Mark 5:1-12 · Bible study
Mark 5:1-12 Commentary: The Healing of Legion
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why do the Gospels differ on the location? What does this miracle reveal about Jesus' authority over the spiritual realm?
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus delivers a violently demon‑possessed man by casting a “legion” of demons into a herd of pigs, demonstrating his absolute authority over the spiritual realm.
- Key words: Legion (λεγεών), a Roman military unit, here signifying a multitude of demons; unclean spirit (πνεῦμα ἀκάθαρτον), a spirit that renders a person ceremonially and morally impure.
- Main debate: The location, Gadarenes, Gerasenes, or Gergesenes, reflects different cities that could claim the territory; the event likely occurred near Gergesa (modern Kursi) on the eastern shore.
- Theological theme: Christ’s sovereignty over evil powers; the contrast between the man’s bondage and the freedom brought by Jesus; the cost of deliverance for the surrounding community.
- Best use: As a vivid illustration of spiritual warfare and the sufficiency of Christ’s authority for those who feel overwhelmed by sin, addiction, or oppressive influences.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1On the other side of the sea, they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes.
2As soon as Jesus got out of the boat, He was met by a man with an unclean spirit, who was coming from the tombs.
3This man had been living in the tombs and could no longer be restrained, even with chains.
4Though he was often bound with chains and shackles, he had broken the chains and shattered the shackles. Now there was no one with the strength to subdue him.
5Night and day in the tombs and in the mountains he kept crying out and cutting himself with stones.
6When the man saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees before Him.
7And he shouted in a loud voice, “What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You before God not to torture me!”
8For Jesus had already declared, “Come out of this man, you unclean spirit!”
9“What is your name?” Jesus asked. “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”
10And he begged Jesus repeatedly not to send them out of that region.
11There on the nearby hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding.
12So the demons begged Jesus, “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
1They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
2When he had come out of the boat, immediately a man with an unclean spirit met him out of the tombs.
3He lived in the tombs. Nobody could bind him any more, not even with chains,
4because he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him, and the fetters broken in pieces. Nobody had the strength to tame him.
5Always, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out, and cutting himself with stones.
6When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and bowed down to him,
7and crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have I to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, don’t torment me.”
8For he said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
9He asked him, “What is your name?” He said to him, “My name is Legion, for we are many.”
10He begged him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
11Now on the mountainside there was a great herd of pigs feeding.
12All the demons begged him, saying, “Send us into the pigs, that we may enter into them.”
KJV King James Version 1769
1And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
2And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
3Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:
4Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.
5And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
6But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,
7And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
8For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
9And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.
10And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
11Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.
12And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1And they came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes.
2And when he was come out of the boat, straightway there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
3who had his dwelling in the tombs: and no man could any more bind him, no, not with a chain;
4because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been rent asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: and no man had strength to tame him.
5And always, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out, and cutting himself with stones.
6And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped him;
7and crying out with a loud voice, he saith, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God? I adjure thee by God, torment me not.
8For he said unto him, Come forth, thou unclean spirit, out of the man.
9And he asked him, What is thy name? And he saith unto him, My name is Legion; for we are many.
10And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
11Now there was there on the mountain side a great herd of swine feeding.
12And they besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1And they came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gadarenes,
2and he having come forth out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
3who had his dwelling in the tombs, and not even with chains was any one able to bind him,
4because that he many times with fetters and chains had been bound, and pulled in pieces by him had been the chains, and the fetters broken in pieces, and none was able to tame him,
5and always, night and day, in the mountains, and in the tombs he was, crying and cutting himself with stones.
6And, having seen Jesus from afar, he ran and bowed before him,
7and having called with a loud voice, he said, `What--to me and to thee, Jesus, Son of God the Most High? I adjure thee by God, mayest thou not afflict me!'
8(for he said to him, `Come forth, spirit unclean, out of the man,')
9and he was questioning him, `What is thy name?' and he answered, saying, `Legion is my name, because we are many;'
10and he was calling on him much, that he may not send them out of the region.
11And there was there, near the mountains, a great herd of swine feeding,
12and all the demons did call upon him, saying, `Send us to the swine, that into them we may enter;'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1And they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes.
2And immediately on his going out of the ship there met him out of the tombs a man possessed by an unclean spirit,
3who had his dwelling in the tombs; and no one was able to bind him, not even with chains;
4because he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been torn asunder by him, and the fetters were shattered; and no one was able to subdue him.
