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Luke 8:26-39 meaning
The parallel Gospel accounts for Luke 8:26-39 are Matthew 8:28-34 and Mark 5:1-20.
Luke picks up where he left off after Jesus miraculously saved the disciples from the raging storm and calmed the wind and waves (Luke 8:22-25). The were headed to “the other side of the lake” (Luke 8:22b)—which meant they were leaving Jewish Galilee toward the predominately Greek district known as the Decapolis. Luke 8:26-39 would likely have been of particular interest to Luke’s primary audience—the Greeks.
Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee (v 26).
The word—then—refers to what happened after the storm. The pronoun—they—refers to Jesus and His disciples.
After the storm, Jesus and His disciples arrived on the other side of the lake, opposite Galilee, in the country of the Gerasenes. Gerasenes (translated Gergesenes in the King James Version) likely refers to the residents of the town of Gergesa. This would be similar to how "Nazarenes" refers to residents of Nazareth. Gergesa was a city located about halfway up the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Gergesa bordered the Decapolis, though it was not officially part of this geopolitical region.
Mark’s Gospel also uses the term “the country of the Gerasenes” to identify where they landed (Mark 5:1).
But the Gospel of Matthew specifies the same location by a different name. Matthew states they came “into the country of the Gadarenes” (Matthew 8:28). Matthew may have been referring to the region that extended from the territory of the city of Gadara, which was situated about ten miles from the eastern shoreline and slightly south and further east of the Sea of Galilee. The city of Gadara was south of the town of Gergesa, and Gadara was located within the Decapolis.
Gadara was the more prominent of the two cities. Thus, Matthew writes the name of the larger and more prominent city of the region, while Mark and Luke, who are both more precise on this point, mention the name of the town nearer to the spot where Jesus’s boat made landfall—the country of the Gerasenes. It is likely that the area Jesus and His disciples entered was situated between Gergesa and Gadara, within the vicinity of both towns.
As mentioned above, both Gergesa and Gadara were predominantly Gentile, and both townships were associated with the Greek Decapolis.
The name “Decapolis” literally means “ten cities” (deca—ten, polis—cities). This region consisted of ten Greek cities established after Alexander the Great's conquest over three centuries earlier. By Jesus’s time, it had become a Roman province. To their Jewish neighbors, these Greco-Roman Gentiles were seen as openly flaunting their paganism. The Decapolis was both geographically and culturally opposite of the predominately Jewish district of Galilee.
Interestingly, all three Gospels that give record of this event describe how Jesus and His disciples as going “to the other side” (Matthew 8:28, Mark 5:1, Luke 8:22), referring to the Decapolis and its pagan dominance of Galilee’s eastern shore.
And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons (v 27a).
This man was possessed with multiple unclean spirits—demons.
When He (Jesus) came out on to the land, a demon-possessed man from the city of Gergesa came from out of the tombs (v 27b) toward Jesus. The text seems to suggest that the demons came to confront Jesus shortly after He got out of the boat.
Matthew reports there were actually “two men who were demon-possessed [who] were coming out of the tombs” (Matthew 8:28). Mark and Luke’s accounts only discuss one demon-possessed man (Mark 5:2). This is not a contradiction. The likely reason for this apparent discrepancy is that Mark and Luke chose to focus on the more prominent of the two demoniacs and therefore only mentioned one man.
This type of reporting—mentioning and focusing on the most prominent figure of a pair or group instead of the group—was common in this era.
A similar reckoning occurs when Jesus healed two blind men in Jericho.
The same pattern of Matthew mentioning two while Mark and Luke focus on one seems to be in effect as the three Gospel writers describe the demon-possessed men/man in the country of the Gerasenes.
Luke has mentioned Jesus healing demon-possessed men before (Luke 4:35, 4:41, 6:18-19). But Luke 8:26-39 is the first time Luke describes what a demon-possessed man was like.
The person Luke describes was someone who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs (v 27b). And it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert (v 29b).
This man was not in control of his mind or body. He was not living in a house but a graveyard—in the tombs. In those days, tombs were often carved out caves where corpses were laid to rest. The country of the Gerasenes along the eastern shore of Galilee has many cliffs that would have been an ideal location for cave tombs.
Although this man was from the city (probably Gergesa), he was driven by the demon into the desert to live among the dead in the tombs.
The man was naked. Luke says he had not put on any clothing for a long time indicating how he had been demon-possessed for months or even years. The unclean spirit which possessed this man seized him many times.
Luke describes how he was kept under a guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert (v 29b).
Mark descriptively illustrates the demon-possessed man’s superhuman strength:
“And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him.”
