What is the meaning of Mark 5:14? Those tending the pigs “Those tending the pigs” (Mark 5:14) identifies real workers who watched over a very large herd (Mark 5:13). • Their presence roots the miracle in daily life, echoing Luke 8:34. • Because pigs were unclean to Jews (Leviticus 11:7-8), the scene confirms a Gentile setting where Jesus’ compassion reached outsiders. • Multiple eyewitnesses satisfy Deuteronomy 19:15, providing credible testimony that the possessed man was truly freed. Ran off The herdsmen “ran off.” Sudden flight is common when people meet God’s raw power—see Matthew 8:33 and Mark 4:41. • Fear: They had watched two thousand pigs drown in moments. • Shock: No human explanation could account for such authority. • Self-preservation: Losing someone else’s livestock carried serious liability (Exodus 22:14-15). Their reaction illustrates Proverbs 28:1—the wicked flee, but the righteous stand in holy awe. And reported this They “reported this.” Like the cured leper who “proclaimed it freely” (Mark 1:45), or the Samaritan woman in John 4:28-29, witnesses naturally speak. • They recounted both the exorcism and the loss (Luke 8:34). • Testimony prepares others to meet Christ, aligning with Romans 10:14. • God used unlikely messengers—swineherds—to broadcast His glory. In the town and countryside The news spread “in the town and countryside.” Jesus’ works radiated into every corner, as in Mark 1:28 and 1:45. • Urban and rural listeners alike became accountable for what they heard (Acts 17:30-31). • The speed of word-of-mouth underscores how compelling the event was. And the people went out Hearing the account, “the people went out.” Curiosity stirred them just as it drew crowds after Lazarus’ resurrection (John 12:9-11). • Honest seekers move toward evidence (Jeremiah 29:13). • God invites examination: “Come and see” (John 1:46). To see what had happened They came “to see what had happened,” and Luke 8:35 records the sight: the once-violent man, calm and clothed at Jesus’ feet. • Visible transformation confirms 2 Corinthians 5:17—new creation is tangible. • The crowd now faced a choice: celebrate salvation or lament financial loss. Many chose fear and asked Jesus to leave (Mark 5:17). • Meanwhile, the delivered man became a living witness throughout the Decapolis (Mark 5:20). summary Mark 5:14 depicts eyewitness herdsmen fleeing, testifying, and drawing townspeople to verify Jesus’ liberating power. The verse grounds the miracle in history, highlights the value of a single soul over material loss, and shows that genuine encounters with Christ compel both proclamation and investigation. |
    |