Mark 5:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.

NIV: Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

NASB: Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and cutting himself with stones.

CSB: Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains, he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.

NLT: Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones.

KJV: And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

NKJV: And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.

The mountains here are the range of the Golan Heights that run along the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. They reach 2,500 feet (760 meters) in height and have a role in directing the winds that caused the storm recorded in Mark 4:35–41. The man possessed by a "legion" of demons (Mark 5:9) lives here in sepulchers: caves carved out of the rock for the bodies of the dead.

The way the man lives isn't even human. "Crying out" is from the Greek root word krazo and means to croak like a raven. The Greek root word for "cutting" is katakopto and means to beat, bruise, gash, and mangle.

Whether in the ancient practice of mediums, or modern books about gothic romance, demons are often portrayed as useful or even sympathetic and redeemable. Nothing could be further from the truth. Self-harm was well established as a rite in the worship of demons (1 Kings 18:28). And demons have no problem harming those they control (Mark 9:14–29). They are neither tamable nor benevolent. They wish to destroy us physically and spiritually.

It's not clear that the demoniac cut himself in worship of the demons. It's more likely he used the pain in an attempt to relieve the psychological agony he felt, similar to those who self-harm today. Those who self-harm often do so because they are lonely, misunderstood, can't express their feelings, or feel over-stimulated. Or because they feel empty and numb emotionally and wish to feel something strong. The demoniac could certainly have experienced any of these things.

As the people of the nearby village found out, the impulse to self-harm can't be healed by shackles and chains (Mark 5:4). Only Jesus can heal the broken pieces of our hearts and free us from evil.

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.