Mark 5:9

Mar_5:9

My name is Legion.

The legion of sin

Truly the name of sin is Legion. It is anger, malice, intemperance, murder, impurity, unfaithfulness, dishonesty, equivocation, dissimulation, falsehood, hypocrisy, ingratitude, disobedience, impatience, discontentment, envy, covetousness; it is profanity, formality, superstition, idolatry, blasphemy, and atheism. It is a repudiation of the authority, a defiance of the power, a slight to the wisdom, a contempt of the holiness, and unthankfulness for the goodness of God. It is the cause of all the error, conflict, cruelty, suffering, weeping, and woe that exist in this world. Like a foul demon, it has poisoned and polluted, blighted and cursed everything it has touched. It has caused man, the noblest work of God, to become the destroyer of his own soul, the murderer of his brother, the enemy of his God. (Arthur Thompson.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

5:9 A legion was a Roman military unit of 5,000–6,000 men. Here it describes the presence of many evil spirits.

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

Mar 5:9. Λεγεὼν, Legion) An appellation by Synecdoche [see Append., the genus for the species]. There was one principal leader among them, and the rest were conjoined with him, constituting thus the legion: and this, whether he had previously borne this Latin name, before that he entered this man, or then first assumed it.—πολλοί ἐσμεν, we are many) Luke affirms this in his own words [not in the man’s or the demon’s], ch. Mar 8:30. If in one nest [dwelling] there can be so many, how many there must be in the whole aggregate throughout the World! [Mere number in itself does not produce protection (patronage).—V. g.]

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

Mar 5:9 . τί σοι ὄνομα ; instead of saying at once what He had meant to say, Jesus adopts a roundabout method of dealing with the case, and asks the demoniac his name, as if to bring him into composure. Λεγιὼν : from the Roman legion not a rare sight in that region, emblem of irresistible power and of a multitude organised into unity; the name already naturalised into Greek and Aramaean. The use of it by the demoniac, like the immediate recognition of Jesus as a God-like person, reveals a sensitive, fine-strung mind wrecked by insanity.

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

Verse 9. Legion: for we are many.] Could a disease have spoken so? "No, there was no devil in the case; the man spoke according to the prejudice of his countrymen." And do you think that the Spirit of God could employ himself in retailing such ridiculous and nonsensical prejudices? "But the evangelist gives these as this madman's words, and it was necessary that, as a faithful historian, he should mention these circumstances." But this objection is destroyed by the parallel place in Luke, Lu 8:30, where the inspired writer himself observes, that the demoniac was called Legion, because many demons had entered into him.

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

9. My name is Legion] “He had seen the thick and serried ranks of a Roman legion, that fearful instrument of oppression, that sign of terror and fear to the conquered nations.” Even such, terrible in their strength, inexorable in their hostility, were the “lords many,” which had dominion over him. Compare (i) the “seven demons,” by whom Mary Magdalene was possessed (Luk_8:2), (ii) the “seven other spirits” “worse than the first,” which our Lord describes as taking up their abode in a man (Mat_12:45).

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.

And he asked him, what is thy name?.... Which question Christ put, not for his own sake; for he was not ignorant of his name, nor of the number of the unclean spirits which were in the man; but partly, that it might be known what a miserable condition this poor man was in, being infested, and vexed with such a large company of devils; and partly, that his own pity and power in delivering him, might be more manifest;

and he answered, saying, my name is Legion: the Syriac version renders it, "our name is Legion"; the reason of which name is given,

for we are many: as a Roman legion did consist of many, though its number was not always alike: in the time of Romulus, a legion consisted of three thousand foot, and three hundred horse; afterwards, when the city was, increased, of six thousand foot, and six hundred horse; sometimes it was six thousand and two hundred foot, and three hundred horse; sometimes four thousand foot, and three hundred horse; sometimes five thousand foot, and three hundred horse (x). Some make a legion to consist of six thousand six hundred sixty six; and others make it much larger, even twelve thousand five hundred: however, the number in a legion was many; hence the word is retained among the Jews, and is used for a large number, either of persons or things; as, , "a legion of olives" (y): that is, a large number of them; though sometimes it is used of a single person, who has others under him, as the general of an army: thus it is said (z) that one man should say to another,

"from whence art thou? he replies, from such a "legion" am I;--the man went to the legion--the legion heard, and was afraid--the man said, woe unto me! now will the legion slay me--the legion heard, &c.''

And again (a),

"a certain legion asked R. Abba, is it not written, &c.''

Once more (b),

"Lo! such a legion shall go with thee, to keep thee, &c.''

