Mark 5 · Verse 15

Mark 5:15

And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
Mark 5:15, King James Version

Mark 5:15 in other translations

BSBWhen they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons sitting there, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
WEBThey came to Jesus, and saw him who had been possessed by demons sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, even him who had the legion; and they were afraid.
ASVAnd they come to Jesus, and behold him that was possessed with demons sitting, clothed and in his right mind, even him that had the legion: and they were afraid.
YLTand they come unto Jesus, and see the demoniac, sitting, and clothed, and right-minded--him having had the legion--and they were afraid;
DARBYAnd they come to Jesus, and they see the possessed of demons sitting and clothed and sensible, him that had had the legion: and they were afraid.
BBEAnd they came to Jesus, and saw the man in whom had been the evil spirits seated, clothed and with full use of his senses, and they were full of fear.
WebsterAnd they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the demon, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

What does Mark 5:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
15. And they come to Jesus--Matthew (Mt 8:34) says, "Behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus." and see him that was possessed with the devil--the demonized person. and had the legion, sitting--"at the feet of Jesus," adds Luke (Lu 8:35); in contrast with his former wild and wandering habits. and clothed--As our Evangelist had not told us that he "ware no clothes," the meaning of this statement could only have been conjectured but for "the beloved physician" (Lu 8:27), who supplies the missing piece of information here. This is a striking case of what are called Undesigned Coincidences amongst the different Evangelists; one of them taking a thing for granted, as familiarly known at the time, but which we should never have known but for one or more of the others, and without the knowledge of which some of their statements would be unintelligible. The clothing which the poor man would feel the want of the moment his consciousness returned to him, was doubtless supplied to him by some of the Twelve. and in his right mind--but now, oh, in what a lofty sense! (Compare an analogous, though a different kind of case, Da 4:34-37). and they were afraid--Had this been awe only, it had been natural enough; but other feelings, alas! of a darker kind, soon showed themselves.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 15. Sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind. There could be no doubt of the reality of this miracle. The man had been well known. He had long dwelt among the tombs, an object of terror and alarm. To see him all at once peaceful, and calm, and rational, was proof that it was the power of God only that had done it.

They were afraid. They were awed, as in the presence of God. The word does not mean here that they feared that any evil would happen to them, but that they were affected with awe; they felt that God was there; they were struck with astonishment at what Jesus had done.

(a) "devil, and had" Isa 49:25, Col 1:13 (b) "they were afraid" Job 13:11, Psa 14:5, 2Ti 1:7

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 15 That - had the legion - This is omitted by D, and two others, Ethiopic, Persic, Vulgate, and all the Itala but one. Mill, Bengel, and Griesbach, think it should be omitted.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Mark 5:1-20

Some openly wilful sinners are like this madman. The commands of the law are as chains and fetters, to restrain sinners from their wicked courses; but they break those bands in sunder; and it is an evidence of the power of the devil in them. A legion of soldiers consisted of six thousand men, or more. What multitudes of fallen spirits there must be, and all enemies to God and man, when here was a legion in one poor…

Read the full comment on Mark 5:1-20 →

Mark 5:15 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΚαὶKaiAndG2532
ἔρχονταιerchontaithey comeG2064
πρὸςprostoG4314
τὸνton<the>G3588
ἸησοῦνIēsounJesusG2424
καὶkaiandG2532
θεωροῦσινtheōrousinseeG2334
τὸνtonthe [man]G3588
δαιμονιζόμενονdaimonizomenonbeing demonisedG1139
καθήμενονkathēmenonsittingG2521
ἱματισμένονhimatismenonclothedG2439
καὶkaiandG2532
σωφρονοῦντα,sōphronountasound minded,G4993
τὸνtonthe [one] whoG3588
ἐσχηκόταeschēkotahaving hadG2192
τὸνtontheG3588
λεγιῶνα,legiōnalegion,G3003
καὶkaiandG2532
ἐφοβήθησαν.ephobēthēsanthey were afraid.G5399

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Mark 5:15

  • Colossians 1:13

    Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

  • 2 Timothy 1:7

    For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

  • 1 Samuel 6:20-21

    And the men of Beth–shemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? and to whom shall he go up from us? And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath–jearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the Lord; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.

  • Mark 5:9

    And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.

  • Isaiah 49:24-25

    Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.

  • 1 Samuel 16:4

    And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Beth–lehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?

  • Luke 8:27

    And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.

  • Mark 5:18

    And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.

  • Luke 10:39

    And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.

  • 1 Chronicles 15:13

    For because ye did it not at the first, the Lord our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.

  • Job 13:11

    Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?

  • Psalms 14:5

    There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
him that.
4; Isa 49:24,25; Mt 9:33; 12:29; Lu 8:35,36; 10:39; Col 1:13
and they.
1Sa 6:20,21; 16:4; 1Ch 13:12; 15:13; Job 13:11; Ps 14:5; 2Ti 1:7

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Mark 5:14

    And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done.

  • Mark 5:15

    And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

  • Mark 5:16

    And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine.

Read all of Mark 5

Mark 5:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y vienen á Jesús, y ven al que había sido atormentado del demonio, y que había tenido la legión, sentado y vestido, y en su juicio cabal; y tuvieron miedo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et ils viennent vers Jésus, et voient le démoniaque, assis, vêtu, et dans son bon sens, celui qui avait Légion; et ils eurent peur.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und sie kommen zu Jesu und sehen den Besessenen sitzen, bekleidet und vernünftig, den, der die Legion gehabt hatte; und sie fürchteten sich.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		et veniunt ad Jesum: et vident illum qui a dæmonio vexabatur, sedentem, vestitum, et sanæ mentis, et timuerunt.