Luke 8:28

8:28 Jesus, Son of the Most High God: See study notes on 4:34, 41.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 28. Jesus, thou Son of God most high] The words Jesus and God are both omitted here by several MSS. I think it is very likely that the demons mentioned neither. They were constrained in a summary way to acknowledge his power; but it is probable they did not pronounce names which were of such dreadful import to themselves. The words which they spoke on the occasion seem to have been these, What is it to thee and me, O Son of the most high? See Clarke on Mt 8:29.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(28) What have I to do with thee?—Note the exact agreement with St. Mark’s report rather than St. Matthew’s, both as to there being but one demoniac, and as to the words used by him.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

28. What have I to do with thee] i.e. Why should’st thou interfere with me? 2Sa_16:10; 2Sa_19:22. See Luk_4:24. Baur refers to obvious imitations of this narrative in the story of the Lamia expelled by Apollonius of Tyana (Philostr. Luk_4:25).

Son of God most high] Probably the epithet was customary in exorcisms or attempted exorcisms, and hence we find it used by another demoniac (Act_16:17). Jesus is not so called elsewhere, except in Luk_1:32.

torment me not] “The demons...believe and tremble,” Jas_2:19. On this conception of torment see Mar_1:24; Mat_18:34.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For he had commanded the unclean spirit..... That had the rest of the devils under his authority, and power,

to come out of the man; this he had done, either before, or just as he came up to him; See Gill on Mar 5:8.

For oftentimes it had caught him; possessed him, and wrought so strongly in him, and with so much fury, that there was no governing him:

and he was kept bound with chains and fetters; attempts were made to bind him, and keep him bound, but in vain: and he brake the bands; See Gill on Mar 5:4.

And was driven of the devil into the wilderness: into some desert and desolate place, where were the tombs and sepulchres of the dead; this was done by the prince of the legion.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

This is not a voluntary confession, which merits a reward, but a forced acknowledgment, extorted against their wills. Like fugitive servants, who, when they meet their masters, think of nothing but of deprecating punishment. The devils think our Lord is come down upon earth to judge them. (St. Jerome) --- The torment from which this devil desires to be freed, is the pain and affliction he would suffer by being forced to yield to the power of Christ, in leaving the man; not the general torment of hell, to which he knew he was unchangeably and irrevocably condemned. He was also tormented with the fear, lest he should be now consigned to those eternal pains before his time, as it is expressed in St. Matthew. For, though the evil spirits are unavoidably condemned, and already suffer the chief torments of hell, yet the rigorous fulfilment of all is deferred to the day of judgment. (Jansenius, conc. Evang.)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice,aid, What have I to do with thee, Jesus? "The sight of Jesus appears to have produced an extraordinary impression upon him. The holy, calm, gentle majesty, the tender compassion, and the conscious sovereignty which were expressed in the aspect of our Lord, awakened in him, by force of contrast, the humbling consciousness of his own state of moral disorder" (Godet). Thou Son of God most high. There seems some probability that this expression was frequently used in cases of exorcism of evil spirits; for again in Act_16:17 the poor slave-girl, who we read had a Pythoness-spirit, which brought in no small gain to her masters, speaks of Paul and his friends, just before the apostle in his Master"s Name cast the spirit out, as servants of the most high God. I beseech thee, torment me not. In this form of possession one remarkable and very terrible feature seems to have been the divided consciousness; the sufferer identifies himself with the demons, and now one speaks, now the other. St. Matthew adds a dread detail to this petition to the Lord, before the time:" the evil spirits thus recognizing a period when certain torment would be their hapless destiny. The expression "torment" meets us in the parable of Lazarus; the dwelling-place of the rich man after death is a place of torment. In Mat_18:34 the ministers of judgment are the tormentors. One very solemn reason why this special case of exorcism on the part of our Lord is related with so much detail and repeated by the three evangelists, SS. Matthew, Mark, and Luke, seems to be the glimpse which the dialogue between the evil spirits and the Master opens to us of the dread realities hidden in the future for those who sin deliberately against the will of God. The existence of the place or state of torment is affirmed very pointedly by our Lord and his disciples; but having done this they dwell but little on it. There is a striking and solemn quotation in Dr. Morrison"s "Commentary on St. Mark" on this clear but guarded reference to the final sufferings of those who will not be submissive to the moral will of God, "Further curiosity as to the when, the where, and the how, does not become beings whose main business and greatest wisdom is to fly from, not to pry too close into, these terrible secrets of the dark kingdom."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

