Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 8:29
(For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he broke the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)
29. he had commanded ] Rather, He commanded.
oftentimes ] Pollois chronois usually means “ for a long time.”
he was kept bound with chains and in fetters
into the wilderness ] Rather, into the deserts, regarded as a peculiar haunt of Azazel and other demons. Mat 12:43; Tob 8:3 ; see on Luk 4:1. (There are obvious allusions to the Gospel narrative of this demoniac and the demoniac boy in Lucian, Philopseudes, 16.)
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For he had commanded the unclean spirit….. That had the rest of the devils under his authority, and power,
to come out of the man; this he had done, either before, or just as he came up to him; [See comments on Mr 5:8].
For oftentimes it had caught him; possessed him, and wrought so strongly in him, and with so much fury, that there was no governing him:
and he was kept bound with chains and fetters; attempts were made to bind him, and keep him bound, but in vain: and he brake the bands;
[See comments on Mr 5:4].
And was driven of the devil into the wilderness: into some desert and desolate place, where were the tombs and sepulchres of the dead; this was done by the prince of the legion.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
For he commanded ( ). Imperfect active, correct text, for he was commanding.
Often times ( ). Or “for a long time” like of verse 27 (see Robertson, Grammar, p. 537, for the plural here).
It had seized (). Past perfect active of , to lay hold by force. An old verb, but only in Luke in the N.T. (Luke 8:29; Acts 6:12; Acts 19:29; Acts 27:15).
Was kept under guard (). Imperfect passive of to put in chains, from , bond, and that from to bind. Old, but rather rare verb. Only here and Ac 22:4 in this sense. In Mt 23:4 it means to bind together. Some MSS. read in Lu 8:29.
Breaking the bands asunder ( ). Old verb, the preposition (in two) intensifying the meaning of the simple verb or , to rend.
Was driven (). Imperfect passive of , to drive, to row, to march (Xenophon). Only five times in the N.T. Here alone in Luke and peculiar to Luke in this incident.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
He had commanded [] . Imperfect tense. Rev. does not improve by reading he commanded. The imperfect expresses the simultaneousness of the exorcism and the cry torment me not. Better, for he was commanding. So the Am. Rev.
It had seized [] . Used by Luke only. See Act 6:12; Act 27:15. The verb literally means to snatch and carry away with [] .
He was kept bound [ ] . Lit., he was bound, being guarded. Rev., was kept under guard and bound. The A. V. does not sufficiently bring out the vigilance with which he was attended.
Chains and fetters. See on Mr 5:4.
Breaking [] . Compare Mr 4:4, and see note there.
Was driven, etc. Peculiar to Luke.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “(For he had commanded the unclean spirit,” (parengelen gar to pneumati to akatharto) “For he (Jesus) had charged the unclean (deranged) spirit,” who had tormented and terrorized the man and others for so long.
2) “To come out of the man.” (ekselthein apo tou anthropou) “To come out of and away from indwelling and obsessing the man,” Mat 8:32, as He had given such power to His apostles, Luk 10:17-20.
3) “For oftentimes it had caught him:” (pollois gar chronois sunerpakei auton) “For many times it had seized him,” suddenly, even as Nebuchadnezzar had been similarly seized, Dan 5:20-21. The seizures were intermittent on a man who was at moments perfectly sane, quiet and rational.
4) “And he was kept bound with chains and in fetters;” (kai edesmeueto halusesin kai pedais phulassomenos) “And he was (at such times) bound with both chains and fetters and continually guarded,” Mar 5:4; but he could not be kept bound by anyone, Mar 5:3. So they guarded him.
5) “And he brake the bands,” (kai diaresson ta desma) “And tearing or breaking the bonds repeatedly,” broke the chain and fetter-restraints, so violent were the demon seizures, Mar 5:4. Because demon powers are of supernatural nature.
6) “And was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)” (elauneto apo tou daimoniou eis tas eremous) “He was driven of and from the demon into the deserts,” or the isolated and uninhabited areas, into the wilderness, Mat 8:28. Sin drives one to isolation from God, heaven, and holy people, Isa 59:2.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(29) Driven of the devil . . .Better, by the demon, to show that it is still the unclean spirit, and not the great Enemy, that is spoken of.
Into the wilderness.The Greek word is plural, as in Luk. 1:80; Luk. 5:16. St. Luke, it may be noted, is the only writer who so uses it.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘For he was commanding the unclean spirit to come out from the man. For oftentimes it had seized him, and he was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters, and breaking the bands asunder, he was driven of the demon into the deserts.’
The reason for his cry was because Jesus was persistently calling on the unclean spirit to come out of the man. We are now told a little more of what the unclean spirit had done to the man. It had regularly seized him and made him violent, so that when caught he was bound and fettered and kept under guard. But through its supernatural strength he was able to break the fetters, at which the demon drove him into the wilderness so that they would be away from men. They did not like being restrained. They wanted wild freedom.
