Discovery BoxLuke 8:29-33 
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 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.
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.
