Mark 5:16-20 · Bible study
Mark 5:16-20 Commentary: Study: The Demon-Possessed Man Healed
Greek · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the significance of the eyewitness testimony highlighting both the healing and the pigs' destruction in Mark 5:16-20.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus transforms a demonized man into a missionary, contrasting rejection by fearful townspeople with faithful witness.
- Key words: daimonistheis (having been demonised, G1139), apangeilon (declare, G0518), kērussein (proclaim, G2784), Dekapolei (Decapolis, G1179).
- Main debate: Why Jesus refused the man’s request to follow him, to avoid ostentation (Gill) or to send him as a missionary to his own country (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Cambridge).
- Theological theme: The mission to the Gentiles begins with a personal testimony of deliverance.
- Best use: A model for evangelism: the transformed life declared within one’s own network.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
16Those who had seen it described what had happened to the demon-possessed man and also to the pigs.
17And the people began to beg Jesus to leave their region.
18As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by the demons begged to go with Him.
19But Jesus would not allow him. “Go home to your own people,” He said, “and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy He has shown you.”
20So the man went away and began to proclaim throughout the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.
WEB World English Bible 2000
16Those who saw it declared to them what happened to him who was possessed by demons, and about the pigs.
17They began to beg him to depart from their region.
18As he was entering into the boat, he who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him.
19He didn’t allow him, but said to him, “Go to your house, to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you and how he had mercy on you.”
20He went his way, and began to proclaim in Decapolis how Jesus had done great things for him, and everyone marveled.
KJV King James Version 1769
16And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine.
17And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.
18And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
19Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.
20And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
16And they that saw it declared unto them how it befell him that was possessed with demons, and concerning the swine.
17And they began to beseech him to depart from their borders.
18And as he was entering into the boat, he that had been possessed with demons besought him that he might be with him.
19And he suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go to thy house unto thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and how he had mercy on thee.
20And he went his way, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men marvelled.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
16and those having seen it , declared to them how it had come to pass to the demoniac, and about the swine;
17and they began to call upon him to go away from their borders.
18And he having gone into the boat, the demoniac was calling on him that he may be with him,
19and Jesus did not suffer him, but saith to him, `Go away to thy house, unto thine own friends , and tell them how great things the Lord did to thee, and dealt kindly with thee;
20and he went away, and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how great things Jesus did to him, and all were wondering.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
16And they that had seen [it] related to them how it had happened to the [man] possessed by demons, and concerning the swine.
17And they began to beg him to depart from their coasts.
18And as he went on board ship, the man that had been possessed by demons besought him that he might be with him.
19And he suffered him not, but says to him, Go to thine home to thine own people, and tell them how great things the Lord has done for thee, and has had mercy on thee.
20And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him; and all wondered.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
16And they that had seen it, told them, in what manner he had been dealt with who had the devil; and concerning the swine.
17And they began to pray him that he would depart from their coasts.
18And when he went up into the ship, he that had been troubled with the devil, began to beseech him that he might be with him.
19And he admitted him not, but saith him: Go into thy house to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had mercy thee.
20And he went his way, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men wondered.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Mark 5:16
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that the eyewitnesses reported the full scope of events: the deliverance of the man from demons and the loss of the pigs (v16). This dual testimony sets up the stark contrast that follows. The townspeople, motivated by fear and economic loss, beg Jesus to leave (v17). The healed man, by contrast, wants to stay with his Benefactor (v18). Jesus refuses but commissions him: “Go to your house, to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you” (v19). The man obeys and becomes the first missionary to the largely Gentile region of Decapolis (v20). As Wesley notes, Jesus did not go to Decapolis in person, so the healed man carries the message. The Cambridge Bible adds that Jesus appoints him “a living memorial of His own saving Power.” The verbal echo between Jesus’s command (“the Lord has done”) and the man’s proclamation (“Jesus had done”) identifies Jesus with the Lord, a point Jamieson-Fausset-Brown underscores. The result: everyone marvels, though the text does not say all believed. The passage thus shows two contrasting responses to divine power: rejection by the fearful, and faithful witness by the delivered.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Avoidance of ostentation (Gill): Jesus refused to let the man follow because it might look like boasting; better to send him home as a humble witness.
- Commission to the man's own region (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Cambridge): Jesus had work for the man in Decapolis, where Christ himself did not go (Wesley). The man becomes the first preacher to that area.
