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1–20. Healing of the Gadarene demoniac, in whom there was a legion of demons. – 21–43. The healing of the bleeding woman and the resurrection of Jairus' daughter. Mark 5:1. And they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. The newest scholars of the text agree to read here not “to the country of the Gadarenes,” but “to the country of the Gergesene.” This name comes from the name of Gerges, a city that, according to Origen, was located near the Sea of ​​Tiberias (Commentary on John 6:24, al. 40). Eusebius calls Gergesa a "village" and says that it lay on a mountain. In Matthew, however, researchers of the Gospel text read not “Gergesinskaya”, but “Gadareneskaya” (Matthew 8:28). It is known about Gadara that it was a significant Greek city, located approximately ten kilometers from the southeastern shore of the Sea of ​​Tiberias. The population of this city was mostly Greek, but in the villages surrounding the city they also spoke Aramaic. It is very likely that Gergesa was part of the Gadarene region. Mark 5:2. And when He came out of the boat, He was immediately met by a man coming out of the tombs, possessed by an unclean spirit, Here we find, obviously, a narrative about the same event reported by the Evangelist Matthew (Matthew 8:28 et seq.). Mark speaks, however, about one demoniac, and not about two, like Matthew, but this only means that Mark considered it necessary to speak about the one of the two demoniacs who was most famous to the local residents for his strength and malice. The healing of this demoniac, of course, made a great impression on the people and disciples of Christ. "Possessed" ... (see Matt. 4:24). Mark 5:3. he had a home in coffins, and no one could tie him even with chains, “No one could”... The power of this demoniac was extremely great; no chains or shackles (manual) could hold him. Mark 5:4. because many times he was bound with shackles and chains, but he broke the chains and broke the shackles, and no one was able to tame him; Mark 5:5. always, night and day, in the mountains and coffins, he screamed and beat against the stones; “He hit the stones” ... More precisely: he clung to the stones, and they fell on him when he broke off and fell from the cliff (κατακόπτειν)." Mark 5:6. When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him, Mark 5:7. and crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” I conjure You by God, do not torment me! Mark 5:8. For Jesus said to him, “Come out, O unclean spirit, from this man.” Of course, it is not the demoniac himself, but the evil spirits that possess him that force him to run to Christ and ask Him to leave them alone. They understand who is now before them. They adjure Christ as God, recognizing Him as the Son of the Most High God, so that He would not manifest His omnipotence over them this time. As for the torment that they mean, it can be understood as hellish torment, which all the inhabitants of hell endure (cf. Luke 16:23; Rev. 9:5, 14, 11, etc.). This is how this torment is understood in the Gospel of Matthew, where the evil spirit adds the expression “before the time” (Matthew 8:29). “For Jesus said to him”... With these words, the Evangelist Mark does not want to say that Christ turned to the demoniac before he turned to Jesus. If things had happened this way, then the evangelist, of course, would have brought the conversion of Christ first, and then the conversion of the demon-possessed to Christ (cf. Mark 1:25). The conjunction “for” rather makes it clear that the demon who was possessed, even before he entered into a conversation with Christ, already knew well what he needed to expect from Christ. And his expectations came true, “for...” Mark 5:9. And he asked him: what is your name? And he answered and said, My name is Legion, for we are many. The Lord enters into conversation with the demon in order to first of all instill in the demoniac himself the conviction that evil power resides in him, and then also in order to explain this to his disciples. “And he said...” One demon spoke for many. He spoke using the gift of speech of a demon possessed, who could not help but fulfill the will of the demon. "Legion" (see Matthew 26:53). Mark 5:10. And they asked Him a lot so that He would not send them out of that country. The demons do not want to leave this country, which, obviously, they liked as populated mainly by pagans. Mark 5:11. There was a large herd of pigs grazing there near the mountain. Mark 5:12. And all the demons asked Him, saying: Send us among the swine, that we may enter into them. Mark 5:13. Jesus immediately allowed them. And the unclean spirits came out and entered into the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep slope into the sea, and there were about two thousand of them; and drowned in the sea. Evangelist Mark alone accurately indicates the number of pigs. Mark 5:14. Those who were tending the pigs ran and told the story in the city and in the villages. And the residents came out to see what had happened. Mark 5:15. They come to Jesus and see that the demoniac, in whom the legion was, is sitting and clothed, and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Mark 5:16. Those who saw it told them about how this happened to the possessed man, and about the pigs. Mark 5:17. And they began to ask Him to depart from their borders. The Lord, as the Almighty, immediately, without any hesitation, deigns to fulfill the request of the demons, who have shown their powerlessness to find any way out of their situation. As for the fate of demons, this question obviously does not concern Evangelist Mark. He dwells only on the impression that the miracle had on the inhabitants of that country. The inhabitants were afraid - most likely, bearing in mind the attitude that Christ showed towards their property, a herd of pigs, which he sent to destruction in order to free the (former) possessed person from any thought about the possibility of demons returning to him. They felt sorry for their flocks, and therefore they asked Christ to leave their country. It is obvious that these people did not yet feel a thirst to hear the words of God (Amos 8:11). Mark 5:18. And when He entered the boat, the demoniac asked Him to be with Him. Mark 5:19. But Jesus did not allow him, but said: go home to your people and tell them what the Lord has done to you and how he has had mercy on you. Mark 5:20. And he went and began to preach in the Decapolis what Jesus had done to him; and everyone marveled. The Lord does not remain in this country, but moves away from here, because the time for preaching here has not yet come. But this did not stop the healed demoniac from sowing the seeds of the Gospel teaching here, and the Lord sends him to announce what happened to him to all his relatives. In a semi-pagan country, this sermon about Christ the Wonderworker could not produce that extraordinary passion for messianic hopes, which often manifested itself among the