Mark 5:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For he was saying to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!"

NIV: For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you impure spirit!"

NASB: For He had already been saying to him, 'Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!'

CSB: For he had told him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!"

NLT: For Jesus had already said to the spirit, 'Come out of the man, you evil spirit.'

KJV: For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.

NKJV: For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!”

Ancient literature was mostly concerned with providing important details, not describing a story in a direct narrative. In that style, Mark doesn't necessarily give complete conversations. He concentrates on the action and records dialogue when it applies to the topic at hand. So, this story of Jesus and the legion of demons is not kept in a neat-and-clean order. It's riddled with pauses for back-story and asides, as in this case. The demons' attempts to keep Jesus from hurting them (Mark 5:7) was actually given in response to His command to leave.

An "unclean spirit" is a demon—an angel that followed Satan in his rebellion against God. "Unclean spirit" is taken from two Greek root words: akarthartos, which refers to something that is ethically wrong and not set aside for holy use, and pneuma, which can mean breath or wind, but here means a being with thoughts and desires who does not have a physical body. Neither demons nor angels naturally have a solid form, although God may allow them to use one for His purposes.

In some cases, Jesus' commands to demons are immediately obeyed (Mark 1:25–26). In others, it takes more effort. The disciples, who had seen great success in expelling demons, cannot free the young boy described in Mark 9:17–29. When Jesus arrives, He explains how "this kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer." In Daniel 10:10–14, an angel comes to Daniel, explaining that he did not respond to Daniel's questions right away because he was delayed by the demon that had authority over Persia. A stronger angel, Michael, had to fight off the demon so the messenger could get through. Although we're not told a lot about demons in the Bible, apparently there are some that are more powerful than others.

We often want God to answer our prayers instantly and completely, but sometimes the work takes time and effort. God often works with us through the context of our own story. This is a good example. If the legion of demons had immediately fled, the pigs wouldn't have drowned, the herders wouldn't have told the nearby people of Jesus' power, and it's very possible that Jesus' next visit to Decapolis wouldn't have been as successful (Mark 7:31–37).

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.