51 And they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. 2 And immediately on his going out of the ship there met him out of the tombs a man possessed by an unclean spirit, 3 who had his dwelling in the tombs; and no one was able to bind him, not even with chains; 4 because he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been torn asunder by him, and the fetters were shattered; and no one was able to subdue him. 5 And continually night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying and cutting himself with stones. 6 But seeing Jesus from afar off, he ran and did him homage, 7 and crying with a loud voice he says, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure thee by God, torment me not. 8 For he said to him, Come forth, unclean spirit, out of the man. 9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he says to him, Legion is my name, because we are many. 10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. 11 Now there was there just at the mountain a great herd of swine feeding; 12 and they besought him, saying, Send us into the swine that we may enter into them. 13 And Jesus [immediately] allowed them. And the unclean spirits going out entered into the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep slope, into the sea (about two thousand), and were choked in the sea. 14 And those that were feeding them fled and reported it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had taken place. 15 And they come to Jesus, and they see the possessed of demons sitting [and] clothed and sensible, [him] that had had the legion: and they were afraid. 16 And they that had seen [it] related to them how it had happened to the [man] possessed by demons, and concerning the swine. 17 And they began to beg him to depart from their coasts. 18 And as he went on board ship, the man that had been possessed by demons besought him that he might be with him. 19 And he suffered him not, but says to him, Go to thine home to thine own people, and tell them how great things the Lord has done for thee, and has had mercy on thee. 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him; and all wondered.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Mark 5:1-20
Commentary on Mark 5:1-20
(Read Mark 5:1-20)
Some openly wilful sinners are like this madman. The commands of the law are as chains and fetters, to restrain sinners from their wicked courses; but they break those bands in sunder; and it is an evidence of the power of the devil in them. A legion of soldiers consisted of six thousand men, or more. What multitudes of fallen spirits there must be, and all enemies to God and man, when here was a legion in one poor wretched creature! Many there are that rise up against us. We are not a match for our spiritual enemies, in our own strength; but in the Lord, and in the power of his might, we shall be able to stand against them, though there are legions of them. When the vilest transgressor is delivered by the power of Jesus from the bondage of Satan, he will gladly sit at the feet of his Deliverer, and hear his word, who delivers the wretched slaves of Satan, and numbers them among his saints and servants. When the people found that their swine were lost, they had a dislike to Christ. Long-suffering and mercy may be seen, even in the corrections by which men lose their property while their lives are saved, and warning given them to seek the salvation of their souls. The man joyfully proclaimed what great things Jesus had done for him. All men marvelled, but few followed him. Many who cannot but wonder at the works of Christ, yet do not, as they ought, wonder after him.