pure-blooded Jewish population and which usually ended with the people striving to declare Christ King (cf. Matt. 8:4). If the healed man went preaching throughout the Decapolis (see Matt. 4:25), this is explained by the fact that he probably had many relatives who lived in different cities of this region. Mark 5:21. When Jesus again crossed the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered to Him. He was by the sea. The Lord crossed from Perea to Galilee, to the shore on which Capernaum was located (cf. Matthew 9:1). Here He was met by a mass of people, who had probably noticed from a distance the approaching, well-known boat of the Apostle Peter, in which Jesus was also. There were so many people that it was difficult for the Lord to enter the city, and He remained on the shore for a long time. Mark 5:22. And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue, named Jairus, comes and, seeing Him, falls at His feet Mark 5:23. and he earnestly begs Him, saying: My daughter is dying; come and lay your hands on her so that she may get well and live. At this time Jairus comes to Him (see Matthew 9:18) and Jesus goes with Him. Mark 5:24. Jesus went with him. Many people followed Him and pressed Him. Mark 5:25. One woman who suffered from bleeding for twelve years Mark 5:26. suffered a lot from many doctors, exhausted everything she had, and did not receive any benefit, but came to an even worse state, - Mark 5:27. Having heard about Jesus, she came up behind the crowd and touched His garment, Mark 5:28. for she said: if I touch His clothes, I will be healed. Mark 5:29. And immediately her source of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her illness. In cramped conditions, on the way, Christ was touched by a bleeding woman who was seeking healing (cf. Matt. 9:20–21) and received healing. Evangelist Mark exclaims that she “suffered much from the doctors” (verse 26). This expression may indicate the barbaric means to which ignorant doctors resorted in those days. Tractate Kiddushim therefore says: “the best of doctors is worthy of Gehenna” (IV, 14). Mark 5:30. At the same time, Jesus, feeling within Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned among the people and said: Who touched My garment? Mark 5:31. The disciples said to Him: You see that the people are crowding You, and you say: Who touched Me? Mark 5:32. But He looked around to see the one who did it. Mark 5:33. The woman, in fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came up, fell before Him and told Him the whole truth. Mark 5:34. He said to her: daughter! your faith has saved you; Go in peace and be well from your illness. The Lord knew what happened to the sick woman due to the fact that she touched His clothes, but asks the question in order to provoke her confession and suggest that she was healed not due to some magical effect of the Wonderworker’s clothes, but because of her faith in Him as the Son of God. “Be healthy”, i.e. remain in the new position in which you found yourself the moment you touched My clothing with faith. Mark 5:35. While He was still saying this, they came from the ruler of the synagogue and said: Your daughter is dead; Why else are you bothering the Teacher? Evangelist Mark also speaks about the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter in greater detail than Matthew (Matthew 9:23–26). Mark 5:36. But Jesus, having heard these words, immediately said to the ruler of the synagogue: Do not be afraid, only believe. Mark 5:37. And He did not allow anyone to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. The Lord, as can be seen from what follows (verse 43), did not want the miracle of the resurrection of Jairus’s daughter to become the subject of lively talk among the people. Therefore, He does not even take all of His disciples with Him, but only the three closest to Him, so that they can subsequently act as reliable witnesses to the miracle of the resurrection (cf. Deut. 17:6). Of course, both the owner of the house and his wife were present when the miracle was performed (verse 40). Mark 5:38. He comes to the house of the leader of the synagogue and sees confusion and people crying and crying out loudly. Mark 5:39. And coming in, he said to them: Why are you embarrassed and crying? the girl is not dead, but is sleeping. "The girl is not dead, but is sleeping." With these words, the Lord expresses the common Israeli idea of ​​death. There is actually no death, as He says. The human soul is immortal and must eventually unite with the body it left behind. Therefore, the state of the deceased is like a dream. If Jairus believes this so deeply, then there is no reason for him to give in to despair. Mark 5:40. And they laughed at Him. But He, having sent everyone out, takes with Him the father and mother of the girl and those who were with Him and enters where the girl lay. Mark 5:41. And, taking the girl by the hand, he says to her: “talifa kumi,” which means: girl, I tell you, stand up. The Evangelist cites here two words in Aramaic that Christ spoke in order to let his pagan readers hear the sounds of Christ’s speech. He translates these two words with some extension, adding the expression “I’m telling you.” Mark 5:42. And the girl immediately stood up and began to walk, for she was about twelve years old. Those who saw it were in great amazement. Mark 5:43. And He strictly ordered them that no one should know about this, and told them to give her something to eat. The Lord did not want the news of the first miracle of the resurrection to spread throughout the country; He did not want the people, excited by the rumor of this extraordinary miracle, to see their King in Him (cf. John 6:15), since this could prematurely arouse the extreme anger of His enemies against Christ. Therefore, He forbids spreading the news about what happened, although He has just called a woman who was healed through touching His clothes to openly confess the miracle that happened to her. The latter, in fact, was not as extraordinary as the miracle of resurrection. Why did Christ order to “give food” to the girl He resurrected? The ancient interpreters believed that He wanted to confirm by this the reality of the girl’s return to life, but it is more natural to believe that in this case He showed His goodness and care for the one whom he had just called from the realm of death to her former life, when everyone was busy with the miracle that had just been performed. He directs the girl's attention to her situation... Holtzman is trying to prove that the daughter of Jairus was only in a state of lethargy, and was not dead, and that she awakened when Christ took her hand... But, probably, they had already taken her hands before Christ’s arrival, but this did not lead to her revival. Moreover, the Evangelist Mark talks about everything with such simplicity that there is absolutely no reason to suspect him of having composed a story about the death of a girl and her resurrection... You might be interested in: