Bible Commentaries

Mark 5:1. τῶν γαδαρηνῶν, of the Gadarenes) Gadara, a city of Grecian origin [or Greek-like], subject to the Jews; wherein it may be inferred that many Jews dwelt, from the fact that our Lord came to them. [Doubtless it had the same port in common with Gerasa or Gergesa.—V. g.]

Mark 5:2. εὐθέως, immediately) However, the man was preserved from casting himself into the sea as the swine did.— ἐν, in) The particle contains the emphasis of the clause.

Mark 5:3. κατοίκησιν, dwelling) The dwellers among the tombs were of various descriptions. See Mark 5:5.

Mark 5:5. ὄρεσιν, in the mountains) in solitary places. Mountains were in the locality, as we find in Mark 5:11.— ἑαυτὸν, himself) In the case of the possessed, even the natural and proper love of self [law of self-preservation] is in abeyance.

Mark 5:6. ἔδραμε, ran) A specimen and foretaste of the Lordship of Christ. The man possessed ran in spite of the demons, as may readily be supposed.

Mark 5:7. ΄ή με βασανίσῃς, do not torment me) Whilst the demon is being tormented, the man possessed is tormented, and yet he [the latter] is set free. The demon deprecates either the expulsion itself, or a second tormenting added to the expulsion.

Mark 5:8. τὸ) The language is so framed, as if it were of only one demon; and Mark 5:13; Mark 5:9, imply there were many demons, who rendered obedience to one superior, as a legion does to its commander. That one alone, and pre-eminently, seems to maintain a continual and uninterrupted connection with his own legion, inasmuch as they are comprehended under his own name.

Mark 5:9. λεγεὼν, Legion) An appellation by Synecdoche [see Append., the genus for the species]. There was one principal leader among them, and the rest were conjoined with him, constituting thus the legion: and this, whether he had previously borne this Latin name, before that he entered this man, or then first assumed it.— πολλοί ἐσμεν, we are many) Luke affirms this in his own words [not in the man’s or the demon’s], ch. Mark 8:30. If in one nest [dwelling] there can be so many, how many there must be in the whole aggregate throughout the World! [Mere number in itself does not produce protection (patronage).—V. g.]

Mark 5:10. παρεκάλει, he besought) The singular number; the plural occurs in Mark 5:12.— χώρας, the country) which they loved, and were then dwelling in. [And so, therefore, being acquainted with the men of that country, they were meditating to inflict the more injury by means of their acquaintance with them.—V. g.] But it is marvellous that they did not avoid the locality in which the Messiah, the destroyer of their power, was sojourning.

Mark 5:12. πάντες, all) with one consent.

Mark 5:13. εὐθέως, forthwith) He did not require to deliberate in any case.— ὡς δισχίλιοι, about two thousand) The name legion implied a number exceeding this.

Mark 5:14. ἀνήγγειλαν, announced it) to those to whom the swine had belonged, in the city and in the fields [the country].

Mark 5:15. καθήμενον, ἱματισμένον, σωφρονοῦντα, sitting, clothed, in his sound mind) whereas previously he had been without rest, clothes, and the use of his reason. Those who had witnessed the miracle may have given him the clothes. He put forth and showed his possession of reason in his actions.— τὸν λεγεῶνα, the legion) This name seems to have been known in that locality, and to have kept the inhabitants in a state of fright. For there is not any other apparent cause why this appellation, which describes the fact as they found it, should be repeated.⁴²

Mark 5:18. ΄ετʼ αὐτοῦ, with Him) The cross had allured the man by its sweetness from his own relatives. The powerful influence of Jesus had possession of him. [And so now on that account he had it in his power to be of the greater use to his relatives.—V. g.]

Mark 5:19. τοὺς σοὺς, thine own people) implying the obligation by which we are bound towards relatives.— ἀνάγγειλον, announced) There is a time for speaking; see Mark 5:30 and following verses; and also a time for being silent, Mark 5:43.— ὁ κύριος, the Lord) Jesus; comp. Mark 5:20 [‘Jesus.’]

Mark 5:20. κηρύσσειν, to publish) So they [the people of that country] were not without a testimony among them to the glory of God; although Jesus, by their own request [Mark 5:17], went away quickly.— ἐν τῇ) not merely in his own home, which had been all that Jesus had desired him to do; Mark 5:19.

