Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 8:33
Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.
33. down a steep place ] Rather, down the precipice. Near Kherza is the only spot on the entire lake where a steep slope sweeps down to within a few yards of the sea, into which the herd would certainly have plunged if hurried by any violent impulse down the hill. If it be asked whether this was not a destruction of property, the answer is that the antedating of the death of a herd of unclean animals was nothing compared with the deliverance of a human soul. Our Lord would therefore have had a moral right to act thus even if he had been a mere human Prophet. Besides, to put it on the lowest ground, the freeing of the neighbourhood from the peril and terror of this wild maniac was a greater benefit to the whole city than the loss of this herd. Jesus did not command the spirits to go into the swine; if He permitted any thing which resulted in their destruction it was to serve higher and more precious ends. “God the Word,” says Lord Bacon, “wished to do nothing which breathed not of grace and beneficence;” and after mentioning the stern miracles of Moses, Elijah, Elisha, St Peter and St Paul, he adds, “but Jesus did nothing of this kind…the spirit of Jesus is the spirit of the Dove. He wrought no miracle of judgment, all of beneficence.” Meditt. Sacr. on Mar 12:37. The miracles of Christ were all redemptive acts and spiritual lessons.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 33. Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine] Some critics and commentators would have us to understand all this of the man himself, who, they say, was a most outrageous maniac; and that, being permitted by our Lord, he ran after the swine, and drove them all down a precipice into the sea! This is solemn trifling indeed; or, at least, trifling with solemn things. It is impossible to read over the account, as given here by Luke, and admit this mode of explanation. The devils went out of the man, and entered into the swine; i.e. the madman ran after the swine! On this plan of interpretation there is nothing certain in the word of God; and every man may give it what meaning he pleases. Such comments are intolerable.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Then went the devils out of the man,…. Being obliged by the power of Christ, sore against their wills, having had possession of him a long time:
and entered into the swine; possessed them:
and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake; that is of Gennesaret; or the sea, as the Syriac and Persic versions read; that is, the sea of Galilee, the same with the former:
and were choked; in the waters, and died, as the Ethiopic version adds.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Rushed down the steep ( ). Ablative with as in Mark 5:13; Matt 8:32 and the same vivid verb in each account, to hurl impetuously, to rush.
Were choked (). Second aorist (constative) passive indicative third singular (collective singular) where Mr 5:13 has the picturesque imperfect .
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Ran violently [] . Rev., more neatly, rushed. Only Mark gives the number of the swine, two thousand.
A steep place. See on Mt 9:32.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Then went the devils out of the man,” (eksethonta de ta daimonia apo tou anthropou) “Then the demons came out of and away from the man;” The demon powers that caused his violent derangement and danger of life to himself, his family, and his neighbors; They left him liberated, or set free from their power, Mat 8:32; Mar 5:13; Joh 8:32; Joh 8:36.
2) “And entered into the swine:” “They (then) entered into the pigs,” herd of swine, the unclean animals, for all demons are unclean and inhabit unclean people and things to make or keep them unclean morally, ethically, physically and spiritually, Mat 8:32; Mar 5:13.
3) “And the herd ran violently down a steep place,” (kai hormesen he agele kata tou kremnou) “And the herd rushed headlong down the precipice, at the edge of the sea in that area, Mat 8:32; Mar 5:13.
4) “Into the lake, and were choked.” (eis ten limnen kai apenige) “Into the lake and was choked or drowned,” the whole herd of them, Mat 8:32; Mar 5:13.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(33) Down a steep place.Better, down the cliff.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘And the demons came out from the man, and entered into the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep into the lake, and were drowned.’
The reaction was instantaneous. The evil spirits entered the swine. But animals are more conscious of such evil influences than people are (compare Balaam’s ass, and the fact that dogs are often said to whimper in the presence of mysterious influences). Thus the pigs, seeking to escape the evil influences, immediately raced down a slope into the sea and were drowned. Even the unclean pigs could not stand the evil spirits. The idea may be that the evil spirits had gone to the Abyss after all. But at least they were no longer around in order to possess men.
The evil spirits had thus failed in their attempts to save themselves, but the progression of their campaign is interesting. Firstly, on His commanding them to go they had indicated that they had nothing in common with Him. He was the Son of the Most High God, Lord of another world. It was not yet time for Him to come and torment them. Let Him leave them alone. Perhaps also they thought that the exposure of His name, which He sought to keep from the people, would ‘frighten Him off’. Then they informed Him that they were an army, a Legion. There were many of them and they were ready to resist. Then as they recognised His insistence and their helplessness they pleaded not to be sent to the Abyss. Then they suggested that they could enter the pigs. Once there they would be ‘out of His territory’ in an unclean place. And finally they went to the Abyss, still struggling. Their defeat was total.
We have already considered why Jesus allowed the evil spirits to go into the pigs. It was a rebuke to those who kept pigs in what was once ‘Jewish’ territory in open disobedience against God (it had once been ruled by the Jews), it was an indication of God’s desire to cleanse the land by removing all uncleanness, it consigned the evil spirits to the sea, and it was especially an indication of God’s opinion of evil spirits. They were only fit for ‘unclean’ pigs.
Some have asked whether this slaughter of the swine could be justified. But to One Who had such authority anything was surely justified that He decided was best and necessary for the delivery of the man (it is a position where the arguer cannot win. If Jesus was in a position to give this permission to evil spirits then He is above our criticism, if He did not then the question does not arise). And we should note that it was not Jesus but the pigs possessed by the evil spirits who were responsible for the damage. And they had not intended the pigs to drown. Besides being such a large herd He would know that they belonged to a wealthy man who, while he would suffer financially, would not be unduly harmed. (And in the end as Lord of creation they were His anyway).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
32 And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.
33 Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.
Ver. 33. And the herd ran violently ] So would the possessed man soon have done, but that God preserved him.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
ran = rushed.
down. Greek kata. App-104.
a steep place = the precipice.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Then: By this was fully evinced the sovereign power of our Lord, and the reality of diabolical agency; “for,” says Dr. Doddridge, “it was self-evident that a herd of swine could not be confederates in any fraud; their death, therefore, in this instructive circumstance, was ten thousand times a greater blessing to mankind than if they had been slain for food, as was intended.”
the herd: Joh 8:44, 1Pe 5:8, Rev 9:11
Reciprocal: Lev 11:7 – swine Job 1:12 – So Satan Job 38:11 – but Mat 8:32 – the whole Joh 13:27 – Satan
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
3
The possession of devils made the swine mad and induced them to destroy themselves by drowning, thus forcing the spirits out of the world.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Verse 33
It seems to be impossible to frame any conceivable hypothesis which will explain why intelligent beings, however malicious and depraved, should act such a part as appears to be here ascribed to them; and, on the other hand, language so definite, and of such a nature, is scarcely susceptible of any other than a literal interpretation.