Jesus Heals Two Gergesene Demoniacs.

  31 And the demons besought him, ^c and they entreated him that he would give them leave to enter into them. ^a saying, If thou cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine. ^b that we may enter into them.

  13 And he gave them leave.

  ^a 32 And he said unto them, Go. And they ^b the unclean spirits ^c the demons came out of the man, and entered ^a and went into the swine: and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep into the sea, {^c the lake,} ^b in number about two thousand; and they were drowned in the sea. ^a and perished in the waters.

  ^c 34 And when they that fed them [there being no fences in Palestine, herds were invariably attended by herdsmen] saw what had come to pass, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country. ^a and went away into the city, and told everything, and what was befallen to them that were possessed with demons.

  34 And, behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus

[it was about half a mile from Khersa to the seashore]: ^b And they came {^c went out} ^b to see what it was that had come to pass.

  15 And they come {^c came} ^b to Jesus, ^c and found {^b behold} ^c the man, ^b that was possessed with demons ^c from whom the demons were gone out, sitting, clothed and in his right mind, ^b even him that had the legion

[a faint suggestion that there was another]: ^c at the feet of Jesus: and they were afraid.

  ^b 16 And they saw it

[the herdmen] declared unto them how it befell him that was possessed with demons,

  ^c 36 And told them how he that was possessed with demons was made whole. ^b and concerning the swine. ^a and when they saw him,

  ^c 37 All the people of the country of the Gerasenes round about asked him

  ^b 17 And they began to beseech {^a besought} ^b him ^a that he would depart {^b to depart} from their borders. ^c from them; for they were holden with great fear

[The loss of the swine moved them to a fear a further loss of property. To them the loss of swine was more important than the recovery of a man. To this day, worldly interests move men more than acts of mercy]: and he entered into a boat.

  ^b 18 And {^c 38 But} ^b as he was entering into the boat, he that had been possessed with demons ^c the man from whom the demons were gone out prayed him {^b besought him} that he might be with him.

[As a frightened child newly wakened from a horrible dream clings to its parent, so the man clung to Christ.] ^c but he sent him away,

  ^b 19 And he suffered him not, but saith {^c saying,} ^b unto him, Go

  ^c 39 Return to thy house, ^b unto thy friends, and tell them ^c and declare how great things God ^b the Lord hath done for thee, and how he had mercy on thee.

[Jesus departed, but left behind him a witness whose very body was a living monument bearing testimony to Christ's compassion and power. Jesus revisited this locality some months later. See Mark 7:31-37 .]

  34 And, behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus

  15 And they come {^c came} ^b to Jesus, ^c and found {^b behold} ^c the man, ^b that was possessed with demons ^c from whom the demons were gone out, sitting, clothed and in his right mind, ^b even him that had the legion

  ^b 16 And they saw it

  ^c 36 And told them how he that was possessed with demons was made whole. ^b and concerning the swine. ^a and when they saw him,

  ^c 37 All the people of the country of the Gerasenes round about asked him

  ^b 17 And they began to beseech {^a besought} ^b him ^a that he would depart {^b to depart} from their borders. ^c from them; for they were holden with great fear

  ^b 18 And {^c 38 But} ^b as he was entering into the boat, he that had been possessed with demons ^c the man from whom the demons were gone out prayed him {^b besought him} that he might be with him.

  ^b 19 And he suffered him not, but saith {^c saying,} ^b unto him, Go

  ^c 39 Return to thy house, ^b unto thy friends, and tell them ^c and declare how great things God ^b the Lord hath done for thee, and how he had mercy on thee.

^c and he went his way, publishing throughout the whole city [Gergesa] how great things Jesus had done for him. ^b and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him [for the cities which constituted Decapolis, see Section 33]: and all men marvelled.

  21 And when Jesus had crossed over again in the boat unto the other side, a great multitude was gathered unto him: and he was by the sea.

  ^c 40 And as Jesus returned, the multitude welcomed him; for they were all waiting for him.

[They could see the sail of his boat as he started back.]

  21 And when Jesus had crossed over again in the boat unto the other side, a great multitude was gathered unto him: and he was by the sea.

  ^c 40 And as Jesus returned, the multitude welcomed him; for they were all waiting for him.

  ^a 1 And he came into his own city. [Capernaum.]