Mark 5:22.⁴³ ἰάειρος, Jairus) At the time that Mark wrote this, Jairus and his daughter might still have been found in Palestine. It is a strong proof of the truth of the Gospel, that the very proper names are given in the Evangelist’s narrative.⁴⁴— ἰδὼν, when he saw) having beheld the majesty of Christ.

Mark 5:23. ἐσχάτως ἔχει, is at the point of death) It was great faith which impelled Jairus to leave her when just breathing her last.— ἵνα, that) This being put in recitative style, shows what was the mental feeling [intention] which led Jairus to mention the sickness of his daughter. [Eng. Ver. loses the beauty of the abrupt ἵνα, by inserting, I pray thee.]

Mark 5:29. ἐξηράνθη ἡ πηγὴ, the fountain was dried up) It not merely decreased. There was the highest degree of instantaneous soundness and health.

Mark 5:30. ἐπιγνοὺς, perceiving) Faith even acts.— ἐξελθοῦσαν, had gone out) A magnetic power.

Mark 5:33. φοβηθεῖσα, fearing) Sometimes fear follows close upon a good action, which very fear subsequently the goodness of the Lord removes; Matthew 26:10.— εἶπεν, told) publicly; Luke 8:47; after having laid aside all unseasonable shame because of her disease.— πᾶσαν, all) Rightly done!

Mark 5:34. ὓπαγε εἰς εἰρήνην, go in peace [lit. into peace]) comp. Luke 7:50, note.— ἴσθι, be) permanently so. After her long continued misery, the benefit conferred is a lasting one.

Mark 5:35. ἀπὸ, from) The house of the ruler of the synagogue.— τὶ ἔτι, why any further) This is a strong affirmation of the fact of the daughter being dead. They suppose the ruler’s efforts to be vain and out of place.— σκὺλλεις, thou troublest) This verb is properly used of the trouble attending a journey; Luke 7:6; Luke 8:49. Herodian employs it of the difficult [severe] conveyance of captives, and of the setting out of an army. The walkings about of Jesus were then a perpetual σκυλμὸς, trouble [harass].— τὸν διδάσκαλον, the Master) There were therefore disciples of Jesus in the family of Jairus, and Jesus was the Teacher of the ruler of the synagogue.

Mark 5:36. λαλούμενον, that was spoken) as it were privately.

Mark 5:37. τὸν ἀδελφὸν, the brother) Mark wrote his Gospel not long after the Ascension, at the time when the memory of James, who had been beheaded, was still fresh in the disciples’ minds, so that he was better known than even John himself.

Mark 5:38. ἀλαλάζοντας, them that chanted the funeral dirge) in order to diminish and soothe the sorrowful thoughts of the mourners.

Mark 5:40. κατεγέλων, they began to laugh Him down) with sorrowful laughter, free from insolence.— ἐκβαλὼν, having put out) Marvellous authority in a house, as one would have thought, judging externally, with which He had no connection. In reality there was in the house its true Lord.— τὸν) Therefore there were present three disciples, and three of the family, not more; comp. Mark 5:43.

Mark 5:41. ταλιθὰ κοῦμι, Talitha Cumi) Peter had remembered the precise words used by the Saviour; and it was from his mouth [dictation] that Mark is said to have written. Talitha was used but once; for Jesus, in raising the dead, did not employ Epizeuxis [repetition of the same word; see Append.], Luke 7:14; John 11:43. For His power was always instantaneous in its effect; comp. Numbers 20:11.— σοὶ λέγω, I say unto thee) This is not contained in Talitha Cumi, and yet it is with truth added.

Mark 5:42. εὐθέως, straightway) It was not by degrees that at last she regained her consciousness.— γὰρ, for) She returned to the state consonant to her age.— δώδεκα, twelve) comp. Mark 5:25. It was at one and the same time the woman was healed [of the issue of twelve years’ standing] and the girl [of twelve years] was raised to life; the one having begun life at the same time that the other had begun her misery.

Mark 5:43. διεστείλατο, He prohibited strictly) [The crowd, no doubt, who were not unacquainted with the fact of the girl’s death, might have both known the miracle, and published it for the glory of GOD.—V. g.— φαγεῖν, to eat) She was by this time alive and well, and not needing any medicine.—V. g.]