- Crisis of faith for the townspeople: The people's request for Jesus to leave is a cautionary example of valuing economic security over divine presence.
What is clear: Jesus transformed the demon-possessed man, commissioned him to declare what God had done, and the man obeyed, becoming a proclaimer of the gospel in the Decapolis.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Jesus' refusal of the man's request to follow him | Jesus had a purpose in sending the man back: to be a witness to his household and region. | Gill argues Jesus refused to avoid ostentation; Jamieson-Fausset-Brown and the Cambridge Bible see it as commissioning a missionary where Jesus would not go personally. |
| Significance of the pigs' destruction | The loss of the herd was economically significant and added to the people's fear. | Some see the destruction as a judgment on the unclean spirits and the region's sin; others view it as a direct consequence of the demons' request, not a moral judgment. |
| The meaning of 'Lord' in v19 vs 'Jesus' in v20 | Both refer to the same divine power at work through Jesus. | Wesley and Gill see the shift as indicating the man's growing understanding of Jesus's identity; some caution against pressing the distinction too far. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The events occur in the region of the Gadarenes (or Gergesenes), on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. This was largely Gentile territory, part of the Decapolis, a league of ten Hellenistic cities (Cambridge Bible lists them: Scythopolis, Hippos, Gadara, Pella, Philadephia, Gerasa, Dion, Canatha, Abila, Capitolias). The presence of a herd of pigs (about two thousand, v13) confirms the non-Jewish character of the area, since Jews considered pigs unclean (Leviticus 11:7). Jesus’s journey across the lake from the Jewish side into this region was a deliberate step into a mission field.
When the eyewitnesses tell “those who had seen it” (likely the townspeople who had not gone out earlier) about the man’s healing and the pigs’ destruction, the people face a choice: rejoice over the man’s restoration, or regret their economic loss. They choose the latter. The verb “began to implore” (Greek parakalein, G3870) carries a sense of urgent pleading, as Matthew Henry says: they “prayed him to depart out of their coasts.” This echoes other Old Testament scenes where people ask a prophet to leave (1 Kings 17:18, Genesis 26:16). The request shows that human priorities often clash with God’s presence when it threatens comfort or profit.
The man’s commission to “go to your house, to your friends” reflects the ancient Near Eastern value of household and kinship networks. His proclamation “throughout the whole city” (Luke 8:39) and “in Decapolis” (Mark 5:20) indicates he traveled widely. This became the seed of the gospel in a region that would later hear Jesus again (Mark 7:31). The passage foreshadows the Gentile mission after the resurrection.
Textual Notes
Clarke notes that the phrase “Howbeit Jesus suffered him not” (v19) has a textual variant: the Greek Ho de Iēsous is omitted in several manuscripts (A, B, K, L, M, 27 others, along with Old Syriac, Coptic, Gothic, Vulgate, and one Itala). Mill and Bengel approve the omission; Griesbach leaves it out of the text. The likely shorter reading is kai ouk aphēken auton (“and he did not permit him”), without explicit naming of Jesus. The sense remains unchanged. No other significant variants are noted by the consulted sources for this passage.
Reception History
Throughout church history, this passage has been read as a model for personal evangelism and the spread of the gospel into Gentile regions. Early interpreters such as Chrysostom saw the healed man as a type of the Gentile mission, delivered from idolatry and sent to his own people. In the Reformation, commentators like Calvin (though not explicitly cited here) emphasized the contrast between human fear and divine mercy. The verse “Go home to your friends and tell them” (v19) has been a favorite text for missionary sermons, particularly in Protestant traditions. It is also used in discussions of the value of material possessions when weighed against the kingdom of God. The man’s obedience and the resulting wonder of the townspeople serve as a reminder that a single transformed life can stir a whole region.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- Two responses to Jesus’s power. The town asks him to leave; the healed man asks to stay. Each request reveals what they value, comfort or Christ.
- A redirected request. Jesus refuses the man’s desire to follow but sends him home. This is not a denial, but a new commission: witness where you already belong.
- Faithful proclamation. The man becomes a preacher in Decapolis. His story, not his training, is the content. The result is wonder, and perhaps faith.
Five-Point Outline
- The witness of eyewitnesses (v16). They report both the man’s deliverance and the pigs’ destruction, a full account of power and cost.
- The fear of the Gadarenes (v17). They beg Jesus to leave. Their fear is understandable; their rejection is tragic. Compare Matthew 8:34.
