Mark 5:3
New International Version
This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain.

New Living Translation
This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain.

English Standard Version
He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain,

Berean Standard Bible
This man had been living in the tombs and could no longer be restrained, even with chains.

Berean Literal Bible
who had the dwelling in the tombs. And no longer was anyone able to bind him, not even with chains,

King James Bible
Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:

New King James Version
who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains,

New American Standard Bible
He lived among the tombs; and no one was able to bind him anymore, not even with a chain,

NASB 1995
and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain;

NASB 1977
and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain;

Legacy Standard Bible
who had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain;

Amplified Bible
and the man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with chains.

Christian Standard Bible
He lived in the tombs, and no one was able to restrain him anymore—not even with a chain —

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He lived in the tombs. No one was able to restrain him anymore—even with chains—

American Standard Version
who had his dwelling in the tombs: and no man could any more bind him, no, not with a chain;

Contemporary English Version
from the graveyard where he had been living. No one was able to tie the man up anymore, not even with a chain.

English Revised Version
who had his dwelling in the tombs: and no man could any more bind him, no, not with a chain;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
and lived among the tombs. No one could restrain him any longer, not even with a chain.

Good News Translation
and lived among the tombs. Nobody could keep him tied with chains any more;

International Standard Version
He lived among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, not even with a chain.

Majority Standard Bible
This man had been living in the tombs and could no longer be restrained, even with chains.

NET Bible
He lived among the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain.

New Heart English Bible
He lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain.

Webster's Bible Translation
Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:

Weymouth New Testament
This man lived among the tombs, nor could any one now secure him even with a chain;

World English Bible
He lived in the tombs. Nobody could bind him any more, not even with chains,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
who had his dwelling in the tombs, and not even with chains was anyone able to bind him,

Berean Literal Bible
who had the dwelling in the tombs. And no longer was anyone able to bind him, not even with chains,

Young's Literal Translation
who had his dwelling in the tombs, and not even with chains was any one able to bind him,

Smith's Literal Translation
Who had a dwelling among the monuments; and neither with chains could any one bind him:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who had his dwelling in the tombs, and no man now could bind him, not even with chains.

Catholic Public Domain Version
who had his dwelling place with the tombs; neither had anyone been able to bind him, even with chains.

New American Bible
The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.

New Revised Standard Version
He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
He lived in the cemetery, and no man could bind him in chains;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he dwelt among the tombs and no one was able to bind him with chains,
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could keep him bound even with chains;

Godbey New Testament
who had his dwelling among the tombs: neither was any one able to bind him with chains;

Haweis New Testament
coming out of the tombs; who had his abode among the tombs; and no man could secure him, not even with chains;

Mace New Testament
no man being able to confine him, no not with chains:

Weymouth New Testament
This man lived among the tombs, nor could any one now secure him even with a chain;

Worrell New Testament
who had his dwelling in the tombs; and no one could any longer bind him, not even with a chain;

Worsley New Testament
a man with an impure spirit, who kept among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Demons and the Pigs
2As soon as Jesus got out of the boat, He was met by a man with an unclean spirit, who was coming from the tombs. 3This man had been living in the tombs and could no longer be restrained, even with chains. 4Though he was often bound with chains and shackles, he had broken the chains and shattered the shackles. Now there was no one with the strength to subdue him.…

Cross References
Luke 8:27
When Jesus stepped ashore, He was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothing or lived in a house, but he stayed in the tombs.

Matthew 8:28
When Jesus arrived on the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, He was met by two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.

Isaiah 65:4
sitting among the graves, spending nights in secret places, eating the meat of pigs and polluted broth from their bowls.

2 Peter 2:4
For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;

Jude 1:6
And the angels who did not stay within their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling—these He has kept in eternal chains under darkness, bound for judgment on that great day.

Revelation 18:2
And he cried out in a mighty voice: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a lair for demons and a haunt for every unclean spirit, every unclean bird, and every detestable beast.

