Mark 5:8

Mar 5:8. Τὸ) The language is so framed, as if it were of only one demon; and Mar 5:13; Mar 5:9, imply there were many demons, who rendered obedience to one superior, as a legion does to its commander. That one alone, and pre-eminently, seems to maintain a continual and uninterrupted connection with his own legion, inasmuch as they are comprehended under his own name.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mar 5:8 . ἔλεγεν γὰρ , for He was about to say: not yet said, but evident from Christ’s manner and look that it was on His tongue; the conative imperfect (Weiss).

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(8) For he said unto him.—The Greek verb is in the imperfect tense, he was saying, as though the demoniac had interrupted our Lord even while the words were in the act of being uttered.

Thou unclean spirit.—It is noticeable that our Lord first speaks as if the men were oppressed by a single demon only, and that it is in the answer of the man himself that we learn that their name was Legion. (On the man’s use of the word “Legion,” see Note on Mat_8:29.)

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

For he said unto him,.... Or he had said unto him, as soon as he came up to him, and fell before him; even before he had confessed, and adjured him; and which indeed drew out the confession from him, that he was superior to him, and therefore became his supplicant:

come out of the man, thou unclean spirit; which was said with so much authority and power, that there was no withstanding it: the devil knew he was not a match for him; that he must, at his command, quit his possession, and therefore fell to confession and entreaty. Christ will not dwell where Satan does; when therefore he is about to take up his residence in the hearts of any, he outs with Satan; he binds the strong man armed, and dispossesses him; he causes the spirit of uncleanness to depart; he sanctifies the heart by his grace and Spirit, and so makes it a proper habitation for him to dwell in by faith; and this is done by mighty power: a man cannot deliver himself out of the hands of Satan, or cause him to quit his hold of him, or the unclean spirit to depart; nor can he sanctify and cleanse himself, and make himself meet for the master's use: this is all owing to efficacious grace.

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

8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.

Ver. 8. For he said] Or, For he had said: and so had put him into a new hell, as it were,

" Qui si non aliqua nocuisset mortuus esset."

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8. For he said — That is, our Lord had said so. The demon’s cry of terror of coming torment was in consequence of the Lord’s previous order to depart out of the man. Unclean spirit — Some spirits may be specially spiteful, and some unclean or sensual.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vers. 8, 9. For he said unto him, Come forth, thou unclean spirit, out of the man; literally, for he was saying (elege). The unclean spirit endeavored to arrest, before it was spoken, that word of power which he knew he must obey. So in what fellows, He was asking him (ephrwta), What is thy name? Why does our Lord ask this question? Clearly to elicit from him an answer that would reveal the multitude of the evil spirits, and so make his own power over them to be fully known. And he saith unto him, My name is Legion; for we are many. The Roman legion consisted of six thousand soldiers. But the word is here used indefinitely for a large number. St. Luke so explains it where he says, (Luk_8:30) "And he said, Legion: for many devils were entered into him." This revelation is doubtless designed to teach us how great is the number as well as the malignity of the evil spirits. If one human being can be possessed by so many, how vast must be the host of those who are permitted to have access to the souls of men, and if possible lead them to destruction! Satan here imitates him who is "The Lord of hosts." He too marshals his hosts, that he may fight against God and his people. But "for this purpose was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."

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

8. ἔλεγεν γάρ. Here the force of the imperf., as referring to action which preceded something already mentioned, is best represented in English by the pluperf.; For He had been saying, or had said; cf. Mar 5:28, Mar 6:18; Mat 14:4; also Act 9:39, ὅσα ἐποίει, “which Dorcas had been making while she was with them.” Burton, § 29.

τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἀκάθαρτον. Nom. with art. for voc., as often in N.T. (Mar 5:41, Mar 9:25; Luk 8:54; Luk 10:21; Luk 18:11; Luk 18:13; Col 3:18; Eph 6:1; etc.). It is specially common with imperatives and may be due in some cases to Heb. influence (2Ki 9:31; Jer 47:6).

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.

8.] Mark generally uses the direct address in the second person: see ver. 12.

ἔλεγεν] not imperf. for pluperf., either here or any where else; for He was saying to him, &c.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8. ἔλεγεν γὰρ—The reason of the protest of the demons against Jesus’ interference with them was his command to them to vacate. It is difficult to find a place to put this in, as the man’s action and words in the preceding verse seem to succeed each other immediately in such a way as to make one act, occasioned apparently by his sight of Jesus at a distance. But evidently this sequence must be interrupted somewhere to introduce this.

αὐτῷ—to him. Only the man has been mentioned before, which would lead us to refer this to him. But the command is evidently addressed to the demon. The confusion is due to the identification of the two.

Ἔξελθε, τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἀκάθαρτον—Come out, thou unclean spirit.1

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

For he said [ελεγεν] . Imperfect tense, he was saying; the force of which is lost both in the A. V. and Rev. The imperfect gives the reason for this strange entreaty of the demon. Jesus was commanding, was saying "come out;" and, as in the case of the epileptic child at the Transfiguration Mount, the baffled spirit wreaked his malice on the man. The literal rendering of the imperfect brings out the simultaneousness of Christ 's exorcism, the outbreak of demoniac malice, and the cry Torment me not.

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