Mark 5:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain,

NIV: This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain.

NASB: He lived among the tombs; and no one was able to bind him anymore, not even with a chain,

CSB: He lived in the tombs, and no one was able to restrain him anymore--not even with a chain--

NLT: This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain.

KJV: Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:

NKJV: who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains,

Jesus and the disciples have escaped the crowds on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee and landed their boat on the southeast area of modern-day Golan Heights. Immediately, they are met by a naked man possessed by a "legion" of demons. If Matthew 8:28 records the same event, then there were actually two men present at this incident. The tombs this man lives in are sepulchers: caves, either natural or manmade, carved out of the rocky hills in which the dead are kept until the flesh has rotted away. Sometimes the poorest of the poor lived in sepulchers like these.

The man was known to the residents living in the nearby town of Gergesa who had tried to bind him and keep him under guard (Luke 8:29). The word "bind" is from the Greek root word deo and means to tie someone up. It also means to be controlled by an evil spirit or to be obligated to a law or duty. Although the people could not bind the demon-possessed man, Jesus will soon bind the demons to His authority.

This is something we need to be mindful of. When someone is controlled by sin—whether by demons or through their own choices—we cannot bind them, spiritually speaking. That is, we cannot control them and force them to be free from evil. Though it's fine to try to restrain them from physical harm, we are often not capable of keeping them from harming themselves (Mark 5:5) or others. We can't even free ourselves, as Paul expressed in Romans 7:14–20. Although we may be able to temporarily change our behavior, only Jesus can free us from the power of sin.

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.