Mark 5:13

5:13 Jesus18 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.

18	tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
19	sn 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	tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate a conclusion and transition in the narrative.