When he saw Jesus

"When the man who had the demon saw Jesus"

he cried out

"he screamed" or "he shrieked"

fell down before him

"lay down on the ground before Jesus." He did not fall accidentally. (See: Symbolic Action)

he said with a loud voice

"he said loudly" or "he shouted out"

What have you to do with me

This idiom means "Why are you bothering me?" (See: Idiom)

Son of the Most High God

This is an important title for Jesus. (See: Translating Son and Father)

many times it had seized him

"many times it had taken control of the man" or "many times it had gone into him." This tells about what the demon had done many times before Jesus met the man.

though he was bound ... and kept under guard

This can be stated in active form. AT: "though the people had bound him with chains and shackles and guarded him" (See: Active or Passive)

he would be driven by the demon

This can be stated in active form. AT: "the demon would make him go" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

Son of God

Most High

torment

demon

seize

bind

desert

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

28. τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί. I.e. ‘Why should’st thou interfere with me?’ 2Sa 16:10; 2Sa 19:22. See Luk 4:24. Bauer refers to obvious imitations of this narrative in the story of the Lamia expelled by Apollonius of Tyana (Philostr. IV. 25).

τοῦ ὑψίστου. Probably the epithet was customary in exorcisms or attempted exorcisms, and hence we find it used by another demoniac (Act 16:17). Jesus is not so called elsewhere, except in Luk 1:32.

μή με βασανίσῃς. ‘The demons … believe and tremble,’ Jas 2:19. On this conception of torment see Mar 1:24; Mat 18:34.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

28. Τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί; See on 4:34.

Ἰησοῦ υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου. This expression rather indicates that the man is not a Jew, and therefore is some evidence that the owners of the swine were not Jews. “The Most High” (Elyon) is a name for Jehovah which seems to be usual among heathen nations It is employed by Melchisedek, the Canaanite priest and king (Gen 14:20, Gen 14:22). Balaam uses it (Num 24:16). Micah puts it into the mouth of Balaam (6:6); Isaiah, into the mouth of the king of Babylon (14:14). It is used repeatedly in the Babylonian proclamations in Daniel (3:26, 4:24, 32, 5:18, 21, 7:18, 22, 25, 27). The girl with a spirit of divination at Philippi employs it (Act 16:17). It is found in Phoenician inscriptions also. See Chadwick, St. Mark, p. 144, and Wsctt. on Heb 7:1. For φωνῇ μεγάλῃ see on 1:42, and for δέομαι see on 5:12: with ἀνακράξας of demoniac cries comp. 4:41; Act 8:7.

μή με βασάίσῃς. Neither the verb nor its cognate substantive is ever used in N.T. of testing metals, or of obtaining evidence by torture, but simply of pain or torment. The demoniac identifies himself with the demon which controls him, and the torment which is feared is manifest from ver. 31.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Fell down [προσεπεσεν] . Mark has prosekunhsen, which often implies religious or superstitious feeling, as Mt 4:9, 10. This is the prostration of abject terror.

Cried out [ανακραξας] . The compound verb with ajna, up, implies what is conveyed by our phrase, lifting up the voice. See on Mr 5:5.

What have I to do with thee? See on Mr 5:7.

Torment [βασανισης] . See on Mt 4:24. Luke never uses the word of sickness, as Mt 8:6. See on ch. Luk 4:41.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.