And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
And {G2532} always {G1275}, night {G3571} and {G2532} day {G2250}, he was {G2258} in {G1722} the mountains {G3735}, and {G2532} in {G1722} the tombs {G3418}, crying {G2896}, and {G2532} cutting {G2629} himself {G1438} with stones {G3037}.
Night and day he wandered among the graves and through the hills, howling and gashing himself with stones.
Night and day in the tombs and in the mountains he kept crying out and cutting himself with stones.
And always, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out, and cutting himself with stones.
-
Job 2:7
¶ So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. -
Job 2:8
And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. -
1 Kings 18:28
And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them. -
John 8:44
Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Mark 5:5 offers a stark and harrowing glimpse into the life of the Gerasene demoniac, a man utterly consumed by evil spirits before his encounter with Jesus. This verse vividly portrays his constant torment and the extreme conditions of his existence.
Context
This verse is part of the introductory description of the man whom Jesus encounters in the region of the Gerasenes (or Gadarenes), as detailed in Mark chapter 5, verses 1-20. Living in the desolate areas among the tombs and mountains, he was an outcast, feared by society, and beyond any human control or restraint. The tombs, places of death and ritual impurity, underscore the profound spiritual and physical desolation of his condition, making his dwelling place a symbol of his utter separation from human community and well-being.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The Greek word for "crying" is krazōn (κράζων), which denotes a loud, vehement, and often desperate outcry or shriek, far more intense than a simple cry. It conveys the raw agony and tormented sounds emanating from him. The phrase "cutting himself" (katakoptōn heauton - κατακόπτων ἑαυτόν) powerfully illustrates the violent, self-inflicted wounds, emphasizing the depth of his torment and the malevolent control exerted over him by the demonic legion.
Significance and Application
Mark 5:5 serves as a profound illustration of human suffering under spiritual bondage, setting the stage for one of Jesus' most dramatic acts of deliverance. It offers several important insights: