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Mark 5

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Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac 1–20

1
And they came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. ​
2
And when he was come out of the boat, straightway there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,
3
who had his dwelling in the tombs: and no man could any more bind him, no, not with a chain;
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because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been rent asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: and no man had strength to tame him.
5
And always, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out, and cutting himself with stones.
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And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped him;
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and crying out with a loud voice, he saith, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the Most High God? I adjure thee by God, torment me not. ​
8
For he said unto him, Come forth, thou unclean spirit, out of the man.
9
And he asked him, What is thy name? And he saith unto him, 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 on the mountain side a great herd of swine feeding. ​
12
And they besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
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And he gave them leave. And the unclean spirits came out, and entered into the swine: and the herd rushed down the steep into the sea, in number about two thousand; and they were drowned in the sea. ​
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And they that fed them fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they came to see what it was that had come to pass.
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And they come to Jesus, and behold him that was possessed with demons sitting, clothed and in his right mind, even him that had the legion: and they were afraid. ​
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And they that saw it declared unto them how it befell him that was possessed with demons, and concerning the swine.
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And they began to beseech him to depart from their borders. ​
18
And as he was entering into the boat, he that had been possessed with demons besought him that he might be with him.
19
And he suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go to thy house unto thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and how he had mercy on thee. ​
20
And he went his way, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men marvelled.

Jesus Returns; Jairus Seeks Help 21–24

21
And when Jesus had crossed over again in the boat unto the other side, a great multitude was gathered unto him; and he was by the sea. ​
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And there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jaïrus by name; and seeing him, he falleth at his feet, ​
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and beseecheth him much, saying, My little daughter is at the point of death: I pray thee, that thou come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be made whole, and live.
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And he went with him; and a great multitude followed him, and they thronged him.

The Woman with the Issue of Blood 25–34

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And a woman, who had an issue of blood twelve years, ​
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and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, ​
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having heard the things concerning Jesus, came in the crowd behind, and touched his garment.
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For she said, If I touch but his garments, I shall be made whole.
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And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her plague.
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And straightway Jesus, perceiving in himself that the power proceeding from him had gone forth, turned him about in the crowd, and said, Who touched my garments? ​
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And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
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And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
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But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what had been done to her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
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And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. ​

The Raising of Jairus’s Daughter 35–43

35
While he yet spake, they come from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Teacher any further? ​
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But Jesus, not heeding the word spoken, saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Fear not, only believe. ​
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And he suffered no man to follow with him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. ​
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And they come to the house of the ruler of the synagogue; and he beholdeth a tumult, and many weeping and wailing greatly.
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And when he was entered in, he saith unto them, Why make ye a tumult, and weep? the child is not dead, but sleepeth. ​
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And they laughed him to scorn. But he, having put them all forth, taketh the father of the child and her mother and them that were with him, and goeth in where the child was.
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And taking the child by the hand, he saith unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, Arise. ​
42
And straightway the damsel rose up, and walked; for she was twelve years old. And they were amazed straightway with a great amazement. ​
43
And he charged them much that no man should know this: and he commanded that something should be given her to eat. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Mark 5

Verse 1

the other side of the sea — Peran, the far side, is the crossing ordered in 4:35, 'Let us pass over unto the other side', before the storm. The country is 'of the Gadarenes' here and in Luke 8:26, and 'of the Gergesenes' in Matt 8:28 in the KJV. Verse 20 names the wider region, Decapolis.

Verse 7

Son of the most high God — Hypsistos, highest, is the title of the God whose priest Melchizedek was (Gen 14:18) and of Luke 1:32, 'the Son of the Highest'. The spirit 'adjures' (horkizo) Christ by God and begs 'torment me not' (basanizo); Matt 8:29 has it as 'art thou come hither to torment us before the time?'

Verse 9

My name is Legion — Legeon is the Latin word for a Roman regiment; Christ speaks of 'twelve legions of angels' in Matt 26:53. The answer moves from 'my name' to 'we are many', and Luke 8:30 gives the reason: 'because many devils were entered into him'. Christ asks the name himself (eperotao, to question).

Verse 11

a great herd of swine feeding — The swine were unclean under the law: 'the swine, though he divide the hoof… he is unclean to you' (Lev 11:7, with 11:8 and Deut 14:8). Matt 8:30 puts the herd 'a good way off', and Luke 8:32 says they were feeding 'on the mountain'. Choiros, swine, is also the beast the prodigal fed (Luke 15:15).

Verse 13

Jesus gave them leave — Epitrepo, to permit. The spirits could enter the swine only by his leave, as Satan could touch Job only within what the LORD allowed: 'all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand' (Job 1:12). Pnigo, 'choked', appears elsewhere only in Matt 18:28, 'took him by the throat'.