- The desire of the healed man (v18). He wants to be with Jesus. Vincent notes the present participle: “as he was entering” (G1684), the man pleads while Jesus is stepping into the boat.
- The commission of Jesus (v19). “Go to your house, to your friends.” The command uses two present imperatives: hupage (go) and apangeilon (declare). The man’s first mission field is his own household.
- The proclamation in Decapolis (v20). He begins to publish (kērussein, G2784, the verb used for official heralds) what Jesus did. All marvel (ethaumazon, imperfect, ongoing amazement).
Illustration Hooks
- A person freed from addiction returns to the same neighborhood where they once caused harm, now sharing hope. People who knew them before are amazed.
- A church plant loses its building after a costly restoration, but the lives of former addicts transformed through the ministry become the real testimony.
- A community experiences a dramatic rescue (e.g., a child saved from drowning) but some residents resent the rescue team because they disturbed the peace.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Why would Jesus honor the townspeople’s request to leave? Did he give up on them?
- Why did Jesus not let the healed man follow him? Was it a punishment?
- What does it mean for me to “tell what great things the Lord has done” in my ordinary life?
Leading a Discussion
This story shows two responses to Jesus’s power: the townspeople ask him to leave, the healed man asks to stay with him. Both requests are born from the same event. As we read Mark 5:16-20, consider what each group saw and valued.
Discussion Questions
- Observation: What exactly did the eyewitnesses declare (v16)? Why do you think they included the detail about the pigs?
- Interpretation: The townspeople “began to implore” Jesus to depart (v17). What might have motivated their request? Compare with Matthew 8:34.
- Interpretation: The healed man “begged him that he might be with him” (v18). What does this request tell you about his heart after his deliverance?
- Interpretation: Jesus says “go to your house, to your friends” (v19). Why does he send the man away rather than let him follow? What does this reveal about Jesus’s priorities?
- Application: The man went “away and began to proclaim in Decapolis” (v20). Where is your “Decapolis”, the place where Jesus sends you to tell your story?
- Application: The townspeople valued economic stability over Jesus’s presence. When have you been tempted to prioritize comfort or profit over the presence of Christ?
- Application: Everyone marveled, but the text does not say they all believed. How can our testimony move people from wonder to faith?
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)
| Genesis 26:16 | Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.” |
| Deuteronomy 5:25 | Now therefore, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us. If we hear Yahweh our God’s voice any more, then we shall die. |
| I Kings 17:18 | She said to Elijah, “What have I to do with you, you man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to memory, and to kill my son!” |
| Job 21:14 | They tell God, ‘Depart from us, for we don’t want to know about your ways. |
| Job 21:15 | What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? What profit should we have, if we pray to him?’ |
| 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 1:24 | saying, “Ha! What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God!” |
| Mark 5:7 | and 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.” |
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 notes that Jesus refused the man's request to follow him so his family could witness the miracle firsthand and rejoice. He also observes that the man was sent to proclaim this in the region of Decapolis, an area of ten cities.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Jesus usually told people to keep quiet after a healing, but with this man He did the opposite. He sent him to spread the news, making him a living reminder of God's saving power and the first preacher in that half-pagan region.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill contrasts the healed man's earnest desire to stay with Jesus—a sign of genuine grace—with the townspeople's worldly request for Jesus to leave. He notes that Christ refused the man's plea not because he lacked protection, but because he had a mission: to go home and declare the great things God had done for him, showing that obedience in witness is itself a form of being with Christ.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown see the whole multitude's request for Jesus to leave as a tragic victory for the evil spirits, who used the people's fear to drive Him away. They emphasize that Jesus redirected the healed man's desire to follow Him into a more noble calling: to stay as a missionary in his own well-known region.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange draws attention to the conflicting response of the demoniac, who runs to worship Jesus yet cries out not to be tormented. This mixture of prayer and adjuration reveals a faith of fear, not true trust. The man is so identified with his demons that Christ's very presence feels like torment.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent highlights the present-tense participle "embainontos" to show the man's plea happened while Jesus was still entering the boat, not after. The imperfect "parekalei" reinforces this ongoing action, and "hina" marks the purpose, not the content, of the request.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley emphasizes that Jesus instructed the healed man to spread the news specifically in Decapolis because Christ himself did not go there in person. The man's testimony was needed to make up for the absence of Jesus' direct ministry in that region.