^5:11There on the hillside,¹⁶ a great herd of pigs was feeding. ^5:12And the demonic spirits¹⁷ begged him, “Send us into the pigs. Let us enter them.” ^5:13Jesus¹⁸ gave them permission.¹⁹ So²⁰ the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs. Then the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake, and about two thousand were drowned in the lake.

^5:14Now²¹ the herdsmen ran off and spread the news in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. ^5:15They came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man sitting there, clothed and in his right mind—the one who had the “Legion”—and they were afraid. ^5:16Those who had seen what had happened to the demon-possessed man reported it, and they also told about the pigs. ^5:17Then²² they asked Jesus²³ to leave their region. ^5:18As he was getting into the boat the man who had been demon-possessed asked if he could go²⁴ with him. ^5:19But²⁵ Jesus²⁶ did not permit him to do so. Instead, he said to him, “Go to your home and to your people and tell them what the Lord has done for you,²⁷ that he had mercy on you.” ^5:20So²⁸ he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis²⁹ what Jesus had done for him,³⁰ and all were amazed.

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Footnotes

16 Grk “mountain,” but this might give the English reader the impression of a far higher summit.
17 Grk “they”; the referent (the demonic spirits) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
18 Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
19 Many have discussed why Jesus gave them permission, since the animals were destroyed. However, this is another example of a miracle that is a visual lesson. The demons are destructive: They were destroying the man. They destroyed the pigs. They destroy whatever they touch. The point was to take demonic influence seriously, as well as Jesus’ power over it as a picture of the larger battle for human souls. There would be no doubt how the man’s transformation had taken place.
20 Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate a conclusion and transition in the narrative.
21 Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate a transition to the response to the miraculous healing.
22 Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
23 Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
24 Grk “be,” that is, “remain.” In this context that would involve accompanying Jesus as he went on his way.
25 Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
26 Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
27 Jesus instructs the man to declare what the Lord has done for him, in contrast to the usual instructions (e.g., 1:44; 5:43) to remain silent. Here in Gentile territory Jesus allowed more open discussion of his ministry. D. L. Bock (Luke [], 1:) suggests that with few Jewish religious representatives present, there would be less danger of misunderstanding Jesus’ ministry as political.
28 Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “So” to indicate the conclusion of the episode in the narrative.
29 The Decapolis refers to a league of towns (originally consisting of ten; the Greek name literally means “ten towns”) whose region (except for Scythopolis) lay across the Jordan River.
30 Note that the man could not separate what God had done from the one through whom God had done it (what Jesus had done for him). This man was called to witness to God’s goodness at home.