‘The unclean spirit.’ Note the equation of ‘demons’ (a Greek term) with ‘unclean spirits’. They are ‘unclean’ in contrast with the ‘cleanness’ or purity of God. An ‘unclean spirit’ is a spirit which hates God and all things to do with God, and shrinks from His presence. Its very behaviour is unclean. And it further rendered this man ‘unclean’ in Jewish eyes by his dwelling among the tombs. The man is specifically identified as demon possessed. It is probable that he was a Gentile (Consider his close proximity to pig farms, abhorrent to orthodox Jews).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.
29 (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)
Ver. 29. And was driven of the devil ] As a horse is by his rider (so the word signifieth) or a ship with oars. All wicked men are acted and agitated by the devil, Eph 2:2 , persecutors especially. Quod si videris aliquando persecutorem tuum nimis saevientem, scito quia ab ascensore sue diabolo perurgetur. If persecutors sometimes be more moderate, it is because the devil spurs not so hard. (Bernard.)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
29. ] , He was ordering, imperf.: in the midst of this ordering, and as a consequence of it, the possessed man cried out, as in last verse. On . see reff. Plutarch, Thes. 6, uses : not ‘ for many years ,’ still less, ‘ oftentimes ,’ E. V., Grot.; but during a long time.
., it had seized him and carried him: see reff.
. ] Notice the imperfect, giving the sense, it was attempted to bind him.
. . . ] The unnatural increase of muscular strength is also observed in cases of raving madness (as indeed also in those of any strong concentration of the will): see Trench as above.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Luk 8:29 . : the command caused the cry of fear, and the fear is explained in the clause following, introduced by a second . , answers to in Mar 5:4 , therefore presumably used in the sense: oftentimes, frequently. So Erasmus and Grotius, and most recent commentators. Meyer and others take it = during a long time. Schanz combines the two senses. The disease was of an intermittent character, there were paroxysms of acute mania, and intervals of comparative quiet and rationality. When the paroxysms came on, the demon (one in Luk 8:29 ) was supposed to seize him ( ). Then he had to be bound in chains and fetters, and kept under guard ( , cf. A. V [84] and R. V [85] here), but all to no purpose, the demoniac force bursting the bonds and driving the poor victim into the deserts. The madman feared the return of an attack, hence his alarmed cry.
[84] Authorised Version.
[85] Revised Version.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
He had commanded = He was commanding. Imperfect tense.
spirit. Greek. pneuma. See App-101.
man. Greek. anthropos. App-123. Not the same word as in verses: Luk 8:27, Luk 8:38, Luk 8:41, but the same as in verses: Luk 8:33, Luk 8:35.
it had caught = it had seized. Only here and in Act 6:12; Act 19:29; Act 27:15
kept bound = bound, being guarded.
chains, &c. See notes on Mar 5:4.
he brake the bands, and = breaking the bands, he.
was driven. Greek elauno. Occurs five times: here; Mar 6:48. Joh 6:19. Jam 3:4, and 2Pe 2:17.
of = by. Greek. hupo. App-104.
devil = demon.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
29.] , He was ordering, imperf.: in the midst of this ordering, and as a consequence of it, the possessed man cried out, as in last verse. On . see reff. Plutarch, Thes. 6, uses :-not for many years, still less, oftentimes, E. V., Grot.;-but during a long time.
., it had seized him and carried him: see reff.
.] Notice the imperfect, giving the sense, it was attempted to bind him.
. . .] The unnatural increase of muscular strength is also observed in cases of raving madness (as indeed also in those of any strong concentration of the will): see Trench as above.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Luk 8:29. , for) This assigns the cause of the expulsion, and of the greater suffering which was conjoined with it.-, was driven) with the utmost violence; comp. Luk 8:33; and without his being able to exercise Ins reason, Luk 8:35.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
commanded: Mar 5:8, Act 19:12-16
caught: Luk 9:39, Luk 9:42, Mar 5:3-5, Mar 9:20-26, 2Ti 2:25, 2Ti 2:26
Reciprocal: Job 2:6 – save Mat 8:28 – coming Mat 17:18 – rebuked Mar 9:25 – I charge Act 19:16 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
9
The man was under the control of the devils. (See the note at Mat 8:28.) It explains the condition of being possessed with the devil.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Luk 8:29. For he commanded, or, was commanding. This agrees with Marks account. Our Lord was about to command, when the demoniac cried as in Luk 8:28. The parenthesis is not necessary.
For gives the reason of the command.
Oftentimes, or, of a long time.
Caught, or, seized. The violent effect of the possession is set forth. Then follows an account of previous unsuccessful attempts to restrain him: He was bound, etc.
Being under guard. Peculiar to Luke.
Breaking the bands asunder. Mark speaks of this, but not in the same immediate connection.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 29
Was kept; had been kept.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
8:29 (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, {k} and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)
(k) By force and violence, as a horse when he is spurred.