fear, or addiction that feel inescapable. Jesus is not afraid to enter those dark spaces. The townspeople were afraid of His power and asked Him to leave. You have a choice: will you push Jesus away because His presence demands change, or will you let Him sit you at His feet, clothed and sane? The restored man became a witness. You can tell someone what Jesus has done for you.
Main takeaway: Jesus has authority over every dark force, and He restores broken people to their right mind, inviting them to share what He has done.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
A man was very sick and lived alone in a cemetery. Jesus made all the bad spirits leave him. Now the man was happy and healthy. Jesus is stronger than anything scary.
For ages 9, 12
This man was controlled by so many demons they called themselves “Legion”, like a whole army. Jesus commanded them to leave, and they had to obey. The man was completely healed and sat calmly with Jesus. The townspeople were more afraid of Jesus’ power than grateful for the miracle. This story shows that no darkness is too big for Jesus, and He wants to set us free so we can live fully and tell others about Him.
Questions People Ask
Why are the region names different (Gadarenes, Gerasenes, Gergesenes)?
The Greek manuscripts vary, but all refer to the same general area east of the Sea of Galilee. Gadara was a major city, and Gerasa was a smaller town nearby. The region was Gentile territory, which is why pigs, unclean to Jews, were being raised there. The different names reflect which town the copyists associated with the region.
What does 'Legion' mean in the Bible?
Legion was a Roman military term for a unit of about 6,000 soldiers. When the demons said their name was Legion, it highlighted the vast number of evil spirits possessing the man. It also shows the organized, overwhelming nature of the oppression he faced.
Why did the demons want to go into the pigs?
The demons begged Jesus not to send them into the abyss (the place of final judgment). They asked to enter the pigs instead, and Jesus allowed it. This reveals their desire to continue causing harm, even in animals. The pigs’ immediate destruction also shows the destructive nature of evil.
Why did the townspeople ask Jesus to leave?
The people were seized with great fear. Though they had witnessed a miraculous deliverance, the loss of the herd and the presence of such raw power unsettled them. They preferred the familiar, stable order, even with a dangerous man living among the tombs, over the disruptive holiness of Jesus.
What is the 'abyss' that the demons feared?
The abyss (Greek: abussos) means bottomless depth. In Jewish thought, it was the prison for rebellious spirits, the place of final confinement before judgment. The demons’ plea not to be sent there shows they recognized Jesus as having authority over their ultimate destiny.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study