Mark 5:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region.

NIV: Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

NASB: And they began to beg Him to leave their region.

CSB: Then they began to beg him to leave their region.

NLT: And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.

KJV: And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.

NKJV: Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.

Townspeople and farmers from the Gentile side of the Sea of Galilee have rushed to the water's edge on the word of some pig herders who report miraculous things. They arrive to find the local madman clothed and in his right mind and a herd of two thousand pigs lost to the sea. Instead of standing in awe at the transformation of their countryman, they find the source of power of these miracles and beg that He leave (Mark 5:1–16).

The word "beg" is taken from the Greek root word parakaleo which is often used in people's encounters with Jesus. The leper begged Jesus to heal him (Mark 1:40). The legion of demons begged Jesus to allow them to enter the swine and not to send them to the abyss (Mark 5:10–12). Soon, the formerly-possessed man will beg Jesus to stay with Him (Mark 5:18), and a synagogue leader will beg Jesus to heal his daughter (Mark 5:23).

Now, the people beg Jesus to leave. They had driven the possessed man out of the town, forcing him to live among tombs, but they are more comfortable with the evil they know than the power they can't control. This will soon change. In Mark 7:31–37, Jesus returns to the Decapolis area, after having told the demoniac to spread the news of God's gracious healing (Mark 5:19). This time, the people will beg Jesus for His healing touch.

If the demons had left right away without arguing about where they were to go, and if they had not entered the pigs and impelled them to mass suicide (Mark 5:1–13), the man probably would have continued on with his life with much thankfulness but likely little fanfare. Although the people are afraid of Jesus, what they witness seems to nestle into their hearts, slowly developing into acceptance and then a warm reception. This is the prevenient grace of God that works in all our rebellious hearts before we accept Him.

Mark 5:14–20 details the aftermath of Jesus freeing a possessed man from a legion of demons. The released demons entered into a herd of pigs, which ran into the Sea of Galilee and drowned. In response, the local villagers beg Jesus to leave, and Jesus obliges. The man, however, wants to follow. Jesus tells him to stay and spread the word of what he's experienced. When Jesus next travels through the area, the man's message leads to a much warmer welcome (Mark 7:31–37). You can also read this account in Luke 8:34–39 and possibly Matthew 8:33–34, although Matthew's story records 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.