5And continually night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying and cutting himself with stones.
6But seeing Jesus from afar off, he ran and did him homage,
7and crying with a loud voice he says, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure thee by God, torment me not.
8For he said to him, Come forth, unclean spirit, out of the man.
9And he asked him, What is thy name? And he says to him, Legion is my name, because we are many.
10And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
11Now there was there just at the mountain a great herd of swine feeding;
12and they besought him, saying, Send us into the swine that we may enter into them.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1And they came over the strait of the sea, into the country of the Gerasens.
2And as he went out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the monuments a man with an unclean spirit,
3Who had his dwelling in the tombs, and no man now could bind him, not even with chains.
4For having been often bound with fetters and chains, he had burst the chains, and broken the fetters in pieces, and no one could tame him.
5And he was always day and night in the monuments and in the mountains, crying and cutting himself with stones.
6And seeing Jesus afar off, he ran and adored him.
7And crying with a loud voice, he said: What have I to do with thee, Jesus the Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not.
8For he said unto him: Go out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
9And he asked him: What is thy name? And he saith to him: My name is Legion, for we are many.
10And he besought him much, that he would not drive him away out of the country.
11And there was there near the mountain a great herd of swine, feeding.
12And the spirits besought him, saying: Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Mark 5:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this account presents Jesus confronting a level of demonic oppression that defies normal human constraint. The man’s dwelling among the tombs, his supernatural strength, and his self-harming behavior all point to a condition beyond ordinary insanity. As Barnes notes, such details align with observed cases of mania in the Middle East, yet the evangelists attribute these effects to an unclean spirit. The phrase “Legion” (λεγεών) indicates a vast number of demons, a Roman military term marking both their destructive unity and their ultimate subordination to Christ. On the location, reliable manuscripts vary among “Gadarenes,” “Gerasenes,” and “Gergesenes,” yet all refer to the same general region east of the Sea of Galilee. The Cambridge Bible explains that these names arise from different cities (Gadara, Gerasa, Gergesa) that could claim jurisdiction over the territory. All three Synoptic Gospels preserve the same essential narrative, with Mark adding unique details: the repeated failed attempts to bind the man, his constant night-and-day crying, and the specific detail that he saw Jesus “from afar” and ran to worship him. The core meaning is not in dispute: Jesus exercises absolute authority over a multitude of demons, freeing a man who had been utterly enslaved.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal historical reading: The Gospels present this as a real event in a specific location; the variations are due to different cities claiming jurisdiction over the same region.
- Symbolic/spiritual reading: The story dramatizes Christ’s victory over the corporate powers of evil (Legion = Roman military might; pigs = uncleanness; drowning = judgment).
- Harmonization view: Two demoniacs were present but Mark and Luke focus on the prominent one; the location is Gergesa on the shore despite the other names.
What is clear: Jesus delivered a demon‑possessed man, casting out a multitude of spirits that then entered a herd of pigs, which drowned in the sea — demonstrating Christ’s absolute authority over evil and freeing a man from a condition no human power could remedy.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Location of the event | The miracle took place on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee in a region known as the Decapolis, a predominantly Gentile area. | The place name varies among the Gospels and manuscripts: Gadarenes (named after Gadara), Gerasenes (after Gerasa), and Gergesenes (after Gergesa). Most scholars think Gergesa best fits the geography because it is right on the shore with a steep bank, while Gerasa is too far inland and Gadara is several miles away. |
| Number of demoniacs | Mark and Luke describe one possessed man; Matthew mentions two men. All agree that the deliverance was a powerful display of Jesus’ authority. | Some harmonize by saying there were two, but Mark and Luke focus on the more prominent one who spoke. Others see the difference as a minor inconsistency in the gospel tradition. Christian readers generally accept the accounts as complementary rather than contradictory. |
| Nature of the demons’ request | The demons begged Jesus not to send them out of the region and asked to enter the pigs. Jesus gave them permission. | Why did they want to enter pigs? Some interpret it as a desire to continue doing harm, even through animals. Others see it as an attempt to avoid being sent to the abyss (Luke 8:31). A few question whether demons can inhabit animals at all, but most Christians read the story as literal. |
| Why the pigs drowned | The herd of about two thousand pigs rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned, proving the demons had truly left the man. | Some see this as evidence of the demons’ destructive nature even toward their own vehicle. Others emphasize the economic loss to the pig owners, which explains why the townspeople asked Jesus to leave. A minority view argues that the massacre of the pigs shows Jesus’ concern for the man above material goods. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee belonged to the Decapolis, a league of ten Greco-Roman cities. This region was a mixed population of Jews and Gentiles, where the very presence of a large herd of pigs (an animal unclean under Jewish law) signals that this area lay outside strict Jewish practice. The Cambridge Bible notes that the location of the miracle has been a puzzle because three different place names appear in the manuscripts. Gadara was a prominent city about six miles southeast of the sea; Gerasa (modern Jerash) was far inland, not close to any large body of water. The most likely site is the town of Gergesa, identified with modern Kursi on the eastern shore, where a steep bank descends directly to the lake. This fits Mark’s description of pigs rushing down a slope into the sea.
