And there was there a herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would allow them to enter into them. And he allowed them.
All Commentaries on Luke 8:32 Go To Luke 8
Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
And there was there an herd of many swine (about two thousand, S. Mark 5:2) feeding on the mountain (nigh unto the mountain, S. Mark , ibid.). But for what purpose were these swine, inasmuch as they were forbidden to the Jews by the law of Moses? Gadara, although a city of Judæa or rather of Galilee, had, according to Josephus, been assigned by Cæsar for a dwelling-place to the Syrians and Gentiles; who were not prohibited from keeping swine. And again, the Jews might have been feeding the swine, not for their own eating, but for other purposes: to sell them to the Gentiles for the use of the Roman soldiery, or in order to provide lard for the greasing of their chariot wheels.
And they besought Him that He would suffer them to enter into them. The devils made this request:
1. In order that, inasmuch as they were unable to injure men directly, they might injure them indirectly through their property or possessions.
2. That, as actually came to pass, they might stir up the ill-will of the inhabitants against Christ.
3. Because unclean spirits delight in unclean things. Hence the devil is said to be worshipped by the witches in form of a Hebrews -goat. But from this entreaty S. Antony, according to S. Athanasius, infers the powerlessness of the devils. "For how," he says, "can they who are feign to seek permission to enter into the herd of swine, have any real power over Prayer of Manasseh , made in the image of God. Great, my brethren, are our means of defence against the hosts of Satan: an honest and pure life, and unfeigned faith towards God. Believe me, Satan fears the prayers and fasting, the meekness and self-denial, the humility and contempt of vainglory, the compassion and self-command, and above all the heart purified by the love of Christ, of those who are living godly lives. For the old serpent, the worst enemy of Prayer of Manasseh , knows that he lies under the feet of the righteous according to the word of the Lord which saith, "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy."" S. Luke 10:19.
And He suffered them. Christ granted the request of the devils: 1. To show that He had power over the evil spirits, and that they without His leave could do no evil to swine, much less to men. Hence, as we have seen, S. Antony says that they are not to be feared2. To demonstrate the number, strength and malevolence of the devils, and to make manifest by their expulsion the greatness of His power and glory. S. Chrysostom, Theophylact, and Euthymius3. To refute the error of the Sadducces, who say that there is "neither angel nor spirit," Acts xxiii8. Hilary. Rupert adds, That the Gadarenes were Jews, who kept swine contrary to the laws, and that the destruction of the herd was a punishment for their disobedience; but this interpretation I have shown to be wrong.
Mystically. Christ did this to show men, who, after the manner of swine wallow in fleshly lusts and pleasures, that they in like manner are rushing into the abyss of hell, and also to teach us that we must account the loss of our earthly possessions as of small account compared with the destruction of the soul. For He permitted the devils to enter into the herd of swine in order to free the demoniac from their power; and to show how impure were the minds of the Gadarenes, and therefore how fitted they were to be possessed by devils; and yet further to intimate that those who live after the manner of swine fall an easy prey to the power of Satan.