Job 30:5-7
They were banished from among men, shouted at like thieves, / so that they lived on the slopes of the wadis, among the rocks and in holes in the ground. / They cried out among the shrubs and huddled beneath the nettles.

Isaiah 14:17
who turned the world into a desert and destroyed its cities, who refused to let the captives return to their homes?”

Jeremiah 5:3
O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.

Psalm 107:10
Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and chains,

Acts 8:7
With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, and many of the paralyzed and lame were healed.

1 Samuel 16:14
Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a spirit of distress from the LORD began to torment him.

1 Kings 22:22
And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’

Daniel 4:33
At that moment the sentence against Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from mankind. He ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.

Zechariah 13:2
And on that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will also remove the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land.


Treasury of Scripture

Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:

Mark 9:18-22
And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not…

Isaiah 65:4
Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;

Daniel 4:32,33
And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will…

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Mark 5
1. Jesus delivering the possessed of the legion of demons,
13. they enter into the pigs.
22. He is entreated by Jairus to go and heal his daughter.
25. He heals the woman subject to bleeding,
35. and raises Jairus' daughter from death.














He had been living in the tombs
This phrase highlights the man's isolation and separation from society. In the Jewish context, tombs were considered unclean places, and living among them would have made the man ritually impure. The Greek word for "tombs" is "mnēma," which refers to a memorial or a grave. This setting underscores the depth of the man's affliction, as he dwells among the dead, symbolizing spiritual death and separation from God. His residence in the tombs reflects a life dominated by demonic forces, cut off from community and divine fellowship.

and could no longer be restrained
The phrase indicates a progression in the man's condition. Initially, there might have been attempts to control or help him, but these efforts proved futile. The Greek word "deō" means to bind or tie, suggesting that the community had tried to subdue him physically. This inability to restrain him symbolizes the powerlessness of human efforts against spiritual bondage. It serves as a reminder of the limitations of human strength and the need for divine intervention in overcoming spiritual oppression.

even with chains
Chains, or "halysis" in Greek, were typically used to bind prisoners, indicating the severity of the man's condition. The use of chains suggests that the man was seen as a threat to himself and others, necessitating extreme measures to control him. Historically, chains were made of iron, symbolizing strength and durability, yet even these could not hold him. This detail emphasizes the supernatural strength granted by the demonic presence, highlighting the spiritual battle at play. It points to the reality that spiritual bondage cannot be broken by physical means alone, but requires the power of Christ to truly liberate and restore.

(3) No man could bind him.--The better MSS. give, "no man could any longer bind him." The attempt had been so often made and baffled that it had been given up in despair.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[He]
ὃς (hos)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

had
εἶχεν (eichen)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

been living
κατοίκησιν (katoikēsin)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2731: A dwelling, abode, habitation. From katoikeo; residence.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

the
τοῖς (tois)
Article - Dative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

tombs
μνήμασιν (mnēmasin)
Noun - Dative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3418: A tomb, monument, memorial. From mnaomai; a memorial, i.e. Sepulchral monument.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

could
ἐδύνατο (edynato)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1410: (a) I am powerful, have (the) power, (b) I am able, I can. Of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible.

no longer
οὐκέτι (ouketi)
Adverb
Strong's 3765: No longer, no more. Also ouk eti from ou and eti; not yet, no longer.

be restrained,
δῆσαι (dēsai)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 1210: To bind, tie, fasten; I impel, compel; I declare to be prohibited and unlawful. A primary verb; to bind.

[even]
οὐδὲ (oude)
Adverb
Strong's 3761: Neither, nor, not even, and not. From ou and de; not however, i.e. Neither, nor, not even.

with chains.
ἁλύσει (halysei)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 254: A (light) chain, bond. Of uncertain derivation; a fetter or manacle.


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NT Gospels: Mark 5:3 He lived in the tombs (Mar Mk Mr)
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