1 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. 2 And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 7 And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. 8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. 9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. 10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. 12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. 14 And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. 15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
16 And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. 17 And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. 18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. 19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. 20 And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.
Jesus Heals a Man with a Demon
This passage presents a striking example of Christ overpowering Satan and setting free one held captive by him, demonstrating that Christ is the stronger one. After enduring a storm to reach the other side, Jesus arrived with the express purpose of rescuing a man possessed by demons. Once he had accomplished this, he returned, just as he came from heaven to earth and back again, facing hardship to redeem even a small remnant from the devil’s grip. That he achieved this was reason enough; he considered no part of that mission wasted.
Matthew’s account mentions two men possessed by demons, while Mark speaks of one with an unclean spirit. There is no contradiction—Mark does not deny there were two but focuses on one, likely the more prominent or notable of the pair.
The man’s condition was miserable. Possessed by an unclean spirit, he suffered not only inward torment but outward madness. He lived among tombs, places considered defiling according to Numbers 19:16, which amplified his spiritual uncleanness. Tombs were typically found outside towns, in desolate areas (Job 3:14), and the devil may have used this setting to perpetuate the lie that evil spirits were the souls of the dead, masking his own presence.
He was extremely strong and uncontrollable. No restraint could hold him—not cords, not chains, not even iron shackles (Mark 5:3-4). Such physical strength, used destructively, mirrored the spiritual bondage of those so hardened in sin that even the warnings and commands of God’s law, meant to restrain evil, are resisted and broken.
He was a terror and torment to himself and everyone around him (Mark 5:5). The devil is a cruel master to those he captures. This wretched man was night and day in the mountains and tombs, crying and cutting himself with stones, either mourning his misery or in rage against heaven. People in mental distress often harm themselves. What is a man when reason is dethroned and Satan takes over? The worshipers of Baal, in their frenzy, cut themselves (1 Kings 18:28). God says, “Do yourself no harm” (Acts 16:28); Satan says, “Do yourself all the harm you can.” Yet God’s word is ignored, and Satan’s followed. Perhaps the phrase “cutting himself with stones” means he cut his feet on the sharp stones he ran barefoot over.
But when Jesus appeared, the man ran toward him and worshiped (Mark 5:6). The same one who once attacked strangers now approached Christ with reverence. This transformation was not by human restraint but by Christ’s invisible power. Even the demon within had to yield to Christ’s authority, and the man momentarily found clarity and hope.
Jesus commanded the spirit to come out of the man (Mark 5:8). First, he moved the man to seek help; then he delivered him by his authority. When Christ stirs in us a desire to be free from Satan’s power, he will fulfill that desire. As with other exorcisms (Mark 1:27), the evil spirit obeyed at Christ’s word: “Come out of the man.” This echoes the purpose of the gospel—to drive out unclean spirits so the Holy Spirit may enter and reign in the heart.
Though the man bowed before Jesus, it was the demon who cried out using his voice, “What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” (Mark 5:7). The demon used titles of reverence, not in faith, but in fear. Though he acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God, just as he had in Mark 1:24, this confession lacked the sincerity only the Holy Spirit brings (1 Corinthians 12:3). Words of truth can still come from the most corrupt mouths.
The demon claimed they had no quarrel with Christ and begged Christ not to torment him: “I beg you earnestly, by all that is sacred, do not torment me—don’t restrain me from doing mischief elsewhere. Though I know I am sentenced, don’t send me into chains of darkness or stop me from going to and fro to devour” (Mark 5:7). Jesus then asked the spirit his name, not out of ignorance, but to reveal to bystanders the immense power confronting them. “My name is Legion,” came the reply, “for we are many.” A Roman legion could include thousands, suggesting that this man was afflicted by an overwhelming number of demons.
These demons were like a military force—organized, numerous, and united in purpose. They waged war against God and humanity. Their strength, order, and unity made them formidable, but even they had to bow before Christ. They pleaded with Jesus not to send them away from the region (Mark 5:10). Perhaps they had long worked their evil there and feared being removed. Grotius says they liked the region because it was full of apostate Jews who had abandoned God’s covenant and given Satan power over them. Some say they had studied the people’s ways and knew how best to tempt them.
Seeing a herd of swine feeding nearby, the demons begged to enter them (Mark 5:11). They didn’t ask to enter another person—perhaps knowing Jesus wouldn’t allow it—but hoped that by destroying the swine they could cause further harm. Jesus permitted it, and the demons entered the animals, which immediately went mad and drowned in the sea (Mark 5:13). The swine, already unclean by law, proved a fitting host for these unclean spirits.
This dramatic event exposed the true destructiveness of demonic power. The man had only injured himself, restrained by God’s hand, but the swine, once possessed, were instantly destroyed. It showed what the demons would have done to the man had they not been limited—and how much we owe to God’s protection from evil forces.
The swineherds ran to report what had happened (Mark 5:14), and people rushed out to see for themselves. They found the formerly possessed man sitting calmly, dressed, and in his right mind (Mark 5:15). They had once feared him; now they feared the power that had restored him. He was whole again—evidence that Satan had been cast out and sanity restored.
But rather than rejoice, the people asked Jesus to leave (Mark 5:17). Their swine were gone, and that loss weighed more heavily than the miraculous healing before them. They valued their property more than the presence of the Savior. In doing so, they proved how Satan often gains ground through worldly attachments. Christ had come offering deliverance, but they chose to cling to their sin and possessions.
After his deliverance, the man begged to go with Jesus (Mark 5:18). Perhaps he feared the return of evil spirits, or simply desired to be close to the one who had saved him. But Jesus refused. Instead, he told him to go home and tell others what the Lord had done for him, especially how he had shown him mercy. Jesus wanted his compassion made known, not just his power.
Obedient and grateful, the man went throughout the region declaring what Jesus had done (Mark 5:20). Many were amazed, though not all believed. As is often the case, people may marvel at Christ’s works without submitting to his lordship. Yet the testimony of this once-tormented man stood as a witness to the transforming mercy of God.