Matthew 8:33

33 Now the herdsmen fled and went into the town [and] reported everything, including the things concerning the demon-possessed men.

Matthew 8:33 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 8:33

And they that kept them fled
The hog herds, men of very low life, and whose employment was very infamous and reproachful, as has been observed. These, amazed at what they had seen, distressed with the loss of the swine, and so of their employment, and frightened also lest they should incur the blame and displeasure of their masters, ran away in great haste, fear, and astonishment;

and went their way into the city;
either of Gergesa, or Gadara. Mark and Luke say, they "went and told it in the city, and in the country": in their fright and distress, some ran one way, and some another; some went into the city, others into the country, and so spread the affair far and near, and the fame of Christ, which was designed by this miracle;

and told everything
they saw and heard; how the devils entered into the swine, and they ran headlong into the sea, and were drowned: this they told first, as being done last, and with which they were most affected, and what chiefly concerned their employers; and after they had told every circumstance of the affair, next they gave a narrative of

what was befallen to the possessed of the devils,
and which was the occasion of the loss of their swine; how subject the devils, that were in them, were to Christ; how easily he dispossessed them by a word of command; how they entreated they might have leave to go into the herd of swine, which was granted; and how perfectly whole, and in health, both in body and mind, the men were.

Matthew 8:33 In-Context

31 So the demons implored him, saying, "If you are going to expel us, send us into the herd of pigs."
32 And he said to them, "Go!" So they departed [and] went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed headlong down the steep slope into the sea and drowned in the water.
33 Now the herdsmen fled and went into the town [and] reported everything, including the things concerning the demon-possessed men.
34 And behold, the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and [when they] saw him, they implored [him] that he would depart from their region.

Footnotes 1

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