Luke 8:29

29 For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For it had seized him many times, and he was bound with chains and shackles [and] was guarded, and breaking the bonds he would be driven by the demon into the deserted places.)

Luke 8:29 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 8:29

For he had commanded the unclean spirit.
&c.] That had the rest of the devils under his authority, and power,

to come out of the man;
this he had done, either before, or just as he came up to him; (See Gill on Mark 5:8).

For oftentimes it had caught him;
possessed him, and wrought so strongly in him, and with so much fury, that there was no governing him: and he was kept bound with chains and fetters;
attempts were made to bind him, and keep him bound, but in vain: and he brake the bands; (See Gill on Mark 5:4). And was driven of the devil into the wilderness:
into some desert and desolate place, where were the tombs and sepulchres of the dead; this was done by the prince of the legion.

Luke 8:29 In-Context

27 And [as] he got out on the land, a certain man from the town met [him] who had demons and for a considerable time had not worn clothes and did not live in a house, but among the tombs.
28 And [when he] saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and said with a loud voice, "{What do I have to do with you}, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me!"
29 For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For it had seized him many times, and he was bound with chains and shackles [and] was guarded, and breaking the bonds he would be driven by the demon into the deserted places.)
30 So Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered into him.
31 And they began imploring him that he would not order them to depart into the abyss.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("was bound") has been translated as a finite verb
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.