And he departed, and began to announce in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.
All Commentaries on Mark 5:20 Go To Mark 5
John Chrysostom
AD 407
Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc. Nevertheless the exact reading contains neither Gadarenes, nor Gerasines, but Gergesenes. For Gadara is a city of Judaea, which has no sea at all about it; and Geraza is a city of Arabia, having neither lake nor sea near it. And that the Evangelists may not be thought to have spoken so manifest a falsehood, wellacquainted as they were with the parts around Judaea, Gergese, from which come the Gergesenes, was an ancient city, now called Tiberias, around which is situated a considerable lake. It continues, “And when He was come out of the ship, immediately there met Him”.
Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc., see Chrys.,Hom. in Matthew, 28: Or else, Mark and Luke relate what was most worthy of compassion, and for this reason they put down more at length what had happened to this man; for there follows, “no man could bind him, no, not with chains. "They therefore simply said, a “man possessed of a devil,” without taking heed to the number; or else, that hemight show the greater virtue in the Worker; for He who had cured one such, might cure many others. Nor is there any discrepancy shown here, for they did not say that there was one alone, for then they would have contradictedMatthew.Now devils dwelt in tombs, wishing to convey a false opinion to many, that the souls of the dead were changed to devils.
Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc., and Chrys.,Hom. in Matt., 28: Then praying to Him, he subjoins, “I adjure thee by God, that Thou torment me not.” For he considered being cast out to be a torment, or else he was also invisibly tortured. For however bad the devils are, they know that there awaits them at last a punishment for their sins; but that the time of their last punishment was not yet come, they full well knew, especially as they were permitted to mix among men. But because Christ had come upon them as they were doing such dreadful deeds, they thought that such was the heinousness of their crimes, He would not wait for the last times, to punish them; for this reason they beg that they may not be tormented.
Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc. Lest he should not be believed, if He affirmed there were many, He wishes that they themselves should confess it; wherefore there follows, “And he saith unto Him, Legion, for we are many.” He gives not a fixed number, but a multitude, for such accuracy in the number would not help us to understand it.It goes on, “And he besought Him much that He would not send them away out of the country.”.
Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc. Luke, however, says, “into the abyss.” For the abyss is the separation of this world, for devils deserve to be sent into outer darkness, prepared for the devil and his angels. This Christ might have done, but Heallowed them to remain in this world, lest the absence of a tempter should deprive men of the crown of victory.
But although He bade others, whom He healed, to tell it to no one, He nevertheless fitly bids this one proclaimit, since all that region, being possessed by devils, remained without God.
