Mark 5:3

3 qui domicilium habebat in monumentis et neque catenis iam quisquam eum poterat ligare

Mark 5:3 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 5:3

Who had his dwelling among the tombs
Which is one of the characters of a madman among the Jews; who say it is F17

``the sign of a madman, that he goeth out in the night, (twrbqh) (tybb Nlhw) , "and lodges among the tombs", and rends his garments, and loses what is given to him.''

The same they say, in the same place, of an hypochondriac, and melancholy man; and of Kordiacus, which they give out F18 is a demon that possesses, and has power over some sort of persons:

and no man could bind him, no, not with chains;
so as to hold him for any length of time: not only cords were insufficient to hold, but even chains of iron; so strong was he through the possession; for this could not be by his own natural strength.


FOOTNOTES:

F17 T. Hieros. Gittin, fol. 48. 3. & Trumot, fol. 40. 2.
F18 Jarchi & Bartenora in Misn. Gittin, c. 7. sect. 1.

Mark 5:3 In-Context

1 et venerunt trans fretum maris in regionem Gerasenorum
2 et exeunti ei de navi statim occurrit ei de monumentis homo in spiritu inmundo
3 qui domicilium habebat in monumentis et neque catenis iam quisquam eum poterat ligare
4 quoniam saepe conpedibus et catenis vinctus disrupisset catenas et conpedes comminuisset et nemo poterat eum domare
5 et semper nocte ac die in monumentis et in montibus erat clamans et concidens se lapidibus
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.