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.

Jesus Heals the Gerasene Demoniac

1
They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. ​
2
When he had come out of the boat, immediately a man with an unclean spirit met him out of the tombs.
3
He lived in the tombs. Nobody could bind him any more, not even with chains,
4
because he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him, and the fetters broken in pieces. Nobody had the strength to tame him.
5
Always, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out, and cutting himself with stones.
6
When he saw Yeshua from afar, he ran and bowed down to him,
7
and crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have I to do with you, Yeshua, you Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, don’t torment me.” ​
8
For he said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”
9
He asked him, “What is your name?” He said to him, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” ​
10
He begged him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
11
Now on the mountainside there was a great herd of pigs feeding. ​
12
All the demons begged him, saying, “Send us into the pigs, that we may enter into them.”
13
At once Yeshua gave them permission. The unclean spirits came out and entered into the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and they were drowned in the sea. ​
14
Those who fed them fled, and told it in the city and in the country. The people came to see what it was that had happened.
15
They came to Yeshua, and saw him who had been possessed by demons sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, even him who had the legion; and they were afraid. ​
16
Those who saw it declared to them what happened to him who was possessed by demons, and about the pigs.
17
They began to beg him to depart from their region. ​
18
As he was entering into the boat, he who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him.
19
He didn’t allow him, but said to him, “Go to your house, to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how he had mercy on you.” ​
20
He went his way, and began to proclaim in Decapolis how Yeshua had done great things for him, and everyone marveled.

Jesus Returns; Jairus Seeks Help

21
When Yeshua had crossed back over in the boat to the other side, a great multitude was gathered to him; and he was by the sea. ​
22
Behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, came; and seeing him, he fell at his feet, ​
23
and begged him much, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Please come and lay your hands on her, that she may be made healthy, and live.”
24
He went with him, and a great multitude followed him, and they pressed upon him on all sides.

Healing the Woman with an Issue of Blood

25
A certain woman, who had an issue of blood for twelve years, ​
26
and had suffered many things by many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better, but rather grew worse, ​
27
having heard the things concerning Yeshua, came up behind him in the crowd, and touched his clothes.
28
For she said, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be made well.”
29
Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.
30
Immediately Yeshua, perceiving in himself that the power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd, and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” ​
31
His disciples said to him, “You see the multitude pressing against you, and you say, ‘Who touched me?’”
32
He looked around to see her who had done this thing.
33
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.
34
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be cured of your disease.” ​

The Raising of Jairus’s Daughter

35
While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue ruler’s house saying, “Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Rabbi any more?” ​
36
But Yeshua, when he heard the message spoken, immediately said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Don’t be afraid, only believe.” ​
37
He allowed no one to follow him, except Peter, Jacob, and Yochanan the brother of Jacob. ​
38
He came to the synagogue ruler’s house, and he saw an uproar, weeping, and great wailing.
39
When he had entered in, he said to them, “Why do you make an uproar and weep? The child is not dead, but is asleep.” ​
40
They ridiculed him. But he, having put them all out, took the father of the child, her mother, and those who were with him, and went in where the child was lying.
41
Taking the child by the hand, he said to her, “Talitha cumi!” which means, being interpreted, “Girl, I tell you, get up!” ​
42
Immediately the girl rose up and walked, for she was twelve years old. They were amazed with great amazement. ​
43
He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and commanded that something should be given to 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.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate
Settings

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Reading Width 45 chars

Options