Mark 5:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

I implore you by God, do not torment me!” For, as Mark notes, Jesus commanded him, “Come out, unclean spirit, from this man.” The Evangelist Luke presents a narrative that aligns closely with Mark’s: upon seeing Jesus, the man cried out, collapsed before Him, and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beseech you, do not torment me” (Luke 8:28). Luke further clarifies that Jesus instructed the unclean spirit to leave the man (Lk. 8:29).

Recognizing the testimony of all three Evangelists as undeniably authentic, it is reasonable to consider the following sequence of events as described by them. When the demon-possessed men first saw Jesus from a distance, they shouted, “What do you care for us, Jesus, Son of God? Have you come here before the appointed time to torment us? Then one of the afflicted men, whom none could subdue, ran towards Him, fell to the ground before Jesus, and paid Him homage. Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to depart from him. The possessed man then cried out loudly, “What do you care about me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you by God, do not torment me!”

Having established the progression of events, we can address whether the actions and statements of the possessed man can be attributed solely to him as an independent individual. The man, who had long isolated himself among the desolate coastal rocks, living in caves and avoiding human contact, could not have been aware of Christ’s arrival or His true identity. Yet upon seeing Jesus, he acknowledges Him as the Son of God and reproaches Him for coming to afflict him ahead of time; then he approaches Jesus, kneels, and worships Him, seemingly pleading for deliverance from some great distress. When Jesus commands the unclean spirit to exit his body, rather than expressing gratitude, he raises his voice in protest: “What do you care about me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore you, do not torment me!”

This conduct reflects a conflict within the possessed man: he runs to Jesus, bows at His feet, and worships Him—actions typically associated with those seeking salvation or rescue from dire circumstances. However, when he begins to articulate his thoughts, his words convey entirely differing intentions and desires, so much so that they cannot genuinely belong to the man himself. It becomes evident that he is not speaking for himself; rather, he unwittingly expresses a will and fears that are foreign to his true self—someone else is speaking through him, that other being being the one tormenting this unfortunate soul. We must conclude that this afflicted man was indeed possessed by an evil spirit or multiple spirits, as indicated by Jesus Christ’s directive for the unclean spirit to leave him. Those who are skeptical of malevolent spirits should thoughtfully consider the disparity between the possessed man's words and his actions, as well as the sentiments he ought to have shared with Jesus, and they may recognize that another force was articulating through the possessed man's voice. Who might that be? What answer can they provide, aside from the response found within the Gospel?

Theophil.), - a command seemingly issued even before the spirit's previous entreaty; he refers to this as torment because it is painful for him to cease his malevolent influence on humanity: for engaging in malevolence defines the nature of the evil spirit, and halting this malevolent action is, therefore, tormenting for him; moreover, he fears that after his expulsion, he may be commanded to descend into the abyss (Lk. 8:31).

When commanding the unclean spirit to leave the man, Jesus Christ inquired, “What is your name?” The man, consumed by darkness and no longer in control of himself, could not answer, so the unclean spirit replied on his behalf, “Legion,” referring to a unit of the Roman army comprising around 6,000 soldiers, split between infantry and cavalry. The demons begged Jesus not to expel them from the region or cast them into the abyss. Nearby, on a hillside, there was a large herd of pigs likely owned by Gentiles residing on the eastern shore of Lake Gennesaret. The evil spirits implored Christ, “If You drive us out, please send us into the herd of swine so we may enter them.” The Lord Jesus agreed, instructing them to go. St. John Chrysostom explains that He granted the demons’ request not out of belief in them, but for a greater purpose: to demonstrate His sovereignty to the people of that region, to make evident the wickedness of the demons, and to show that they cannot act without the permission of the Almighty God, not even against swine. When the unclean spirits left the man, they entered the pigs, causing the entire herd—about two thousand in total—to rush down a steep bank into the lake, where they drowned.