Verse 15

sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind — The words answer the account of vv.3–5: the man whom no one could bind, 'crying, and cutting himself with stones'. Luke 8:27 says he 'ware no clothes', and Luke 8:35 adds 'sitting at the feet of Jesus'. Sophroneo, to be of sound mind, is the verb of Rom 12:3, 'to think soberly'.

Verse 17

to depart out of their coasts — Horion, 'coasts', is territory, as in Matt 19:1. Luke 8:37 gives their reason: 'for they were taken with great fear', and Matt 8:34 says 'the whole city came out to meet Jesus'. The man had asked the opposite, 'that he might be with him' (v.18).

Verse 19

tell them how great things the Lord hath done — The man 'prayed him that he might be with him' (v.18) and is sent instead to 'thy friends'. Luke 8:39 words the command 'how great things God hath done unto thee', and he 'began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him' (v.20). Eleeo, 'had compassion', is to show mercy.

Verse 21

passed over again by ship — Diaperao, to cross over, as in Matt 9:1, 'he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city'. 'The other side' (peran) is the same word as in v.1; this is the near shore again. Matt 9:18 and Luke 8:41 bring Jairus to him here.

Verse 22

Jairus by name — Luke 8:41 also names him and says he 'was a ruler of the synagogue'; Matt 9:18 has 'a certain ruler'. Archisynagogos is the office of Crispus, who 'believed on the Lord with all his house' (Acts 18:8). He 'fell at his feet', as the woman 'fell down before him' in v.33.

Verse 25

an issue of blood twelve years — The law of Lev 15:25–27 makes the woman unclean 'all the days of the issue of her uncleanness', and whatever she touched. Rhysis is a flow. Her twelve years are matched by the twelve years of the girl in v.42, and the two accounts are told together.

Verse 26

nothing bettered, but rather grew worse — Luke 8:43 says she 'had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any'. Cheiron, 'worse', is the comparative of 'bad'. The cure comes in v.29: 'the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague'.

Verse 30

virtue had gone out of him — Dynamis, power, is rendered 'virtue' here; Luke 5:17 says 'the power of the Lord was present to heal', and Luke 6:19 that 'there went virtue out of him, and healed them all'. He knew it 'immediately… in himself' (epiginosko), and the question 'Who touched my clothes?' follows the woman's words in v.28.

Verse 34

thy faith hath made thee whole — Sozo, to save or make whole, is the verb of her own words, 'I shall be whole' (v.28), and of Jairus's 'that she may be healed' (v.23). 'Plague' is mastix, a scourge, as in vv.29 and 3:10. Luke 7:50 gives the same dismissal to another woman: 'Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.'

Verse 35

Thy daughter is dead — Jairus had said she 'lieth at the point of death' (v.23). The messengers call Jesus 'the Master' (didaskalos, teacher), the word the disciples used in the storm (4:38). Skyllo, 'troublest', is to harass; the centurion's friends use it in Luke 7:6, 'Lord, trouble not thyself'. Luke 8:49 gives the message.

Verse 36

Be not afraid, only believe — Christ answers the report by speaking to Jairus. 'Believe' (pisteuo) is the verb of Mark 9:23, 'all things are possible to him that believeth', and of John 11:40, said to Martha: 'if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God'. Phobeo, 'afraid', is the verb of vv.15 and 33.

Verse 37

Peter, and James, and John — The same three are taken up the mountain in 9:2 and into Gethsemane in 14:33. Luke 8:51 adds that 'the father and the mother of the maiden' went in with them. The others stay out: 'he had put them all out' (v.40). Aphiemi, 'suffered', is to let go or allow.

Verse 39

the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth — Thorybeo, 'Why make ye this ado', is to make an uproar; Matt 9:23 speaks of 'the minstrels and the people making a noise'. Sleep is the word for death in John 11:11, 'Lazarus sleepeth', and John 11:14 says plainly 'Lazarus is dead'. Paul writes of 'them also which sleep in Jesus' (1 Thess 4:14).

Verse 41

Talitha cumi — Mark gives the Aramaic as spoken and then its interpretation (methermeneuo), as at 7:34, 'Ephphatha,' that is, Be opened, and 15:34. 'Arise' (egeiro) is the word he spoke to the widow's son: 'Young man, I say unto thee, Arise' (Luke 7:14). He 'took the damsel by the hand', as he took Peter's wife's mother in 1:31.

Verse 42

the damsel arose, and walked — Anistemi, 'arose', is also the verb of rising again in Mark 8:31 and 9:31. Her twelve years match the woman's in v.25. Ekstasis, 'astonishment', is amazement, as in Acts 3:10. Peter, who was present (v.37), later says 'Tabitha, arise' after putting all out (Acts 9:40).

Verse 43

that no man should know it — Diastellomai, to charge expressly, is the verb of the orders in Mark 7:36 and 9:9. In v.19 the man of Gadara was sent to tell. Luke 8:55 says 'her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat'.