Matthew 8:31
New International Version
The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

New Living Translation
So the demons begged, “If you cast us out, send us into that herd of pigs.”

English Standard Version
And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.”

Berean Standard Bible
So the demons begged Jesus, “If You drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

Berean Literal Bible
And the demons were begging Him, saying, "If You cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs."

King James Bible
So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.

New King James Version
So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.”

New American Standard Bible
And the demons begged Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

NASB 1995
The demons began to entreat Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.”

NASB 1977
And the demons began to entreat Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And the demons began to plead with Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.”

Amplified Bible
The demons began begging Him, “If You drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

Christian Standard Bible
“If you drive us out,” the demons begged him, “send us into the herd of pigs.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If You drive us out,” the demons begged Him, “send us into the herd of pigs.”

American Standard Version
And the demons besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine.

Contemporary English Version
So the demons begged Jesus, "If you force us out, please send us into those pigs!"

English Revised Version
And the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The demons begged Jesus, "If you're going to force us out, send us into that herd of pigs."

Good News Translation
So the demons begged Jesus, "If you are going to drive us out, send us into that herd of pigs."

International Standard Version
So the demons began to plead with Jesus, saying, "If you drive us out, send us into that herd of pigs."

Majority Standard Bible
So the demons begged Jesus, “If You drive us out, permit us to go off into the herd of pigs.”

NET Bible
Then the demons begged him, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs."

New Heart English Bible
And the demons begged him, saying, "If you cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of pigs."

Webster's Bible Translation
So the demons besought him, saying, If thou expellest us, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.

Weymouth New Testament
So the demons entreated Him. "If Thou drivest us out," they said, "send us into the herd of swine."

World English Bible
The demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of pigs.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and the demons were calling on Him, saying, “If You cast us forth, permit us to go away into the herd of the pigs”;

Berean Literal Bible
And the demons were begging Him, saying, "If You cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs."

Young's Literal Translation
and the demons were calling on him, saying, 'If thou dost cast us forth, permit us to go away to the herd of the swine;'

Smith's Literal Translation
And the evil spirits besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the devils besought him, saying: If thou cast us out hence, send us into the herd of swine.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then the demons petitioned him, saying: “If you cast us from here, send us into the herd of swine.”

New American Bible
The demons pleaded with him, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.”

New Revised Standard Version
The demons begged him, “If you cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the lunatics kept asking him, saying, If you are going to heal us, permit us to attack # the herd of swine.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But those demons were begging him and saying, “If you cast us out, allow us to go into the herd of pigs.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And the demons besought him, saying: If thou cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.

Godbey New Testament
And the demons continued to intreat him, saying, If you cast us out, permit us to depart into the herd of swine.

Haweis New Testament
Then the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, permit us to go into the herd of swine.

Mace New Testament
So the devils entreated him, saying, if you force us out, suffer us to retire into the herd of swine.

Weymouth New Testament
So the demons entreated Him. "If Thou drivest us out," they said, "send us into the herd of swine."

Worrell New Testament
And the demons were entreating Him, saying, "If Thou cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine."

Worsley New Testament
saying, If Thou cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Demons and the Pigs
30In the distance a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31So the demons begged Jesus, “If You drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” 32“Go!” He told them. So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and died in the waters.…

Cross References
Mark 5:12
So the demons begged Jesus, “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.”

Luke 8:32
There on the hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding. So the demons begged Jesus to let them enter the pigs, and He gave them permission.

Matthew 4:24
News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and He healed them.

Matthew 12:43-45
When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. / Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ On its return, it finds the house vacant, swept clean, and put in order. / Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and dwell there. And the final plight of that man is worse than the first. So will it be with this wicked generation.”

Mark 1:23-27
Suddenly a man with an unclean spirit cried out in the synagogue: / “What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” / But Jesus rebuked the spirit. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!” ...

Luke 4:33-36
In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon. He cried out in a loud voice, / “Ha! What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” / But Jesus rebuked the demon. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!” At this, the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without harming him. ...

Matthew 9:32-33
As they were leaving, a demon-possessed man who was mute was brought to Jesus. / And when the demon had been driven out, the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!”

Matthew 15:22
And a Canaanite woman from that region came to Him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.”

Matthew 17:18
Then Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.

Mark 9:25
When Jesus saw that a crowd had come running, He rebuked the unclean spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” He said, “I command you to come out and never enter him again.”

