Bible Commentaries
Mark 5

Verse 1

And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.

Matthew 8:28; Luke 8:26.

Verse 2

And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,

There met him a man with an unclean spirit — St. Matthew mentions two. Probably this, so particularly spoken of here, was the most remarkably fierce and ungovernable.

Verse 9

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

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.

Verse 15

And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

And they were afraid — It is not improbable they might otherwise have offered some rudeness, if not violence.

Verse 18

And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.

Matthew 9:1; Luke 8:37;

Verse 19

Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.

Tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee — This was peculiarly needful there, where Christ did not go in person.

Verse 20

And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

He published in Decapolis — Not only at home, but in all that country where Jesus himself did not come.

Verse 21

And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.

Luke 8:40.

Verse 22

And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,

One of the rulers of the synagogue — To regulate the affairs of every synagogue, there was a council of grave men. Over these was a president, who was termed the ruler of the synagogue. Sometimes there was no more than one ruler in a synagogue. Matthew 9:18; Luke 8:41.

Verse 25

And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

Matthew 9:20; Luke 8:43.

Verse 37

And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

John, the brother of James — When St. Mark wrote, not long after our Lord’s ascension, the memory of St. James, lately beheaded, was so fresh, that his name was more known than that of John himself.

Verse 40

And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.

Them that were with him — Peter, James, and John.

Verse 43

And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

He charged them that no man should know it — That he might avoid every appearance of vain glory, might prevent too great a concourse of people, and might not farther enrage the scribes and Pharisees against him; the time for his death, and for the full manifestation of his glory, being not yet come.

He commanded something should be given her to eat — So that when either natural or spiritual life is restored, even by immediate miracle, all proper means are to be used in order to preserve it.