Matthew 8:30 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them.

NIV: Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding.

NASB: Now there was a herd of many pigs feeding at a distance from them.

CSB: A long way off from them, a large herd of pigs was feeding.

NLT: There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding in the distance.

KJV: And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.

NKJV: Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.

Two demon-possessed men have approached Jesus in a Gentile region southeast of the Sea of Galilee. The demons in the men have called out to Jesus as the Son of God and have asked if He has come to torment them (Matthew 8:28–29). Mark and Luke, in their telling of this story, add the detail that Jesus asked the demons for their name. Their answer is "legion" because at least one of the men was possessed by many demons at once (Mark 5:9; Luke 8:30).

Now this simple verse foreshadows what is about to happen. A large herd of pigs was feeding in the distance. This confirms once more that Jesus and the disciples were not in Jewish territory. Since the Israelites understood pigs to be unclean, they had no reason to keep herds of them.

Modern people who read the phrase "a herd pf pigs" probably imagine something much smaller than what this scene suggests. Mark's telling of the story puts the number at about 2,000 pigs (Mark 5:13).

Matthew 8:28–34 describes what happens when Jesus arrives on the other side of the Sea of Galilee in a mostly Gentile region. He is immediately confronted by two demon-possessed men who live in tombs. The demons recognize that Jesus is the Son of God and ask if He has come to torment them. They beg Jesus to cast them into a huge herd of pigs visible in the distance. He does so and the pigs immediately run straight into the sea and drown. The men are freed from the demons, but the people of the region ask Jesus to leave.

Matthew begins a series of stories revealing Jesus' authority over sickness, demons, and even the weather. Jesus heals a humble man with leprosy and great faith. He then heals the servant of a Roman centurion who understands that Jesus does not need to come to his home; He can just speak a word. Jesus praises the Gentile man's amazing faith. After healing many more, Jesus and the disciples get caught in a deadly storm on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus stops the storm with a word. Later, He casts demons out of two men and into a huge herd of pigs.

Matthew 8 follows the conclusion of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–2). He turns to telling a series of dramatic stories to show Jesus' power and authority over every kind of disease, over demons, and even over the weather. Jesus also gives brief teachings about the hard road of following Him on earth. He calms a violent storm with a single command and casts demons from two violently possessed men. Matthew will focus mostly on miracles until shifting focus to Jesus' teachings and parables in chapter 11.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.

Accessed 5/5/2024 10:29:02 AM