Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 5:5
And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
Verse 5. Crying and cutting himself with stones.] In this person’s case we see a specimen of what Satan could do in all the wicked, if God should permit him; but even the devil himself has his chain; and he who often binds others, is always bound himself.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
5. And always, night and day, he wasin the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself withstonesTerrible as he was to others, he himself endured untoldmisery, which sought relief in tears and self-inflicted torture.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And always night and day, he was in the mountains,…. And this being in an Heathen country, would have rendered him an unclean person, if he had not been possessed with an unclean spirit; for so runs one of the Jewish canons s:
“he that walks in an Heathen land, on mountains and rocks, is unclean.”
And in the tombs: which very likely were on the mountains, and cut out of them, it being usual to cut their sepulchres out of rocks:
crying, and cutting himself with stones; with sharp pieces of stone, which he picked up among the broken tombstones, or from off the mountains, where he was night and day; and besides taking up stones with his hands, and cutting himself with them, he might cut his feet with the sharp stones of the mountains, in which he ran about; these mountains were those, that encompassed the sea of Tiberias; for of it is , “that the mountains surround it” t: for the place where this man was, was near the sea of Tiberias, over which Christ was just now come; and soon as he arrived on shore, he met him, and found him in this condition. This man was a lively emblem of a man in a state of nature and unregeneracy: he had “an unclean spirit”, as every natural man has; his soul or spirit is defiled with sin, particularly his mind and conscience: this pollution is natural to him; he brings it into the world with him; it is very universal, it has spread itself over all the powers and faculties of his soul, and is what he cannot cleanse himself from: “who can say I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?”
Pr 20:9. Nothing that he can do, or can be done for him by a mere creature, can free him from it: nothing but the blood of Christ, and that cleanses from all sin: this man, through the possession of Satan, was a madman, and exceeding fierce and furious: there is a spirit of madness in all unregenerate men; they are exceeding mad against God, and Christ, and the saints, as Saul was before conversion, Ac 26:9. For who but madmen would stretch out their hands against God, strengthen themselves against the Almighty, run upon him, even on his neck, and upon the thick bosses of his bucklers? Job 15:25. Who but such would oppose themselves to the Son of God, or do despight to the Spirit of grace, who are equal in power and glory with God the Father? or kick against the pricks, by persecuting the members of Christ? Who but men out of their senses, would seek to ruin and destroy themselves, both soul and body? This man was altogether under the power and influence of Satan, and had a legion of devils within him. Satan is in every unconverted man, in every child of disobedience; and works effectually in him, and leads him captive at his will: and he has besides a swarm of fleshly lusts in him, which have the government over him. This man had his dwelling among the tombs, where the dead lay: so unregenerate men dwell among dead sinners, they have their conversation among the men of the world, who are dead in trespasses and sins, and according to the course of it: and as this man could not be bound with chains and fetters, but these were broke asunder by him; so wicked men are not to be bound, restrained, and governed, by the laws, commands, and ordinances of God; they despise them, break through them, and cannot be subject to them, their language is, “let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us”, Ps 2:3. And as no man could tame this man, so it is not in the power of men, by the force of moral persuasion, by all the arguments, expostulations, exhortations, promises, or threatenings, they can make use of, to influence the carnal minds of men, or make any real change in them: or bring them into a subjection to the law of God, or Gospel of Christ, and remove from them the spirit of madness, and opposition to all that is good: and to say no more; as this man was mischievous to himself, and cut himself with stones, so carnal men are the worst enemies to themselves; they cut and wound themselves with their sins, though, like the madman, they are not sensible of it; and if grace prevent not, will destroy themselves, both soul and body, with their transgressions.
s Misn Oholot, c. 19. sect. 6. t T. Hieros. Erubin, fol. 25. 2.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He was crying out, and cutting himself with stones ( ). Further vivid details by Mark. Night and day his loud scream or screech could be heard like other demoniacs (cf. Mark 1:26; Mark 3:11; Mark 9:26). The verb for cutting himself occurs here only in the N.T., though an old verb. It means to cut down (perfective use of –). We say cut up, gash, hack to pieces. Perhaps he was scarred all over with such gashes during his moments of wild frenzy night and day in the tombs and on the mountains. Periphrastic imperfect active with and the participles.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Crying [] . Rev., crying out. The verb denotes an inarticulate cry; a shriek. Aristophanes uses it of the frogs (” Ranae, “258), and of the bawling of a boor (” Equites,” 285).
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And always, night and day,” (kai dia pantos nuktos kai hermeras) “And always by night and day,” as a fixed pattern of living and behavior, incessantly unsettled.
2) “He was in the mountains, and in the tombs,” (en tois mnemasin kai en tois oresin hen) “He was in the mountains and among the tombs,” Pro 21:16, running over the countryside as a wild man, a stark lunatic, without sleep or peace, Jer 13:16.
3) “Crying, and cutting himself with stones.” (krazon kai katakopton heauton lithois) “Continually crying aloud, and lacerating himself with stones,” encounters with, running into, and failing upon and against jagged rocks, night and day, like the conscience of a wicked person, Isa 59:20-21.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(5) Cutting himself with stones.This feature, again, is given only by St. Mark.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Mar 5:5. Cryingstones Howlingflints.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
Ver. 5. See Trapp on “ Mat 8:28 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Mar 5:5 . As the previous verse depicts the demoniac strength, so this the utter misery of the poor sufferer. . . ., incessantly night time and day time, even during night when men gladly get under roof (Weiss, Mc.-Evang.) and when sleep makes trouble cease for most: no sleep for this wretch, or quiet resting-place. . . . , in tombs or on mountains, in cave or out in the open, there was but one occupation for him: not rest or sleep, but ceaseless outcry and self-laceration ( , . ).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
in. Greek. en. App-104.
crying = crying out.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Mar 5:5. , in the mountains) in solitary places. Mountains were in the locality, as we find in Mar 5:11.-, himself) In the case of the possessed, even the natural and proper love of self [law of self-preservation] is in abeyance.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
crying: 1Ki 18:28, Job 2:7, Job 2:8, Joh 8:44
Reciprocal: Lev 19:28 – cuttings Jer 47:5 – how Jer 48:37 – cuttings Dan 4:16 – be changed Mat 17:15 – for ofttimes Mar 3:11 – unclean Luk 9:39 – lo
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
5
This shows that he was not only unnaturally strong, but he was vicious and wild and showing the traits of an insane man.