Mark5

Jesus casts a legion of unclean spirits from a man into a herd of swine, which then drown in the sea. The healed man is sent to testify of God's mercy to his friends. Later, Jesus heals a woman who touches his garment by faith, and subsequently raises Jairus's daughter from the dead, demonstrating his power over sickness and death.

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Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac

And they came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes.

And when he was come out of the boat, straightway there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,

who had his dwelling in the tombs: and no man could any more bind him, no, not with a chain;

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.

And always, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out, and cutting himself with stones.

And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshipped him;

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.

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

And he asked him, What is thy name? And he saith unto him, My name is Legion; for we are many.

And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.

Now there was there on the mountain side a great herd of swine feeding.

And they besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.

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.

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.

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.

And they that saw it declared unto them how it befell him that was possessed with demons, and concerning the swine.

And they began to beseech him to depart from their borders.

And as he was entering into the boat, he that had been possessed with demons besought him that he might be with him.

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.

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

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.

And there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jaïrus by name; and seeing him, he falleth at his feet,

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.

And he went with him; and a great multitude followed him, and they thronged him.

Healing the Woman with an Issue of Blood

And a woman, who had an issue of blood twelve years,

and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,

having heard the things concerning Jesus, came in the crowd behind, and touched his garment.

For she said, If I touch but his garments, I shall be made whole.

And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her plague.

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?

And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.

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.

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

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?

But Jesus, not heeding the word spoken, saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Fear not, only believe.

And he suffered no man to follow with him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

And they come to the house of the ruler of the synagogue; and he beholdeth a tumult, and many weeping and wailing greatly.

And when he was entered in, he saith unto them, Why make ye a tumult, and weep? the child is not dead, but sleepeth.

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.

And taking the child by the hand, he saith unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, Arise.

And straightway the damsel rose up, and walked; for she was twelve years old. And they were amazed straightway with a great amazement.

And he charged them much that no man should know this: and he commanded that something should be given her to eat.

Study Notes for Mark 5

Verse 1

The country of the Gadarenes (or Gerasenes/Gergesenes in other manuscripts) refers to the Decapolis region, Gentile territory east of the Sea of Galilee, explaining the presence of swine (v. 11).

Verse 7

The demon immediately recognizes Jesus’s divine authority, addressing him as the 'Son of the most high God,' a title used in Jewish and Hellenistic contexts to denote supreme power.

Verse 9

A 'Legion' was a primary unit in the Roman army, consisting of thousands of soldiers. This name signifies the immense number and organized nature of the demonic presence confronting Jesus.

Verse 11

The presence of a large herd of swine (pigs) confirms that this area was populated by Gentiles, as pigs were considered ritually unclean under Mosaic Law (Leviticus 11:7).

Verse 13

The destruction of the herd (about 2,000 animals) demonstrates the sheer power of the unclean spirits and the magnitude of the spiritual deliverance that Jesus accomplished.

Verse 15

The sight of the man restored—clothed, sitting, and rational—is the ultimate proof of the miracle. The resulting fear shows the locals were more concerned with the disruption of their economic order than the man’s deliverance.

Verse 17

The townspeople ask Jesus to leave, prioritizing their economic loss (the swine) over the supernatural display of divine power and compassion.

Verse 19

Unlike previous healings where Jesus commanded secrecy, here he commissions the man to be a witness among his own people in the Gentile Decapolis region, making him the first missionary to the Gentiles.

Verse 21

Jesus returns to the Jewish side of the sea (likely Capernaum). The following two intertwined miracles demonstrate Jesus’s power over ritual uncleanness, chronic disease, and death itself.

Verse 22

Jairus was a respected 'ruler of the synagogue,' a local official responsible for organizing services. His public display of humility before Jesus underscores the desperation of his situation.

Verse 25

The woman’s chronic bleeding rendered her perpetually ritually unclean according to the Law (Leviticus 15:25). This condition isolated her from society, making her untouchable and preventing her from participating in temple worship.

Verse 26

The note about her suffering under physicians and spending all her money emphasizes the severity of her affliction and the hopelessness of her situation before encountering Jesus.

Verse 30

Jesus immediately sensed that divine power (*dynamis* or 'virtue') had been intentionally drawn out of him. This highlights that the healing was not accidental, but a direct consequence of faith.

Verse 34

Jesus affirms that her faith, not the mere physical touch, was the catalyst for her healing. By publicly addressing her as 'Daughter,' he restores her dignity and reintegrates her into the community.

Verse 35

The arrival of the messengers confirms the death of the girl, seemingly nullifying Jairus's plea and heightening the drama of the narrative.

Verse 36

This phrase, 'Be not afraid, only believe,' is a central command in Mark, contrasting human fear with the active faith required to witness divine intervention.

Verse 37

Peter, James, and John form Jesus’s inner circle, frequently selected to witness the most significant events, such as this raising and the later Transfiguration.

Verse 39

By stating the girl 'sleepeth,' Jesus redefines death as a temporary, reversible state that is subject to his divine authority, anticipating his own resurrection.

Verse 41

Mark often preserves the original Aramaic words spoken by Jesus (*Talitha cumi* means 'little girl, arise') to emphasize the authenticity, immediacy, and directness of his powerful command.

Verse 42

The girl’s age of twelve years intentionally parallels the twelve years of the woman’s illness (v. 25), linking the two miracles to show Jesus’s power over all forms of affliction and the ultimate enemy, death.

Verse 43

The command for secrecy (part of the 'Messianic Secret') ensures that the focus remains on Jesus’s identity and teaching, rather than attracting premature political attention. The instruction to feed her emphasizes her complete, physical restoration.

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Mark5

Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac

Jesus Returns; Jairus Seeks Help

Healing the Woman with an Issue of Blood

The Raising of Jairus’s Daughter

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