Luke 9:42
Even while the boy was approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.

Acts 16:16-18
One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of divination, who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling. / This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!” / She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” And the spirit left her at that very moment.

Acts 19:13-16
Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I command you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.” / Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. / But one day the evil spirit responded, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” ...

Leviticus 11:7
And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you.

Deuteronomy 14:8
as well as the pig; though it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud. It is unclean for you. You must not eat its meat or touch its carcass.


Treasury of Scripture

So the devils sought him, saying, If you cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.

Mark 5:7,12
And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not…

Luke 8:30-33
And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him…

Revelation 12:12
Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

Jump to Previous
Begged Besought Cast Demons Devils Drive Drivest Entreat Entreated Evil Herd Jesus Permit Pigs Prayers Spirits Strong Suffer Swine
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Begged Besought Cast Demons Devils Drive Drivest Entreat Entreated Evil Herd Jesus Permit Pigs Prayers Spirits Strong Suffer Swine
Matthew 8
1. Jesus cleanses the leper;
5. heals the centurion's servant,
14. Peter's mother in law,
16. and many others;
18. shows the cost of following him;
23. stills the storm on the sea;
28. drives the demons out of two men possessed;
31. and tells them to go into the pigs.














So the demons
The term "demons" refers to malevolent spiritual beings opposed to God. In the Greek, "daimonion" is used, indicating beings that possess individuals, causing physical and spiritual harm. Historically, Jewish understanding of demons was influenced by intertestamental literature, which depicted them as fallen angels. This highlights the spiritual warfare present in Jesus' ministry, emphasizing His authority over all spiritual realms.

begged Jesus
The Greek word "parakaleó" is used here, meaning to call to one's side or to entreat. This indicates a recognition of Jesus' supreme authority by the demons. Despite their malevolent nature, they are compelled to submit to Jesus' command, showcasing His divine power and the fulfillment of messianic prophecies that the Messiah would have dominion over evil.

'If You drive us out
The phrase "drive us out" uses the Greek "ekballó," meaning to cast out or expel. This reflects the common practice of exorcism in the ancient world, but with a significant difference: Jesus does so by His own authority, not through rituals or incantations. This demonstrates His unique identity as the Son of God, who commands the spiritual realm with a word.

send us into the herd of pigs
Pigs were considered unclean animals according to Jewish law (Leviticus 11:7). The demons' request to enter the pigs underscores their destructive nature and the chaos they bring. This also serves as a symbolic act, illustrating the separation between the holy and the unclean. The presence of pigs in this region, likely the Decapolis, reflects a Gentile population, highlighting the universal scope of Jesus' ministry and His power over evil, regardless of cultural or religious boundaries.

(31) So the devils besought him.--As St. Mark gives the words, "that He should not send them out of the country," or district, in which they were; as in St. Luke's report, "that He would not command them to go out into the deep," i.e., the abyss, the "bottomless pit" of Revelation 9:1-2; Revelation 9:11. The words of the man are as those of the demons with whom he identifies himself. He shrinks from the thought of wandering in dry places, "seeking rest, and finding none" (Matthew 12:43), or being compelled to flee, like Asmodeus, into "the utmost parts of Egypt" (Tobit 8:3), or, worst fate of all, to be sent into the "abyss," which was the ultimate doom of evil. And so he, as one with them, suggests another alternative: "If Thou cast us out, send us into the herd of swine. If the power to terrify and disturb men is taken from us, let us, at least, retain the power to destroy brutes."



Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
So
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

the
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

demons
δαίμονες (daimones)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1142: An evil-spirit, demon. From daio; a d?Mon or supernatural spirit.

begged
παρεκάλουν (parekaloun)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 3870: From para and kaleo; to call near, i.e. Invite, invoke.

[Jesus],
αὐτὸν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

“If
Εἰ (Ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

You drive us out,
ἐκβάλλεις (ekballeis)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 1544: To throw (cast, put) out; I banish; I bring forth, produce. From ek and ballo; to eject.

send us
ἀπόστειλον (aposteilon)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 649: From apo and stello; set apart, i.e. to send out literally or figuratively.

into
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

herd
ἀγέλην (agelēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 34: A flock, herd. From ago; a drove.

of pigs.”
χοίρων (choirōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 5519: A swine, hog, sow. Of uncertain derivation; a hog.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 8:31 The demons begged him saying If you (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 8:30
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