Tombs in this region were often natural caves or rock‑hewn chambers used for burial. To live among them was to be perpetually unclean, both ritually and socially. The man’s nakedness (implied by Mark’s later mention that he was clothed after healing) and his self-mutilation with stones (κατακόπτων ἑαυτὸν λίθοις) fit what ancient sources describe as symptoms of madness, and what the evangelists present as demonic possession. The term “Legion” would have carried political weight for Mark’s readers. A Roman legion typically consisted of about six thousand soldiers; the name stresses not a precise number but overwhelming array. The demons’ request not to be sent “out of the country” (ἔξω τῆς χώρας) has been understood by Calvin and others as a plea to remain active in a region where they could continue their work. The herd of about two thousand pigs (v. 13) underlines the scale of the deliverance and the economic loss that followed, a loss that helps explain why the townspeople later begged Jesus to leave (Matthew 8:34).
Textual Notes
Mark’s manuscripts show a well‑known textual variation in verse 1: the inhabitants are called “Gadarenes” in many witnesses (including the Byzantine text) and “Gerasenes” in others (such as Codex Sinaiticus and Vaticanus). The same variation appears in Matthew 8:28 and Luke 8:26. A third reading, “Gergesenes,” appears in some manuscripts of Matthew and was preferred by Origen on geographical grounds. The name “Gerasenes” is probably original in Mark, but “Gadarenes” became common due to the prominence of the city of Gadara. The interlinear text of Mark 5:1 uses Γερασηνῶν (Gerasenes). No other text‑critical issues of significance are reported in the supplied sources for Mark 5:1‑12.
Reception History
Early Christian writers such as Origen and Jerome discussed the place name variations, using them as an occasion to affirm the historical trustworthiness of the Gospels while allowing for regional naming differences. In the Eastern Church, the site came to be venerated as Gergesa (Kursi), where a Byzantine monastery was later built. The story was read during Lent in some lectionaries as a reminder of Christ’s victory over the powers of darkness. Augustine saw the possessed man as a symbol of the Gentile world enslaved by demons, and the herd of pigs as representing unclean spirits that would destroy themselves. In Reformation commentary, Calvin highlighted the demons’ rage for doing mischief and the mercy of Christ in delivering even one who was “more than a thousand times ruined.” The narrative has also been a staple in missions preaching, illustrating that no one is beyond Christ’s reach, and that witness often begins in one’s own household (Luke 8:39). The name “Legion” has passed into common speech as a synonym for a multitude, keeping the story alive in cultural memory.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Human misery at its worst. The man lived among tombs, possessed superhuman strength, and could not be restrained even with chains. His condition shows the destructive power of evil when left unchecked. (vv. 2‑5)
- Confrontation with the Holy One. The demon‑possessed man ran to Jesus and fell on his knees, yet the spirit inside him cried out in fear. This paradox illustrates that even the demons recognize Jesus as the Son of the Most High God. (vv. 6‑7)
- The sovereign command of Christ. Jesus asked the name, and the answer “Legion” revealed the extent of the oppression. With a word, Jesus expelled the demons, allowing them to enter the pigs. The man’s deliverance demonstrates that no power can stand against the Lord’s authority. (vv. 8‑13)
Five-point outline
- The man’s hopeless condition, isolated, violent, self‑destructive, beyond human help.
- The unexpected encounter, Jesus arrives on the scene, and the demon‑possessed man runs to him (v. 6).
- The dialogue of fear and authority, the demons beg not to be tormented; Jesus commands them to come out.
- The naming of the enemy, “Legion” reveals the multitude of spirits and the military‑style domination they inflicted.
- The transfer and destruction, the demons enter the pigs, which rush into the sea. The cleansing of the man is completed, and the region is confronted with Jesus’ power.
