Luke 8:37

37 And all the people of the surrounding region of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, because they had been seized with great fear. So he got into the boat [and] returned.

Luke 8:37 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 8:37

Then the whole multitude
For it seems, a very large number of people were presently gathered together, from all parts of the country, upon the report of the swine herds, who fled, it is very likely, some one way, and some another: of the country of the Gadarenes round about;
of the country that was round about Gadara. The Vulgate Latin reads, "of the Gergesenes"; and the Arabic and Ethiopic versions, "of the Gergesenes": and they all, with one accord, besought him to depart from them, for they were taken with great fear:
lest they should suffer other and greater losses, than the loss of the swine; choosing rather that the devils should be retained among them, than Christ continue with them:

and he went up into the ship;
directly, granted their request at once; not desirous of staying with such an ungrateful people, that loved their swine more than him, yea, than the bodily health and welfare of their countrymen:

and he returned back again;
to Galilee, at least in a very little time, after some short discourse with the dispossessed man; having staid but a very small time in that place, just landed as it were, and not having proceeded far from the seashore.

Luke 8:37 In-Context

35 So they went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting [there] clothed and in his right mind, at the feet of Jesus, and they were afraid.
36 And those who had seen [it] reported to them how the man who had been demon-possessed had been healed.
37 And all the people of the surrounding region of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, because they had been seized with great fear. So he got into the boat [and] returned.
38 And the man from who the demons had gone out was begging him to stay with him, but he sent him away, saying,
39 "Return to your home and tell all that God has done for you." And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole town all that Jesus had done for him.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("got") 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.