Mark 5:14 · Bible study
Mark 5:14 Commentary: The Spread of News and Fear of Power
Greek · 6 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why the herdsmen's report spread so quickly and what the crowd's response reveals about human reaction to divine power.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The herdsmen flee and report the miracle, drawing a crowd from city and country to witness the aftermath.
- Key words: βόσκοντες (feeding, describing their role), ἀπήγγειλαν (proclaimed, a strong term for announcing), γεγονός (perfect participle: something that has happened and remains a present reality).
- Main debate: Whether the textual variant 'them' instead of 'pigs' changes the focus; most scholars accept 'pigs' as original, but the action remains the same.
- Theological theme: Human fear of divine power when it disrupts economic and social stability.
- Best use: A hinge verse showing that news of Jesus spreads quickly, but the response is mixed, curiosity can turn to fear when the cost becomes clear.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Those who fed the pigs fled, and told it in the city and in the country. The people came to see what it was that had happened.
KJV King James Version 1769
And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And they that fed them fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they came to see what it was that had come to pass.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And those feeding the swine did flee, and told in the city, and in the fields, and they came forth to see what it is that hath been done;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And those that were feeding them fled and reported it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had taken place.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And they that fed them fled, and told it in the city and in the fields. And they went out to see what was done:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y los que apacentaban los puercos huyeron, y dieron aviso en la ciudad y en los campos. Y salieron para ver qué era aquello que había acontecido.
Os que os apascentavam fugiram, e avisaram na cidade e nos campos; e as pessoas foram ver o que havia acontecido.
Ceux qui les faisaient paître s’ enfuirent, et répandirent la nouvelle dans la ville et dans les campagnes. Les gens allèrent voir ce qui était arrivé.
Und die Sauhirten flohen und verkündigten das in der Stadt und auf dem Lande. Und sie gingen hinaus, zu sehen, was da geschehen war,
En die de zwijnen weidden zijn gevlucht, en boodschapten zulks in de stad en op het land. En zij gingen uit, om te zien, wat het was, dat er geschied was.
Eran circa duemila ed affogarono nel mare. E quelli che li pasturavano fuggirono e portaron la notizia in città e per la campagna; e la gente andò a vedere ciò che era avvenuto.
A oni, którzy świnie paśli, uciekli, i oznajmili to w mieście i we wsiach; i wyszli, aby oglądali to, co się stało.
Пасущие же свиней побежали и рассказали в городе и в деревнях. И жители вышли посмотреть, что случилось.
放 豬的就 逃跑了， 去 告訴 城 裡和 鄉下的人。眾人就 來，要看 是 甚麼 事。
And their keepers went running and gave an account of it in the town and in the country. And people came to see what had taken place.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Mark 5:14
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree this verse shows how quickly news of Jesus' power spread. The herdsmen, who fed the pigs, fled and reported everything in the city and the surrounding countryside. Gill notes they were not the owners but the keepers of the swine, and their report aimed to clear themselves of blame while also spreading the amazing story of the demoniac's deliverance and the pigs' destruction. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown point out that the people who came out then had the evidence both from the herdsmen and from their own eyes regarding the reality of both miracles. The report is a running commentary that makes the event notorious, drawing a crowd from both city and country. Clarke adds a textual note that some early manuscripts read 'those who fed them' (referring to the pigs with the pronoun) rather than 'those who fed the pigs', a minor variant that does not change the core action: the keepers fled and told.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The herdsmen fled, reported to the city and country, and the people came out to see for themselves what had taken place.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The textual variant: 'them' vs. 'pigs' | The herdsmen fled and reported regardless of the object; the core event is not contested. | A few early manuscripts read 'those who fed them' (autous) instead of 'those who fed the pigs' (choirous). Clarke notes that Griesbach adopted this reading, but most English translations follow the majority text. |
| Why the herdsmen fled | They fled because they were terrified by the demon expulsion and the loss of the herd. | Some emphasize fear of the owners' reaction (Gill), others fear of Jesus' power itself. Both factors are likely present. |
| The meaning of 'country' (ἀγρούς) | It refers to the rural area outside the city, including fields and hamlets. | Whether it means 'fields' (cultivated land) or 'villages' (scattered dwellings). The Syriac and Ethiopic versions render it 'villages' (Gill). |
| The crowd's response to Jesus | They came out, saw, and were afraid; they then begged Jesus to leave (v.17). | Some see this as pure fear of the supernatural; others point to economic loss as the primary motive. Both are present in the narrative. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Gadara was one of the Decapolis cities, a region with a mixed population of Jews and Gentiles. Pigs were unclean animals according to Jewish law, so their presence suggests the area was predominantly Gentile or that the herd was owned by Gentiles. The herdsmen were likely hired laborers, not owners, which explains why they fled to report to the city and to the scattered farmsteads in the fields, they had to inform the owners of the loss.
In the ancient world, news traveled by word of mouth, carried by traders and travelers. A single dramatic incident could spread through an entire region in hours. The crowd that came out from the city and the countryside included many who had known the demoniac: a man so violent no chains could hold him, who lived among tombs and cut himself. To see him now 'sitting, clothed, and in his right mind' was a stark contrast. The economy of the region also played a role, a herd of two thousand pigs represented a tremendous financial loss. The people's fear and their request that Jesus leave (v.17) reflect a collision of awe and economic concern. They could not control or contain Jesus' power, and that frightened them more than the man's restored sanity.