Upon which the gloss is, , "the general of an army"; so called, because he had a legion, or a large number of soldiers under his command: and just so this unclean spirit is called by this name, because he had a great many more with him, and under him, in that man; sometimes it is only used of a single person himself, as of a king's servant sent into a foreign country, to collect his (c) tax: a legion was reckoned by the Jews unclean and defiled, whatsoever place they entered into (d); how much more unclean must this man be, that had a legion of unclean spirits in him! From hence it appears, that the devils are very numerous; for if there was a legion of them in one man, how many must there be in all the children of disobedience, to maintain their ground, and support their interest among them? As there is an innumerable company of holy angels to encamp about the saints, and do them all the service they can, and axe appointed to; so there is undoubtedly an innumerable company of devils, who do all the hurt they can, or are permitted to do, unto the sons of men: hence they are expressed by words, which signify number as well as power; as principalities and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places, the power or posse of the air, the angels of Satan, the angels that sinned and left their habitations, &c. As also that they are in a body, and in the form of an army; with a general at the head of them, the prince of devils, and king of the bottomless pit: there are whole squadrons and regiments of them, yea, even legions; which are formed in battle array, and make war against Christ, the seed of the woman; as they did when he was in the garden, and hung upon the cross, which was the hour and power of darkness; and against his members; as they did in Rome pagan against the Christian church, and in Rome papal, against the same, Rev 12:7, and what a mercy it is for the saints, that besides twelve legions of good angels and more, which are ready to assist and protect them, they have God on their side, and therefore it signifies not who is against them; and they have Christ with them, who has spoiled principalities and powers; and greater is the Holy Spirit that is in them, than he that is in the world.

(x) Alexander ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 1. c. 5. Liv. Hist. l. 8. c. 8. (y) Bereshit Rabba, sect. 20. fol. 17. 4. (z) Zohar in Gen. fol. 96. 4. & Ivare Binah in ib. (a) Ib. in Exod. fol. 50. 2. (b) Zohar in Exod. fol. 51. 4. (c) Vajikra Rabba, sect. 30. fol. 170. 4. & Mattanot Cehuna in ib. (d) T. Bab. Cholin, fol. 123. 1.

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

9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.

Ver. 9. My name is Legion] That is, a multitude. A legion was commonly among the Romans, saith Isidore, 6000 armed soldiers: 6666, saith Hesychius. So many devils were gotten in one poor man. Let us in him see what the best of us have deserved; and, since we have escaped, offer a passover each for himself.

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.

My name is Legion. Spirits have no names, only with respect to our language. These devils say their name is Legion, because they are many. (Witham)

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).

9. Asked… What is thy name? — Christ asked the man (not the demon) his name, in order to call out his personal consciousness, and aid in restoring him to himself. My name is Legion — The demon snatches the man’s organs and answers the question for himself, giving his own name. He is a host by nature and by name. A Legion in the Roman army was a division embracing six thousand men. The demon, perhaps, assumes that name for this whole number, as being their leader. That Legion is a name for a commander of a legion among the Jews, appears from the Talmudical writings. It is not indeed to be supposed that either angels or devils wear in the invisible world the names that men give to their visible manifestations; and hence the same dark personality may enact the oracular Python or Apollo among the Greeks, the Belial, perhaps, among the Hebrews, and the Beelzebub among the Canaanites.

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

Vers. 9, 10. Satanic possession a destruction of personal identity.

I INSTANCES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

II IMPORTANCE OF PERSONALITY FOR TRUE RELIGIOUS AND MORAL LIFE.

III THE RESTORATION OF THIS THE GREAT WORK OF CHRIST. M.

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

My name is Legion! for we are many - But all these seem to have been under one commander, who accordingly speaks all along, both for them and himself.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

many

See, Mar 16:9; Mat 7:22 (See Scofield "Mat 7:22")

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He asked him

"And Jesus asked the unclean spirit"

He answered him, "My name is Legion, for we are many."

One spirit was speaking for many here. He spoke of them as if they were a legion, a Roman army unit of about 6,000 soldiers. AT: "And the spirit said to him, 'Call us an army, for many of us are inside the man.'" (See: Metaphor)

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

9. λέγει αὐτῷ ([919][920][921][922][923][924][925][926]) rather than ἀπεκρίθη λέγεν ([927][928][929] etc.). Scribes often insert ἀπεκρίθη or ἀποκριθείς, cf. Mar 7:6, Mar 9:12, Mar 10:5; Mar 10:20, Mar 11:29-30, Mar 12:17.

[919] Codex Sinaiticus. 4th cent. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the Monastery of St Katharine on Mount Sinai. Now at St Petersburg. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1911.

[920] Codex Alexandrinus. 5th cent. Brought by Cyril Lucar, Patriarch of Constantinople, from Alexandria, and afterwards presented by him to King Charles I. in 1628. In the British Museum. The whole Gospel. Photographic facsimile, 1879.

[921] Codex Vaticanus. 4th cent., but perhaps a little later than א. In the Vatican Library almost since its foundation by Pope Nicolas V., and one of its greatest treasures. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1889.

[922] Codex Ephraemi. 5th cent. A palimpsest: the original writing has been partially rubbed out, and the works of Ephraem the Syrian have been written over it; but a great deal of the original writing has been recovered; of Mark we have Mar 1:17 to Mar 6:31, Mar 8:5 to Mar 12:29, Mar 13:19 to Mar 16:20. In the National Library at Paris.

[923] Codex Cyprius. 9th cent. One of the seven uncials which have the Gospels complete, the others being אBMSUΩ. At Paris.

