Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
Christ Sliileth the I'empest. MARK V. The Cure cf the Gadarcne Demoniac.
2. Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, Ac—Luke says (8. 29) that " oftentimes it (the unclean spirit) had caught him;" and after mentioning how they had vainly tried to bind him with chains and ship was getting covered by the waves.' So we irinsl translate tlie word used in Luke (8. 23)—not as in our ver Rion—"And there came down a storm on the lake, and tliey were filled [with water]"—but 'they were getting filled,' i.e., those who sailed; meaning, of course, that fetters, because, "he brake the bands," he adds, "andwas driven of the devil (or 'demon') Into tlie wilderness." The dark tyr;uit-powcr by which he was held clothed him with superhuman strength, and made him scorn restraint. Matthew (8. 28) says he was "exceeding tlieir ship was so. 38. And he was in tlie Kinder—or Stern-part of tlie ship, asleep on a pillow—either a place in tlie vessel made to receive the head, or a cushion for the head forest on. It was evening; and after the fatigues of a busy day of teaching under the hot sun, having nothing to do while crcsslng the lake, He .sinks into a deep sleep, which even this tempest raging around and tossing the little vessel did not disturb, and tliey nwa Sce liim, and say unto him, Master—or 'Teacher.' In Luke (S. 21) this is doubled—in token of their life-anddeath earnestness —"Master, Master"—carest tJion not that we perish!—Unbelief and fear made them sadly forget their place, to speak so. Luke has it, "Lord, save fierce, so that no man might pass by that way." He was the terror of the wliole locality. 5. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the fomlis, crying, and cutting himself with stones—Terrible as he was to others, he himself emlured untold misery, v/hich souglit relief in tears and -self-inflicted torture. 0. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped hJm—not with the spontaneous alacrity which says to Jesus, " Draw me, we will rim after thee," but inwardly compelled, with terrific rapidity, before the Judge, to receive sentence of expulsion. 7. What have I to do with thee, .lesus. Son of the most high God T I adjure tliee by God, that thou torment me not—rw", as in Matthew us, we perish." When those accustomed to fish upon that deep thus spake, the danger must have been imminent. They say nothing of what would become of Him, if they perished ; nor tliink, whether, if He could not perish, it was likely He would let this happen to them ; but they hardly linew what they said. 39. And he arose, asid rehuked tlie wind—"and the raging of the water" (Luke 8. 2-1)—and said unto the sea, Peace, toe still—two sublime words of command, from a Master to His servants, the elements. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm—The KUdden hushing of the wind would not at once have calmed the sea, whose commotion would have settled only after a considerable time. But the word of command was given to lioth elements at once. 40. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful 1—There is a natifial apprehension under danger; but there was unbelief in their fear. It is worthy of notice how considerately the Lord defers this rebuke till He had first removed the danger, in the midst of which they would not have been in a state to listen to anything, how is It that ye have no faith J—next to none, or none in present exercise. In Luke it is, "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?" Faith they had, for they applied to Christ for relie; : but
8. 29, "Art thou come to torment us before the time?" See on ch. 1. 24. Behold the tormentor anticipating, dreading, and entreating exemption from torment! In Christ they discern their destined Tormentor; the time, they know, is fi.xed, and they feel as if it were come already ! (James
2. 19.) 8. (For lie said unto him-f. e., before the unclean spirit cried out—Come out of the man, unclean spirit I) —Ordinarily, obedience to a command of this nature was immediate. But here, a certain delay is permitted, the more signally to manifest the power of Christ and accomplish his purposes. 9. And he asked him, What is thy name t—The object of this question was to extort an acknowledgment of the virulence of demoniacal power by which this victim was enthralled. And heanswered, saying. My name is LiCgion: for we are many—or, as in li Ulce, "because many devils (or 'demons') were entcn>d into him." A legion, in the Roman army, amounted, at its full complement, to six thousand; but here the word is used, as such words with us, and even this one, for an indefinitely large number—large enough however to rush, as soon as permission was given, into two thousand swine and destroy them. 10. And he besought him much that tie would not send them away out of the country—The entreaty, it will be observed, was made by one spirit, but in behalf of many—" he besought Him not to send Wicot," etc.—just as in the former verse, "he answered ?/•(' are many." But what do they mean by entreating so earnestly not to be ordered out of the country? Their next petition (v. 12) will make that clear enough. 11. Now there was there, nigh unto the mountains rather, 'to the mountain,' according to wiiat is clearly the little, for they were afraid, though Christ was in the ship. Faith dispels fear, but only in proportion to its strength. 41. And tliey feared exceedingly—were struck with deep awe—and said one to another. What manner of man is this, tltat evtn tlie wind and the sea obey him T 'What is this? Israel has all along been singing of ,IehoVAH, "Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise. Thou stillest them !" " The Lord on high is miglitier than the noi.se of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea!" (Psalm 89. 9; 93. 4.) But, Jo, in this very boat of ours is One of our own flesh and blood, who with His word of command hath done the same! Exhausted with the fatigues of the day, He was but a moment ago in a deep sleep, undisturbed by the howling tempest, and we had to awake Him with the cry of our terror; but rising at our call. His majesty was felt by the raging elements, for the.y were instantly hushed—" What Manner of Man is this ?" ' ti'ue reading. In Matthew 8. 30, they are said to h-.ivr been "a good way oft".'" But these expressions, far from bciug inconsistent, only confirm, by their precision, the minute accuracy of the narrative—a great Iiei-d of swine feeding —There can hardly be any doubt that tlie owners oi these were Jews, since to them our Lord l)a<l now come to protl'er Ilis services. This will explain what follows. 1^. And all the devils besought him, saying— " if thou cast us out'' (Matthew 8. 31)—Send us into the swine, tli:it we may enter into them—Had they sjioken out all their mind, perhajis this would have been it : ' If we must quit our hold of this man, sult'er us to continue our work of mischief in another form, that by entering these swine, and thus destroying the people's propert.v, we may steel their hearts against Thee!' 13. And forthwith .Tesuii gave them leave—In Matthew this is given with majestio brevity— " Oo I" The owners, if .lews, drove an illegal trade; if heathens, they Insulted the national religion: in either case the permission was Just. And the utielrnn spirits went out (of the man), and entered Into the swiiie: aiidtlie herd ran violently—or ' rushed'—doM n a steep place—
CHAPTER V.
Glorious Cure of the Oadnrene Demoninc (r. 1-20). 1. And they came over unto the other side of the sea, Into the country of ihe Gadarenes. And wlien he was come out of the ship, Immediately (see i'. (i) there met him a man with an unclean spirit.—" which had devils (or 'demons') long time" (Luke 8. 27). In Mattliew (8, 2S), " there met him two men possessed with devils." Though there he no discrepancy between these two statementsmore than between two witnesses, one of whom testities to something done by one person, while the other atlirms that there were two—It is difllcult to .see how the principal details here given could nppl.v to more than one case. 3. Who had his dwelling among the tombs—Luke Says, " He ware no clothes, neit her abode In an.v house." These tombs were hewn out of the rocky caves o' 'he localit.y, And served for shelters and lurking-places (Luke 8. 2(j). 70
' down t he h:i nging cli li '— into the sea it Itey were abont two thousand)—The number of thi iu m given l).v ourgraphic K\':ingellst alone—anil Tverechoked in the sea—or "perished in the waters" (Mattljuw 8. ;J2),