(Mark 5:3b-4)
It seems that even though he was regularly shackled by the people of his city to prevent him from doing harm to himself and others, the demon’s supernatural strength was powerful enough to break any bonds they used to restrict him, including shackles and chains.
Mark also details the self-harm the demon-possessed man would inflict upon himself when he was under the influence and control of this evil spirit.
“Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones.”
(Mark 5:3-5)
Mark depicts the horrific torment that the demons enacted against this man. His agonizing screams could be constantly heard “night and day” echoing from the tombs. Such cries would have been blood-curdling and terrifying to hear. The demon also caused the man to gash himself with stones. Mark’s phrasing could mean that he picked up rocks to hit himself or it could mean that he used stones to viciously scrape himself. In either case, the demon-possessed man used stones to abuse his body, and he was surely covered with bruises and cuts from these stones.
Matthew’s Gospel describes the demon-possessed men as “so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way” (Matthew 8:28).
These details from Matthew and Mark demonstrate how demoniacs were physically violent toward themselves and others. It is possible that other demon-possessed people who are mentioned in scripture behaved in similar ways, even though the Bible does not often detail their afflictions.
Back to Luke’s account, after Jesus and the disciples came out on to the land and were met by the man (men) who was possessed with demons, the demoniac confronts Jesus.
Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me” (v 28).
The demons said this in response to Jesus’s command: For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man (v 29a).
The unclean spirit within the man recognized Who it was encountering.
The man possessed with demons, cried out in a loud voice and asked Jesus: "What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.” Mark reports that the demon-possessed man “ran up and bowed down before [Jesus]” when he said this (Mark 5:6).
The demons understood that Jesus was God in human form, rightly recognizing Him as the Son of the Most High God, part of the Divine Trinity.
Normally, Jesus forbids the demons from announcing His identity (Luke 4:34-35, 4:41). He likely forbade demons from revealing His identity for several reasons, including:
But neither Luke, Matthew, nor Mark record Jesus as silencing the demons in this situation when they proclaimed Him to be Son of the Most High God. The likely reason Jesus did not silence them was because it was just the demoniacs, Jesus, His disciples, and possibly a few swineherds (v 34) who were present when this took place.
Due to their rebellion against God and subsequent fall with Lucifer, the demons correctly saw Jesus as their adversary. God and demons stand on opposing sides of a cosmic spiritual conflict with the kingdoms of earth serving as their battleground.
Acknowledging this opposition, the demons said in a loud voice, "What business do we have with each other?” This question may be tantamount to “Why are You here?” The demons’ question reveals their understanding of the situation—that Jesus has authority over them, and they are to obey His command to come out of the man. The demons know they are ultimately destined to lose their battle with God and face severe punishment—in the abyss (v 31b), so they pleaded, "I beg You, do not torment me.”
The Gospel of Matthew denotes how demons recognize that there is an appointed time for this punishment in the future, “Have You come here to torment us before the time?” (Matthew 8:29). They know that they will suffer a future torment to be executed by the authority of the Son of the Most High God, where Jesus will command them to go away into the abyss (v 31).
The abyss likely refers to Tartarus, which is translated by the NASB-95 as “hell” in 2 Peter 2:4:
“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment.”
The abyss and Tartarus appear to be a place of divine wrath against demonic evil. It is a place where demons are tormented and punished by God. These demons did not wish to be sent to the abyss.
They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss (v 31).
Mark’s Gospel describes how the man “began to implore [Jesus] earnestly not to send them out of the country” (Mark 5:10). By “country” (Mark 5:10), Mark more than likely means the natural or physical realm rather than any geopolitical borders. In other words, the demons were begging Jesus to permit them remain on earth rather than be banished prematurely to the abyss.
To learn more about the abyss and Tartarus, see The Bible Says’ article: “What is Hell? Hades and Tartarus in the Bible.”
The Greek word used for imploring is “parakaleo” (G3870), which literally means to “call alongside.” This word has a range of meanings including “encourage,” “plead,” “exhort,” or “comfort.” Jesus uses the term “Paraklete” in John 14 and 15 to describe the Holy Spirit as the One who Encourages, Exhorts, and Comforts. However, in this context, “parakaleo” means “to ask with urgency,” “plead,” or “beg.”
And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him (v 30).
Jesus asked the man, "What is your name?.” But chillingly, it appears it was the demons inhabiting and controlling the man who were the ones who replied: And he said, “Legion.”
Luke comments on the appropriateness of their response when he wrote: for many demons had entered him.