[924] Codex Regius. 8th cent. An important witness. At Paris. Contains Mar 1:1 to Mar 10:15; Mar 10:30 to Mar 15:1; Mar 15:20 to Mar 16:20, but the shorter ending is inserted between Mar 16:8 and Mar 16:9, showing that the scribe preferred it to the longer one.

[925] Codex Sangallensis. 9th or 10th cent. Contains the Gospels nearly complete, with an interlinear Latin translation. The text of Mark is specially good, agreeing often with CL. At St Gall.

[926] Codex Petropolitanus. 9th cent. Gospels almost complete. Mar 16:18-20 is in a later hand.

[927] Codex Basiliensis. 8th cent. At Basle.

[928] Codex Boreelianus. Once in the possession of John Boreel. 9th cent. At Utrecht. Contains Mk 1–41; Mar 2:8-23; Mar 3:5 to Mar 11:6; Mar 11:27 to Mar 14:54; Mar 15:6-39; Mar 16:19-20.

[929] Codex Seidelianus I. 9th or 10th cent. Contains Mar 1:13 to Mar 14:18; Mar 14:25 to Mar 16:20.

9. ἐπηρώτα. Mk, who regards conversation as a process, nearly always puts ἐπερωτάω in the imperf. (Mar 7:5; Mar 7:17, Mar 8:23; Mar 8:27; Mar 8:29, Mar 9:11; Mar 9:28; Mar 9:33, Mar 10:2; Mar 10:10; Mar 10:17, etc.); so that we cannot infer that the question had to be repeated, although it may have been. Asking for the name excited suspicion; it might be used for βασανισμός. It was a common belief that, in order to exorcize a demon, you must address it by name. Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East, pp. 252, 257. But the purpose of the question was rather to get the man to distinguish his own personality. This it fails to do; the obsession is still too strong. Mt., as usual, omits a question which seems to imply that Christ was ignorant and needed information. On the reply see crit. note.

Λεγιών. This introduction of a Latin word is a mark of authenticity; it is in place, but it would not be likely to be invented. In conquered Palestine, “legion” would suggest numbers, strength, and relentless oppression. Cf. Luk 8:2; Luk 11:26. Legio non pro finito numero, sed tantum pro magna turba accipitur (Calvin). The man felt as if he were possessed by a legion of demons. Syr-Sin. has “Our name is Legion.” Cf. the “seven demons” in Mary Magdalen (Luk 8:2).

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.

9.] ὅτι πολλοί ἐς. has perhaps given rise to the report of two dæmoniacs in Matt. I cannot see in the above supposition any thing which should invalidate the testimony of the Evangelists. Rather are all such tracings of discrepancies to their source, most interesting and valuable. Nor can I consent for a moment to accept here the very lame solution (repeated by Bp. Wordsw.), which supposes one of the dæmoniacs not to be mentioned by Mark and Luke: in other words, that the least circumstantial account is in possession of an additional particular which gives a new aspect to the whole: for the plural, used here and in Luke of the many dæmons in one man, is there used of the two men, and their separate dæmons.

On λεγιών see note, Luke, ver. 30.

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

9. Τί ὄνομά σοι;—What is thy name?2 It is a curious question, why Jesus asked this question of the demoniac, and it has been curiously answered; e.g. that Jesus saw the state of the case, and wished to bring it out in order to impress on the witnesses the greatness of the miracle. This ostentation we know to be far from the spirit of Jesus, who performed his miracles for beneficent purposes alone, and with secrecy, instead of ostentation. We are in the region of conjecture here, but we can guess at it somewhat after this fashion. May it not be, that the purpose of Jesus was hindered by this identification of the man with the demons, leading him to resist the cure? In that case, Jesus might ask the question in order to bring before the man the nature of the power holding him in thrall, so as to make some break in the terrible sympathy and alliance of the two. But it is all mixed up with the question as to the nature of this possession, and how far the account of the cure has been modified by the view of it taken by the narrators. It is comparatively useless to discuss details where the main facts are so much in doubt.

καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ Λεγιὼν—And he says to him, Legion.

λέγει αὐτῷ, instead of ἀπεκρίθη, λέγων, Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. א ABCKLM ΔΠ text, two mss. Lat. Vet. Vulg. Memph. Syrr.

Λεγιὼν, instead of Λεγεὼν, Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. א* B* CDLL Δ Lat. Vet. Vulg. Memph. Syrr.

Legion is the Roman name for a body of soldiers numbering, when full, 6000 men. Of course, it is a rhetorical and exaggerated statement by the man of his state, as if he had said, I feel as if I were possessed by a thousand devils.

ὅτι πολλοί ἐσμεν—because we are many. Lk. puts this statement into the mouth of the Evangelist, saying himself that it was because many demons entered into the man. But it seems that Mk. is more correct, as he is certainly more effective, in making the demoniac say this; for it traces back to the man himself the hallucination which gives shape to the story. In Lk. the plurality, which formed a part of the man’s delusion, is transferred to the statement of facts.

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