Mark 5 · Verse 9

Mark 5:9

And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.
Mark 5:9, King James Version

Mark 5:9 in other translations

BSB“What is your name?” Jesus asked. “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.”
WEBHe asked him, “What is your name?” He said to him, “My name is Legion, for we are many.”
ASVAnd he asked him, What is thy name? And he saith unto him, My name is Legion; for we are many.
YLTand he was questioning him, ‘What is thy name?' and he answered, saying, ‘Legion is my name, because we are many;'
DARBYAnd he asked him, What is thy name? And he says to him, Legion is my name, because we are many.
BBEAnd Jesus said, What is your name? And he made answer, My name is Legion, because there are a great number of us.
WebsterAnd he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.

What does Mark 5:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
9. And he asked him, What is thy name?--The object of this question was to extort an acknowledgment of the virulence of demoniacal power by which this victim was enthralled. And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many--or, as in Luke (Lu 8:30) "because many devils [demons] were entered into him." A legion, in the Roman army, amounted, at its full complement, to six thousand; but here the word is used, as such words with us, and even this one, for an indefinitely large number--large enough however to rush, as soon as permission was given, into two thousand swine and destroy them.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 9. My name is Legion. Mt 8:29.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 9 Legion: for we are many - Could a disease have spoken so? "No, there was no devil in the case; the man spoke according to the prejudice of his countrymen." And do you think that the Spirit of God could employ himself in retailing such ridiculous and nonsensical prejudices? "But the evangelist gives these as this madman's words, and it was necessary that, as a faithful historian, he should mention these circumstances." But this objection is destroyed by the parallel place in Luke, Luk 8:30, where the inspired writer himself observes, that the demoniac was called Legion, because many demons had entered into him.

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 5:9 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
ἐπηρώταepērōtaHe was askingG1905
αὐτόν·autonhim;G846
τίtiWhat [is]G5101
ὄνομάonoma[the] nameG3686
σοι;soiof youG4771
καὶkaiAndG2532
λέγειlegeihe saysG3004
λεγιὼνlegiōnLegionG3003
ὄνομάonoma[is] nameG3686
μοιmoito MeG3165
ὅτιhotibecauseG3754
πολλοίpolloimanyG4183
ἐσμεν.esmenwe are.G1510

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

Cross references for Mark 5:9

  • Luke 8:30

    And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.

  • 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.

  • Matthew 26:53

    Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?

  • Luke 11:21-26

    When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. …

  • Matthew 12:45

    Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
What.
Lu 8:30; 11:21-26
Legion.
Mt 12:45; 26:53

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

Context

  • Mark 5:8

    For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.

  • Mark 5:9

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

  • Mark 5:10

    And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.

Read all of Mark 5

Mark 5:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y le preguntó: ¿Cómo te llamas? Y respondió diciendo: Legión me llamo; porque somos muchos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et il lui demanda: Quel est ton nom? Et il lui dit: J’ai nom Légion, car nous sommes plusieurs.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und er fragte ihn: Was ist dein Name? Und er spricht zu ihm: Legion ist mein Name, denn wir sind viele.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et interrogabat eum: Quod tibi nomen est? Et dicit ei: Legio mihi nomen est, quia multi sumus.