The term—legion—is a Roman military designation, referring to a unit typically consisting of thousands of soldiers. The most renowned Roman legion was the Tenth Legion, which played a crucial role in Julius Caesar's conquest of Gaul (modern-day France) over 75 years prior. This same legion would later be stationed in the nearby town of Hippos, a city of the Decapolis situated between Gergesa and Gadara, during the Zealot rebellion. Notably, its iconic banner displayed a boar’s head.
Jesus had already commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man (v 29a).
The demons recognized the Son of the Most High God’s authority to compel them to go wherever He commanded them. They knew they could not remain in the man if Jesus commanded them to come out of him. The demons were imploring Jesus not to command them to go to the abyss. They would rather be sent anywhere else on earth. So, they implored Jesus to send them into a herd of pigs who were nearby.
Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain, and the demons implored Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission (v 32).
Nearby, a herd of swine were present feeding on the mountain. According to Mosaic Law, swine are considered unclean animals, and Jews were forbidden to eat their meat (Leviticus 11:7, Deuteronomy 14:8). This herd of swine was likely used as a food supply for the Gentiles living in the Decapolis.
The demons fearful of the abyss, began to implore Jesus to permit them to enter the swine. Jesus granted their request by giving them permission.
The fact that the demons implored Jesus and had to have His permission reveals His divine authority over the supernatural spirits—including those who were His enemies.
And the demons came out of the man and entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned (v 33).
Jesus freed the man from the spiritual oppression of the demons. The demons came out of him and entered the swine. As soon as the demons entered the swine, Luke states that the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.
The demons destroyed the pigs. This was similar to how they were destroying the man whom they possessed.
When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported it in the city and out in the country. (v 34).
The herdsmen who were tending the swine saw their pigs run off a cliff and into the lake. They ran away when they watched this happen. The herdsmen may have been frighted by this sight, or they may have wanted to explain and acquit themselves of what had just happened. Luke says they were going into the city and out in the country to report everything that had happened. These herdsmen likely wanted to avoid being blamed for the loss of the livestock, as the parallel account of Mark specifies the loss of about two thousand swine (Mark 5:13).
But beyond seeking to cover themselves, the herdsmen also reported how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. They informed the people that the man had been liberated from the unclean spirits by Jesus’s command.
The people went out to see what had happened; and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they became frightened. Those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well (vv 35-36).
The news spread fast. When the people of the city and out in the country learned of these events, Luke tells us that they went out to see what happened; and they came to Jesus. They witnessed the dramatic change from the savage demon-possessed man they knew to the calm and clothed man, sitting at the feet of Jesus.
Luke (who was a doctor) describes the man as whole and healed from the demon-possession. The man was:
The man had regained his self-control and was no longer under demonic influence. However, their response was not to rejoice when they saw him, rather they became frightened.
The Gospels are not explicit as to what they were afraid of. They may have recognized Jesus’s power and were uncomfortable with Him. They may have seen Jesus as a threat to their pagan beliefs and practices. They may have considered Jesus a destructive force that destroyed their property of swine and were more concerned with their profits than they were at the healing and restoration of their neighbor—who was no longer a crazed demoniac.
And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surrounding district asked Him to leave them, for they were gripped with great fear; and He got into a boat and returned (v 37).
Jesus had miraculously restored this demon-possessed man, but the people were gripped with great fear of what He might do next. They did not celebrate the liberation of their fellow countryman from demonic-possession. Instead, they asked Jesus to leave their region, which He consented to do.
But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Him that he might accompany Him; but He sent him away saying, “Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you. So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him (vv 38-39).
Before Jesus sailed back across the Sea of Galilee, the man whom the demons had gone out of begs for permission to accompany Jesus and His disciples in the boat. He wanted to go with Jesus and follow Him.
Although this man is seeking to follow Jesus, he is denied his specific request to get in the boat and go with Him. But Jesus sent him away with a different task and way to follow Him.
Jesus instructed him to return to his house where he can describe to others what great things God had done for him. Mark’s Gospel is more descriptive of Jesus’s instruction to the former demoniac—he was to tell his people about the Lord’s mercy on him (Mark 5:19).
The man did as Jesus commanded. He was mercifully made free from living a maniacal life imprisoned in chains and running among the dead in the tombs. Throughout the whole pagan city, this man proclaims the miraculous freedom he was given by the mercy of the God of the Jews.
Mark concludes his account of this encounter with a bit of an epilogue which describes how this amazed everyone throughout the Decapolis:
“And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.”
(Mark 5:20)
The former demoniac’s message was effective for Jesus’s purpose. Jesus later returned to the Decapolis where He healed, preached, and miraculously fed a crowd of 4,000 with only a few small fish and seven loaves of bread (Mark 7:31 - 8:9)