Textual Notes
Clarke notes that in some early manuscripts (BCD*L, three others, Syriac, Coptic, Ethiopic, Vulgate, Itala) the reading is αὐτοὺς ('them') instead of τοὺς χοίρους ('the pigs'): 'they that fed them fled.' Griesbach adopted this reading. The difference is minor, the herdsmen are still the subject, and the object does not change the essential story. The majority of translations follow the traditional reading with 'pigs.'
Reception History
This verse has often been cited to illustrate the mixed reception of Jesus' miracles. Early church writers saw in the herdsmen a picture of those who witness God's power but then spread fear rather than faith. The detail that news spread to both city and country has been used to show that no one is beyond hearing of Jesus' works, though hearing does not guarantee acceptance. In Reformed tradition, the passage has been read as a warning against valuing material gain over the kingdom (Matthew Henry). Modern readers focus on the crowd's fear: they had evidence of both healing and loss, yet they chose to ask Jesus to depart. The verse remains a window into how human hearts respond when faced with raw, uncontrollable divine power.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Herdsmen report: Those who saw the miracle first hand became its first witnesses, spreading word through the region.
- The crowd comes: People from city and country respond to the news, curiosity, fear, and a desire to see for themselves drive them out to Jesus.
- Evidence and fear: Having seen both the healed man and the lost pigs, the people face a choice: embrace the power that restores or reject it because it disrupts their livelihoods.
Five-point outline
- Fleeing witnesses, the herdsmen's instinct to run and tell.
- Spreading the news, the speed of word-of-mouth in a connected region.
- The gathering crowd, curiosity and concern draw people from all directions.
- Seeing for themselves, the crowd receives firsthand evidence of two miracles: a man restored and a herd destroyed.
- Fear’s decision, the crowd's request for Jesus to depart shows that divine power can unsettle as much as it heals.
Illustration hooks
- Eyewitness on a news feed: A local event goes viral on social media: a chaotic scene, a person saved, property destroyed. People rush to the spot, and the comments mix gratitude and panic. The story spreads faster than anyone can moderate.
- A factory closure and a healing: A plant closes overnight, putting hundreds out of work, but that same week a serious illness in the community is miraculously reversed. Which story gets more attention? The economic loss often drowns out the mercy.
- Neighbors reacting to change: A formerly drug-addicted neighbor is suddenly clean, calm, and dressed differently. The neighbors are glad, but also wary, his new life is good, but it makes them ask uncomfortable questions about their own.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why did the people ask Jesus to leave after seeing such a powerful miracle?
- Did the herdsmen report out of fear, or were they also sharing the good news of the man’s deliverance?
- What does the crowd’s response say about how we handle God’s power when it disrupts our plans or finances?
Leading a Discussion
This verse captures the moment between miracle and response. The herdsmen run to tell, the crowd comes to see. But what do they see? A man whole, a herd lost, a Jesus they cannot control. Use these questions to explore how we react when God’s power breaks into our ordinary lives.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think the herdsmen fled and reported to both the city and the country? What does that urgency suggest about what they witnessed?
- The crowd came out to see what had happened. Have you ever gone to see something dramatic and found God at work? What did you expect, and what did you find?
- In verse 15, the crowd sees the former demoniac sitting, clothed, and in his right mind. What emotions do you imagine ran through them? Joy? Fear? Confusion?
- The herdsmen also reported about the pigs. How did the loss of property shape the crowd’s reaction to Jesus? When does fear of loss outweigh gratitude for restoration?
- If the herdsmen’s report had emphasized the healing more than the drowning, would the crowd have responded differently? What do we tend to emphasize when we share stories of God’s work?
- In what areas of your life do you feel tempted to ask Jesus to leave, even when He is doing good, because His presence might cost you something?
- How can we train ourselves to see Jesus’ power as cause for hope rather than fear, especially when it disrupts our normal routines?
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 8:33 | Those who fed them fled and went away into the city and told everything, including what happened to those who were possessed with demons. |
| Luke 8:34 | When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. |
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
5 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
The swine - Instead of τους χοιρους, BCDL, three others, Syriac, Coptic, Ethiopic, Vulgate, and Itala, read αυτους, them - And they that fed Them fled. Griesbach has adopted this reading.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And the swineheards fled, and told it in the citie, and in the countrey, and they came out to see what it was that was done.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that the swineherds fled and spread the news partly to clear themselves of blame for the lost herd, and partly because they were terrified by the power of Christ. Their report was so thorough that the miracle became widely known, bringing the whole city out to meet Jesus.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the people who went out to see what had happened received two forms of evidence: the herdsmen's report and their own firsthand observation. This double witness confirmed the reality of both miracles, the healing of the demon-possessed man and the destruction of the swine.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes the stark contrast between the demoniac's self-tormenting identification with the demons and his restored sanity, showing Jesus' power over despairing and selfish unbelief. He sees the healed man's commission to witness in Decapolis as Christ's triumph over human rejection, turning a dark region into a mission field.