(Mark 5:1-5) And they [Jesus and His disciples] came over unto the other side of the sea [from the Promised Land in the west, to the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee], into the country [into the wilderness] of the Gadarenes [the inhabitants of the tribe of Gad]. And when he [Jesus] was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit [singular] ["thou unclean spirit" Mark 5:8], Who had his dwelling [Gk: residence] among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because that he had been often bound with fetters [Gk: shackles] and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces [manifesting the supernatural power of the demons, devils, fallen angels. Where were the fallen angels? Answer: The fallen angels had "entered into them," i.e., him (Mark 5:12,13) just as they later did the swine]: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

tombs = Gk: a memorial, sepulchral monument (burial place): - grave, sepulchre, tomb /// (through the idea of fixture in the mind or of mental grasp); to bear in mind, recollect; by implication to reward or punish: - be mindful, remember, come (have) in remembrance.

tame = Dict: 1. change from the wild or savage state; domesticated: a tame bear. 2. gentle, fearless, or without shyness, as if domesticated, as an animal. 3. tractable, docile, or submissive, as a person.

wild = Dict: 1. living in a state of nature, as animals that have not been tamed or domesticated. 2. growing or produced without cultivation or the care of man. 3. uncultivated, uninhabited, or waste, as land. 4. uncivilized or barbarous, as tribes or savages. 5. of unrestrained violence, fury, intensity, etc.; violent, furious. 6. characterized by or indicating violent excitement. 7. undisciplined, unruly, lawless, or turbulent. 8. disregardful of moral restraints as to pleasurable indulgence.

cultivate = Dict: to bestow labor upon (land) in raising crops; till, improve by husbandry.

(Luke 8:26-27) And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against [Gk: on the opposite side of] Galilee. And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils [plural] long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.

Commentary: "an unclean spirit" = This unsaved man had "an unclean spirit" within his body which dwelt as a cluster, a strong hold, a castle of "devils" (Luke 8:27), i.e., fallen angels, Satan’s messengers, Satan’s representatives, Satan’s thoughts. "And he [Jesus] asked him [the unclean spirit - singular], What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many" (Mark 5:9). Luke recorded this same response to the question of Jesus as: "Legion: because many devils were entered into him [the man]." (Luke 8:30). According to the dictionary, a Roman legion numbered from 3,000 to 6,000 soldiers (warriors). In an interesting parallel further denoting the hostile and destructive nature of the fallen angels dwelling within this man, at that time in history, Roman soldiers garrisoned within, occupied, and held Israel, the Promised Land, in subjection (a type and shadow of possession reflecting back upon the people).

(2 Cor 10:4,5) (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal [Gk: fleshly], but mighty [Gk: powerful] through God to the pulling down [Gk: demolition; (fig.) extinction: destruction] of strong holds [Gk: (meaning to fortify, through the idea of holding safely); a castle (fig.) argument)];) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Commentary: "crying, and cutting himself with stones" = Why? "for he knew what was in man" John 2:25 – this is an out-of-context quote, but nevertheless quite applicable to this wild (unsaved) man. If you don’t know what is evil in you (the work of our "schoolmaster" the Law: Gal 3:24), how can you possibly fight it, change it, correct it, transform it, and "overcometh" (1 John 5:4,5; Rev 2:7,11)? This wild man had been taught, he had learned by the Law that he was a sinner; it is because of that knowledge that he "ran to Jesus and worshipped him" (Mark 5:6).

(1 Cor 10:13) There hath no temptation [Gk: test, trial: examination] taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer [Gk: permit] you to be tempted above that ye are able [to bear it]; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

(Mark 5:1,2) And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,

(Mark 5:6-10) But when he [the man] saw Jesus afar off, he [the man] ran and worshipped him [Jesus], And [Legion] cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure [Gk: charge] thee by God, that thou torment me not [for God hath us "reserved unto judgment]. For he [Jesus] said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he [Jesus] asked him [the unclean spirit], What is thy name? And he [the unclean spirit] answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he [the unclean spirit] besought him [Jesus] much that he would not send them away out of the country.

worshipped = Gk: (meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand); to fawn or crouch to, (lit. or fig.) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore): - worship.

(2 Pet 2:4) For if God spared not the [fallen] angels that sinned [Gen 6:1,2], but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

(Luke 8:31) And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep [Gk: depthless, (specifically) (infernal) "abyss": - deep, bottomless pit].

 

(Mark 5:11-13) Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine [Gk: hogs (pigs)] feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us [Gk: dispatch: thrust us] into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave [Gk: allowed: permitted, suffered]. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently [Gk: to start, spur or urge on, to dash or plunge: rushed] down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked [Gk: throttled or strangled (drowned): take by the throat] in the sea.

(Mark 4:19) And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke [Gk: throttle or strangle (drown): take by the throat] the word, and it becometh unfruitful [Gk: barren: without fruit].

Commentary: The sixth commandment is "Thou shalt not kill." (Exo 20:13; Deut 5:17). The fate of the swine is a type and shadow of the destiny of all unsaved men.

Commentary: Interestingly, the illustrated action of the possessed swine, being much less spiritually resistant than men, and without "a way to escape," suddenly running violently (a forced run) down into the sea to their death was irresistibly motivated by the fallen angels, and quite typical of their evil fallen nature. The consequences of which were that the fallen angels would immediately thereafter be compelled either to find a new host with the host-options getting much slimmer and slimmer (fish, insects, worms), or be cast into the abyss "to be reserved unto judgment," neither of those two choices being in any way favorable. Nevertheless, the fallen angels could not resist urging the swine to their death. It would seem then that the fallen angels are themselves possessed by Satan.

 

(Mark 5:14-20) And they that fed the swine [the swine-herders] fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they [the citizens] went out to see what it was that was done. And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind [like the prodigal son "when he came to himself" (Luke 15:17)]: and they were afraid. And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. And they began to pray him [Jesus] to depart out of their coasts. And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him [Jesus] that he might be with him. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. And he [the regenerating man, now in this right mind] departed, and began to publish [Gk: to herald (as a public crier), especially divine truth (the gospel): - preach, proclaim] in Decapolis [a geographical grouping of ten cities] how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

Amen