Illustration hooks
- The chain that couldn’t hold. Think of a person struggling with an addiction that every human method has failed to break. The man’s chains represent our best efforts to control what only Christ can free.
- The name we fear. Children sometimes fear the dark because they imagine an unnamed threat. Jesus asked the demon’s name, exposing it and disarming its power. Naming our fears can be the first step toward bringing them under Christ’s authority.
- The herd on the hill. A farmer watching his livelihood plunge into the sea would feel anger and loss. Yet the real tragedy was not the pigs but the enslavement of one human being, a reminder that people matter more than possessions.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If Jesus has power over all demons, why does evil still seem so strong in our world?
- Why did Jesus allow the demons to destroy the pigs? Wasn’t that unfair to the owners?
- The townspeople asked Jesus to leave. Are there areas of my life where I would rather keep my distance from Jesus than face the cost of his presence?
Leading a Discussion
Mark gives us the longest and most vivid version of this miracle. The story forces us to confront the reality of spiritual evil and the greater reality of Christ’s authority. As you meet together, let the details of this passage move you from observation to wonder, and from wonder to faithful response.
Discussion questions
- Read Mark 5:1‑5. What details about the man’s condition stand out to you? Why did Mark include so many specific facts (chains, fetters, crying, stones)?
- Verse 6 says the man ran and worshipped Jesus. Yet in verse 7 the same mouth cries out in fear. How can one person show both worship and terror at the same time? What does this say about the conflict between the man’s identity and the demons’ control?
- Jesus asked the demon, “What is your name?” The answer was “Legion.” Why do you think Jesus asked this question? What does naming evil accomplish?
- The demons begged not to be sent out of the country (v. 10). Later they asked to enter the pigs (v. 12). What does this bargaining reveal about the nature of demons? Why would they prefer pigs over the abyss?
- Compare Mark 5:1‑12 with Matthew 8:28‑34, where two demon‑possessed men are mentioned. How do you explain the difference? Does this undermine the historical reliability of the Gospels?
- The townspeople saw the man healed and the pigs destroyed, and they pleaded with Jesus to leave (Matthew 8:34). Why did they respond that way? Have you ever been tempted to keep Jesus at a distance because his presence might cost you something?
- After his healing, the man asked to go with Jesus, but Jesus told him to go home and declare what God had done for him (Luke 8:38‑39). What does this commission teach us about mission and witness?
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 4:35 | On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.” |
| Luke 8:26 | Then they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. |
| Luke 8:39 | “Return to your house, and declare what great things God has done for you.” He went his way, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. |
| 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 1:23 | Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, |
| Mark 1:26 | The unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. |
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
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke insists that the Gospel writers accurately report real demonic possession, not mental illness or superstition. He points to Luke's confirmation that many demons had entered the man, and notes that the spirits preferred a heathen district where they could act with less restraint than in a land where God was worshipped.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes uses nineteenth-century medical and travel accounts to show that the demoniac's symptoms—prodigious strength, refusal to wear clothes, self-harm—match documented cases of mania. He nevertheless affirms the biblical claim that an unclean spirit caused this madness, not a merely natural illness. The man's complete recovery left witnesses awed by God's power.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that the demons did not approach Christ willingly but were dragged before Him by a hidden exercise of His authority, proving that Satan’s entire kingdom is subject to Christ. He also challenges the common notion that every person has a single personal devil, pointing out that Scripture sometimes lets one demon punish a whole nation or many demons torment one individual.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes the textual variations among the Gospels for the location, explaining that Gadara was the district capital while Gergesa was the likely actual site. It also observes that the demoniac’s name “Legion” deliberately evokes a Roman military unit, underscoring the terrible, coordinated oppression he suffered.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange notes that Jesus' initial command to the unclean spirit did not immediately heal the man because his consciousness was identified with a legion of spirits, requiring a more specific address. The name "Legion" expresses both resistant pride and silent complaint, reflecting the man's fragmented state.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent highlights how Mark's account adds graphic physical details—the man's settled home among tombs, his inarticulate shrieks, and fetters ground to pieces—that heighten both the horror of the condition and the glory of the cure. He also notes a grammatical detail: the imperfect tense shows Jesus commanding and the demon's outburst happening simultaneously.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes that the demons are many yet act under one commander, who speaks for them all. This explains why the possessed man, among two mentioned in Matthew, takes a single voice even as he gives the name Legion—a name that means a multitude under unified authority.