Luke 8:29

For he commanded (parhggellen gar). Imperfect active, correct text, for he was commanding. Often times (polloi cronoi). Or "for a long time" like cronwi pollwi of verse Isaiah 27 (see Robertson, Grammar, p. 537, for the plural here). It had seized (sunhrpakei). Past perfect active of sunarpazw, to lay hold by force. An old verb, but only in Luke in the N.T. ( Luke 8:29 ; Acts 6:12 ; Acts 19:29 ; Acts 27:15 ). Was kept under guard (edesmeueto). Imperfect passive of desmeuw to put in chains, from desmo, bond, and that from dew to bind. Old, but rather rare verb. Only here and Acts 22:4 in this sense. In Matthew 23:4 it means to bind together. Some MSS. read desmew in Luke 8:29 . Breaking the bands asunder (diarhsswn ta desma). Old verb, the preposition dia (in two) intensifying the meaning of the simple verb rhssw or rhgnumi, to rend. Was driven (hlauneto). Imperfect passive of elaunw, to drive, to row, to march (Xenophon). Only five times in the N.T. Here alone in Luke and peculiar to Luke in this incident.