Mark 5:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country.

NIV: And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

NASB: And he begged Him earnestly not to send them out of the region.

CSB: And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the region.

NLT: Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.

KJV: And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.

NKJV: Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.

Jesus and the disciples have crossed the Sea of Galilee to the eastern shore, near the southern portion of our modern-day Golan Heights. As soon as Jesus steps out of the boat, a man possessed by a "legion" of demons meets Him and tries to manipulate Him into swearing He will not hurt them (Mark 5:7).

It's not exactly clear why the demons don't want to be sent out of the country. In Daniel 10, an angel mentions a battle with the Prince of Persia—presumably a demon who had some authority over Persia in the time of King Cyrus. And Satan has been called the "ruler of this world" (John 12:31). Matthew 12:43–45 suggests that demons don't like to live in uninhabited places. But the Bible doesn't specifically say that human-occupied areas are sectioned off to be harassed by specific demons.

The parallel passages in Matthew and Luke shed light on the demon's meaning. In Matthew 8:29, the demons ask Jesus, "Have you come here to torment us before the time?" Luke 8:31 says, "And they begged [Jesus] not to command them to depart into the abyss." The abyss is a place of torment currently dedicated to demons, imprisoned for their crimes. Jude 1:6 says, "And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day." These "angels" are thought to be the demons who mated with human women to create the Nephilim in Genesis 6:1–4. During the Tribulation, these demons—described as a kind of locust— will be released to torture the Antichrist's followers for five months (Revelation 9:16). During the Millennial Kingdom, Satan, and presumably all the demons, will be confined to the Abyss for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1–3).

It appears that the legion of demons knows they will one day be sent to torment in the Abyss and are pleading with Jesus that they not be sent early. Comparatively, possessing and drowning a herd of pigs is a good option.

Mark 5:1–13 describes Jesus' encounter with a man possessed by a vast number of demonic spirits. Jesus has shown His authority over storms during the turbulent crossing of the Sea of Galilee. In a cemetery on the eastern shore of the lake, He and the twelve meet a wild, dangerous man controlled by a ''legion'' of demons. Jesus allows the fleeing evil spirits to enter a herd of pigs which promptly run into the sea and drown. The man is grateful. The locals, either startled by Jesus' power or afraid for their livestock, promptly ask Jesus to leave. This account is also found in Luke 8:26–33 and possibly Matthew 8:28–32 which mentions two possessed men.

Jesus arrives on the other side of the Sea of Galilee and heals a man afflicted by a ''legion'' of demons. In the aftermath of this event, Jesus once again crosses the waters within this region, known as the Decapolis. There, He is approached by a synagogue leader, begging Him to come and save a dying girl. In the midst of this trip, Jesus stops the crowd to identify a woman who attempted to covertly touch his robes; her faithful act results in healing. Jesus then continues on to the home of the synagogue leader and resurrects his recently-deceased child.

Mark 4:35—5:43 sees an increase in the scope of Jesus' miracles. He has just calmed a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee. Now, He expels a legion of demons, heals a woman without overtly acting, and brings a girl back to life. All three situations—related to tombs, blood, and death—show Jesus bringing healing to unclean circumstances. In chapter 6, the tone of His ministry will develop. He will be rejected by those who should know Him best, He will send out His followers to do His work, and His direct link to the Old Testament prophets will be explained.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.