Discovery BoxLuke 8:29 
Context8:29 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
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.
