Section 45 of 1358:26–8:39Luke

Go to another section

Jump to a verse

King James VersionLuke 8:26–8:39

And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.

And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.

When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.

(For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)

And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.

And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.

And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.

Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.

When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country.

Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed.

Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.

Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying,

Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.

Italic words were supplied in the English translation for clarity.

Scripture text: King James Version, Standardized 1769 text. Public domain in the United States.About this Bible text

Luke 8:26–8:39

A Restored Man Becomes a Witness in Gentile Territory

A man clothed and in his mind is sent home to speak

In the country of the Gerasenes, a man who has had demons for a long time meets Jesus. He wears no clothes, lives among the tombs, and is kept under guard and chains that he breaks. He falls before Jesus and the spirits beg not to be sent into the abyss. Asked their name, they say Legion, because many demons had entered him. They enter a herd of swine, which rush down the steep bank and drown. Townspeople find the man sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, and they are afraid.

They ask Jesus to leave. The man wants to go with him; Jesus sends him home to declare what God has done. Geographic names vary in the manuscripts. "Legion" may echo Roman military presence without becoming a secure anti-imperial code. Ancient possession language is not a modern diagnosis of mental illness, and the story does not set Jesus against doctors, medication, or ordinary care.

How this should shape us

Move toward isolated people without treating their suffering as a spectacle or a political riddle you have already solved. Seek medical and psychological help without shame. If restoration comes, send the person back into ordinary life as a witness, and do not force them to tour with a ministry.

Go deeper

The explanation above is meant to stand on its own. Open these notes only if you want language, history, disagreements, or source locations.

Research trail and exact locationsThe source record behind this section

King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006

Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and coverage.

Luke 8:26–8:39, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition

Supports: Greek wording and sentence relations; the edition is not treated as a complete apparatus.

Faithlife SBLGNT official repository, data/sblgnt/text/Luke.txt, 8:26–8:39

STEP Bible Data

Supports: Greek forms, morphology, and lexical ranges only where the unit discusses them; local syntax controls sense.

STEP Bible Data official repository, TAGNT Matthew-Acts rows for Luke 8:26–8:39

NET Bible First Edition Notes: Luke

Supports: Verse-level translation, syntax, KJV-language clarification, historical notes, Synoptic parallels, and textual alternatives.

NET Bible First Edition Luke PDF, exact tn/tc/sn entries attached to Luke 8:26–8:39

The Gospel of Luke Course and Study Guides

Supports: Critical orientation to the unit's place in Luke-Acts, narrative structure, sources, social questions, Passion, or resurrection.

Yale Bible Study Gospel of Luke course, Jesus Begins to Teach study guide, Luke 6:12-8:55; applied to Luke 8:26–8:39

Luke: Summary, Outline, Background, Introductory Issues, Theological Themes, and Bible in the World

Supports: Current reader-oriented synthesis of anonymity, date, Jewish setting, salvation, marginalized people, parables, wealth, and whole-book movement.

Enter the Bible Luke course, Summary, Outline, Background, Introductory Issues, Theological Themes, Bible in the World, and linked passage index; applied to Luke 8:26–8:39

Luke

Supports: One complete confessional reading of the unit, independently checked against critical, textual, and ethical controls.

Bolt, “Luke,” commentary heading and paragraphs explicitly covering Luke 8:26–8:39

The Synoptic Problem: A Way Through the Maze

Supports: Literary relationship evidence and material alternatives among Luke, Mark, and Matthew without treating dependence as a historicity verdict.

Goodacre, The Synoptic Problem, chapters 1-5 on Synoptic data and Markan priority and chapters 6-10 on Q and Farrer alternatives; applied to Luke 8:26–8:39

Sources for This Section

These records identify the source, the claim it supports, and the exact location used. A source remains evidence to evaluate; it does not replace the biblical text.

Biblical text

King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006

eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society

USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.

Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and coverage.

Exact location: Luke 8:26–8:39, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus

Open source ↗

Greek textual evidence

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition

Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos

Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010

Supports: Greek wording and sentence relations; the edition is not treated as a complete apparatus.

Exact location: Faithlife SBLGNT official repository, data/sblgnt/text/Luke.txt, 8:26–8:39

Open the Luke Greek text file ↗

Lexical and grammatical evidence

STEP Bible Data

Tyndale House Cambridge

Tyndale House Cambridge, repository snapshot verified 2026

Supports: Greek forms, morphology, and lexical ranges only where the unit discusses them; local syntax controls sense.

Exact location: STEP Bible Data official repository, TAGNT Matthew-Acts rows for Luke 8:26–8:39

Open source ↗

open translation and translator notes

NET Bible First Edition Notes: Luke

Biblical Studies Press

Biblical Studies Press, 2006

Supports: Verse-level translation, syntax, KJV-language clarification, historical notes, Synoptic parallels, and textual alternatives.

Exact location: NET Bible First Edition Luke PDF, exact tn/tc/sn entries attached to Luke 8:26–8:39

Open source ↗

open university bible study course

The Gospel of Luke Course and Study Guides

Yale Divinity School faculty

Yale Bible Study, 2020; current online edition

Supports: Critical orientation to the unit's place in Luke-Acts, narrative structure, sources, social questions, Passion, or resurrection.

Exact location: Yale Bible Study Gospel of Luke course, Jesus Begins to Teach study guide, Luke 6:12-8:55; applied to Luke 8:26–8:39

Open source ↗

modern scholarly book introduction

Luke: Summary, Outline, Background, Introductory Issues, Theological Themes, and Bible in the World

Matthew L. Skinner

Enter the Bible, Luther Seminary, 2024 revision; current course inspected 2026

Supports: Current reader-oriented synthesis of anonymity, date, Jewish setting, salvation, marginalized people, parables, wealth, and whole-book movement.

Exact location: Enter the Bible Luke course, Summary, Outline, Background, Introductory Issues, Theological Themes, Bible in the World, and linked passage index; applied to Luke 8:26–8:39

Open source ↗

open confessional commentary

Luke

Peter G. Bolt

The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary, 2023

Supports: One complete confessional reading of the unit, independently checked against critical, textual, and ethical controls.

Exact location: Bolt, “Luke,” commentary heading and paragraphs explicitly covering Luke 8:26–8:39

Open source ↗

modern scholarly open monograph

The Synoptic Problem: A Way Through the Maze

Mark Goodacre

T&T Clark; open access supplied by the author and Duke University, 2001; open release 2011

Supports: Literary relationship evidence and material alternatives among Luke, Mark, and Matthew without treating dependence as a historicity verdict.

Exact location: Goodacre, The Synoptic Problem, chapters 1-5 on Synoptic data and Markan priority and chapters 6-10 on Q and Farrer alternatives; applied to Luke 8:26–8:39

Open source ↗

Luke 8:26–8:39, King James Version

A man clothed and in his mind is sent home to speak

How this should shape us

Go deeper

King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition

STEP Bible Data

NET Bible First Edition Notes: Luke

The Gospel of Luke Course and Study Guides

Luke: Summary, Outline, Background, Introductory Issues, Theological Themes, and Bible in the World

Luke

The Synoptic Problem: A Way Through the Maze