Luke 8:37

All the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked him to depart from them, for they were very much afraid. He entered into the boat, and returned.

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

All the people of the surrounding country of the Gadarenes asked him to depart from them, for they were very much afraid. Then he entered into the boat and returned.

BSB

Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to depart from them, because great fear had taken hold of them. So He got into the boat and started back.

KJV

Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.

ASV

And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes round about asked him to depart from them; for they were holden with great fear: and he entered into a boat, and returned.

BBE

And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes made a request to him to go away from them; for they were in great fear: and he got into a boat and went back.

Original Greek

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καὶ kai And G2532 ἠρώτησεν ērōtēsen asked G2065 αὐτὸν auton Him G846 ἅπαν hapan all G537 τὸ to the G3588 πλῆθος plēthos multitude G4128 τῆς tēs of the G3588 περιχώρου perichōrou surrounding region G4066 τῶν tōn of the G3588 Γερασηνῶν Gerasēnōn Gerasenes G1086 ἀπελθεῖν apelthein to depart G565 ἀπ ap᾽ from G575 αὐτῶν autōn them G846 ὅτι hoti because G3754 φόβῳ phobō with fear G5401 μεγάλῳ megalō great G3173 συνείχοντο.¶ suneichonto they were seized G4912 Αὐτὸς Autos He himself G846 δὲ de now G1161 ἐμβὰς embas having climbed G1684 εἰς eis into G1519 τὸ to the G3588 πλοῖον ploion boat G4143 ὑπέστρεψεν hupestrepsen turned back G5290

The early church

But they ought to have besought the Lord not to depart from them, but to be the guardian of their country, that no evil spirits might come near them; but through fear they lost their own salvation, asking the Saviour to depart. It follows, Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from, them, for they were taken with great fear.
Titus of Bostra · d. 378Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
Or there seems to have been a kind of synagogue in the city of the Gerasenes who besought our Lord to depart, because they were seized with great fear. For the weak mind receives not the word of God, nor can it endure the burden of wisdom. And therefore He no longer troubled them, but ascends from the lower parts to the higher, from the Synagogue to the Church, and returned across the lake. For no one passes from the Church to the Synagogue without endangering his salvation. But whoever desires to pass from the Synagogue to the Church, let him take up his cross, that he may avoid the danger.
Ambrose of Milan · d. 397Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
(de Qu. Evan. l. ii. q. 13.) But by the Gerasenes, when they knew what was done, asking Jesus to depart from them, for they were struck with great fear, he represents the multitude delighting in their old pleasures, honouring indeed, but unwilling to endure the Christian law, saying that they cannot fulfil it, while they still marvel at the faithful released from their former abandoned mode of life.
Augustine of Hippo · d. 430Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
They feared lest they should again suffer some loss, as they had suffered in the drowning of the swine.
Theophylact of Ohrid · d. 1107Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 22–40

Those that put to sea in a calm, even at Christ's word, must yet prepare for a storm, and for great peril in that storm. There is no relief for souls under a sense of guilt, and fear of wrath, but to go to Christ, and call him Master, and say, I am undone, if thou dost not help me. When our dangers are over, it becomes us to take to ourselves the shame of our own fears, and to give Christ the glory of our deliverance. We may learn much out of this history concerning the world of infernal, malignant spirits, which though not working now exactly in the same way as then, yet all must at all times carefully guard against. And these malignant spirits are very numerous. They have enmity to man and all his comforts. Those under Christ's government are sweetly led with the bands of love; those under the devil's government are furiously driven. Oh what a comfort it is to the believer, that all the powers of darkness are under the control of the Lord Jesus! It is a miracle of mercy, if those whom Satan possesses, are not brought to destruction and eternal ruin. Christ will not stay with those who slight him; perhaps he may no more return to them, while others are waiting for him, and glad to receive him.

Read Matthew Henry on Luke 8 →

Parallel passages

2

The same words or events elsewhere.

Matthew 8:34Mark 5:17

Cross-references

14

Topics

Jesus, The Christ

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.