Luke 8:29-33

8:29 For Jesus ¹  had started commanding ²  the evil ³  spirit to come out of the man. (For it had seized him many times, so ⁴  he would be bound with chains and shackles ⁵  and kept under guard. But ⁶  he would break the restraints and be driven by the demon into deserted ⁷  places.) ⁸  8:30 Jesus then ⁹  asked him, “What is your name?” He ¹⁰  said, “Legion,” ¹¹  because many demons had entered him. 8:31 And they began to beg ¹²  him not to order ¹³  them to depart into the abyss. ¹⁴  8:32 Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, ¹⁵  and the demonic spirits ¹⁶  begged Jesus ¹⁷  to let them go into them. He gave them permission. ¹⁸  8:33 So ¹⁹  the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd of pigs ²⁰  rushed down the steep slope into the lake and drowned.

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¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tc ‡ Although the external evidence favors the aorist παρήγγειλεν (parhngeilen, “he commanded”; Ì⁷⁵ B Θ Ξ Ψ Ë¹³ 579 700 1241 1424 2542 pm), the internal evidence favors the imperfect παρήγγελλεν (parhngellen, here translated “he had started commanding”; א A C K L W Γ Δ 1 33 565 892 pm). The aorist is suspect because it can more easily be taken as a single command, and thus an immediate exorcism. The imperfect would most likely be ingressive (BDF §§328; 329; 331), suggesting that Jesus started to command the evil spirit to depart, and continued the command.

³ tn Grk “unclean.”

⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so,” introducing a clause that gives the result of the man being seized by the demon.

⁵ tn Or “fetters”; these were chains for the feet.

⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

⁷ tn Grk “into the deserts.” The plural use here has been translated as “deserted places,” that is, uninhabited areas.

⁸ sn This is a parenthetical, explanatory comment by the author.

⁹ tn Grk “And Jesus.” Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to pick up the sequence of the narrative prior to the parenthetical note by the author.

¹⁰ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

¹¹ sn The name Legion means “thousands,” a word taken from a Latin term for a large group of soldiers. The term not only suggests a multiple possession, but also adds a military feel to the account. This is a true battle.

¹² tn One could also translate the imperfect tense here with a repetitive force like “begged him repeatedly.”

¹³ tn Or “command.”

¹⁴ tn This word, ἄβυσσος (abusso"), is a term for the place where the dead await the judgment. It also could hold hostile spirits according to Jewish belief (Jub. 5:6-7; 1 En. 10:4-6; 18:11-16).

¹⁵ tn Grk “mountain,” but this might give the English reader the impression of a far higher summit.

¹⁶ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the demonic spirits) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁷ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁸ sn Many have discussed why Jesus gave them permission, since the animals were destroyed. However, this is another example of a miracle that is a visual lesson. The demons are destructive: They were destroying the man. They destroyed the pigs. They destroy whatever they touch. The point was to take demonic influence seriously, as well as Jesus’ power over it as a picture of the larger battle for human souls. There would be no doubt how the man’s transformation had taken place.

¹⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate a conclusion and transition in the narrative.

²⁰ tn The words “of pigs” are supplied because of the following verb in English, “were drowned,” which is plural.