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The Gospels · New Testament

Mark 5

Mark 5: the man among the tombs, a woman healed, and Talitha cumi

General context

On the other side, in the country of the Gadarenes, a man with an unclean spirit meets Jesus out of the tombs. The narrator says no chains held him, that he broke fetters and lived night and day in the mountains and tombs, crying and cutting himself with stones. He runs and worships, and the voice from him asks not to be tormented. Asked his name he answers Legion, for we are many, and begs not to be sent out of the country. The spirits enter a herd of about two thousand swine, which run down a steep place into the sea and are choked. The herdsmen tell it in the city, the people come and see the man clothed and in his right mind and are afraid, and they ask Jesus to leave. The man asks to go with him and is sent home instead, and he publishes it in Decapolis. Back across the sea, Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue, falls at his feet for his dying little daughter. On the way a woman who has had an issue of blood twelve years and spent all she had touches his garment and is healed; Jesus asks who touched his clothes, she tells him all the truth, and he says her faith has made her whole. Word comes that the daughter is dead. Taking only Peter, James and John, and then the parents, he says the damsel sleeps, is laughed to scorn, takes her hand and says Talitha cumi, and she rises and walks.

Cited passages: Mark 5:1, Mark 5:2, Mark 5:3, Mark 5:4, Mark 5:5, Mark 5:6, Mark 5:7, Mark 5:8, Mark 5:9, Mark 5:10, Mark 5:11, Mark 5:12, Mark 5:13, Mark 5:14, Mark 5:15, Mark 5:16, Mark 5:17, Mark 5:18, Mark 5:19, Mark 5:20, Mark 5:21, Mark 5:22, Mark 5:23, Mark 5:24, Mark 5:25, Mark 5:26, Mark 5:27, Mark 5:28, Mark 5:29, Mark 5:30, Mark 5:31, Mark 5:32, Mark 5:33, Mark 5:34, Mark 5:35, Mark 5:36, Mark 5:37, Mark 5:38, Mark 5:39, Mark 5:40, Mark 5:41, Mark 5:42, Mark 5:43

Mark 5 (KJV)

1And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.

2And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,

3Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains:

4Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.

5And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

6But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,

7And 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.

8For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.

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

10And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.

11Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.

12And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.

13And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.

14And 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.

15And 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.

16And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine.

17And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.

18And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.

19Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.

20And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

21And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.

22And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,

23And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.

24And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.

25And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

26And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,

27When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

28For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

29And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

30And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

31And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

32And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.

33But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

34And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

35While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?

36As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

37And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

38And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.

39And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.

40And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.

41And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.

42And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.

43And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

Mark names the synagogue ruler Jairus and leaves the man among the tombs and the bleeding woman unnamed. Legion is the answer the spirit gives when asked its name, not a description the narrator supplies. The setting is given only as the country of the Gadarenes and then the other side of the sea, with no further location and no date. Mark records the words spoken over the girl, Talitha cumi, and then gives their meaning, "being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise", as he does with Boanerges earlier and Ephphatha later. Two spans of twelve years stand in the text, the woman's illness and the girl's age, and the narrator states both. The text gives the crowd's fear and their request that he depart without explaining their reason.

Cited passages: Mark 5:1, Mark 5:2, Mark 5:9, Mark 5:15, Mark 5:17, Mark 5:21, Mark 5:22, Mark 5:25, Mark 5:41, Mark 5:42, Mark 3:17, Mark 7:34

Literary context

One story is opened and then held while another finishes inside it. Jairus asks, the procession starts, the woman interrupts it, and only after she has told all the truth does the message arrive that the child is dead. The delay is what makes the news possible, and the text places the two females side by side, a daughter of twelve years and a woman ill for twelve. The approaches contrast: a named ruler falls at his feet in the open, an unnamed woman comes in the press behind and touches his garment. Touch runs through both halves, her hand on his clothes and his hand on the child. The chapter ends with a strict charge that no one should know, followed by an order that the girl be given something to eat.

Cited passages: Mark 5:22, Mark 5:23, Mark 5:24, Mark 5:27, Mark 5:28, Mark 5:29, Mark 5:30, Mark 5:33, Mark 5:34, Mark 5:35, Mark 5:36, Mark 5:40, Mark 5:41, Mark 5:42, Mark 5:43

Key moments

  1. My name is Legion (Mark 5:9). Asked its name, the spirit answers Legion, for we are many.
  2. The herd drowned (Mark 5:13). The spirits enter about two thousand swine, which run into the sea and are choked.
  3. Sent home to tell it (Mark 5:19). Jesus refuses the man’s request to come and sends him to his friends instead.
  4. A touch in the crowd (Mark 5:28). The woman says that touching his clothes will make her whole.
  5. Thy faith hath made thee whole (Mark 5:34). After she tells him all the truth, he sends her away in peace.
  6. News of the death (Mark 5:35). Messengers say the daughter is dead and ask why the Master is troubled further.
  7. Talitha cumi (Mark 5:41). He takes her hand and speaks words Mark translates as Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.

For reflection

The people of the country see the man sitting clothed and in his right mind and then ask Jesus to leave. What does the text report about their fear, and what does it leave unexplained?

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