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

On the other side of the sea, they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes.

As soon as Jesus got out of the boat, He was met by a man with an unclean spirit, who was coming from the tombs.

This man had been living in the tombs and could no longer be restrained, even with chains.

Though he was often bound with chains and shackles, he had broken the chains and shattered the shackles. Now there was no one with the strength to subdue him.

Night and day in the tombs and in the mountains he kept crying out and cutting himself with stones.

When the man saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees before Him.

And he shouted in a loud voice, “What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You before God not to torture me!”

For Jesus had already declared, “Come out of this man, you unclean spirit!”

“What is your name?” Jesus asked. “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”

And he begged Jesus repeatedly not to send them out of that region.

There on the nearby hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding.

So the demons begged Jesus, “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.”

He gave them permission, and the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs, and the herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the water.

Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened.

When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons sitting there, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

Those who had seen it described what had happened to the demon-possessed man and also to the pigs.

And the people began to beg Jesus to leave their region.

As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by the demons begged to go with Him.

But Jesus would not allow him. “Go home to your own people,” He said, “and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy He has shown you.”

So the man went away and began to proclaim throughout the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.

Jesus Returns; Jairus Seeks Help

When Jesus had again crossed by boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him beside the sea.

A synagogue leader named Jairus arrived, and seeing Jesus, he fell at His feet

and pleaded with Him urgently, “My little daughter is near death. Please come and place Your hands on her, so that she will be healed and live.”

So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd followed and pressed around Him.

Healing the Woman with an Issue of Blood

And a woman was there who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years.

She had borne much agony under the care of many physicians and had spent all she had, but to no avail. Instead, her condition had only grown worse.

When the woman heard about Jesus, she came up through the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak.

For she kept saying, “If only I touch His garments, I will be healed.”

Immediately her bleeding stopped, and she sensed in her body that she was healed of her affliction.

At once Jesus was aware that power had gone out from Him. Turning to the crowd, He asked, “Who touched My garments?”

His disciples answered, “You can see the crowd pressing in on You, and yet You ask, ‘Who touched Me?’”

But He kept looking around to see who had done this.

Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him trembling in fear, and she told Him the whole truth.

“Daughter,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free of your affliction.”

The Raising of Jairus’s Daughter

While He was still speaking, messengers from the house of Jairus arrived and said, “Your daughter is dead; why bother the Teacher anymore?”

But Jesus overheard their conversation and said to Jairus, “Do not be afraid; just believe.”

And He did not allow anyone to accompany Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.

When they arrived at the house of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw the commotion and the people weeping and wailing loudly.

He went inside and asked, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but asleep.”

And they laughed at Him. After He had put them all outside, He took the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and went in to see the child.

Taking her by the hand, Jesus said, “Talitha koum!” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”

Immediately the girl got up and began to walk around. She was twelve years old, and at once they were utterly astounded.

Then Jesus gave strict orders that no one should know about this, and He told them to give her something 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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