“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus tells the formerly demon-possessed man to proclaim what God has done for him, but the man instead testifies about what Jesus has done. This isn't a correction by Jesus, but a subtle yet profound shift from attributing the miracle to the Father to recognizing Jesus himself as the divine agent.
“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Having just delivered a man from a powerful legion of demons, Jesus tells the healed man to return home and share his story. While Jesus commanded secrecy in other instances, this man is explicitly sent to proclaim what God has done for him, likely because Jesus would not be returning to this region. The man immediately obeys, becoming a powerful testimony throughout the city.
Why did Jesus tell this man to share his story? It wasn't just a nice suggestion; it was a deliberate act with profound reasons.
Jesus' instruction to the healed man to "return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you" wasn't random. Notice:
What exactly are these 'great things' Jesus did? It was far more than just casting out demons – it was a total life transformation.
The man proclaimed "how much Jesus had done for him." This wasn't just a one-time exorcism; it encompassed a profound restoration:
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Understand the original words
Theos · Greek Noun
The divine being, the Creator, and Sustainer of the universe, who intervenes in human history to bring about salvation and fulfill His sovereign purposes.
kērussō · Greek Verb
The act of announcing or making public a message, news, or testimony. In a biblical context, it often refers to witnessing to the works, nature, or gospel of God/Jesus.
The command to 'declare how much God has done for you' highlights a key reason Jesus sometimes asked for silence: in this Gentile region, a powerful testimony of his work was needed, but it wouldn't draw crowds to him there, as the people had just asked him to leave.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus travels around Galilee
Jesus and his disciples are ministering in the region of Galilee, teaching, healing, and casting out demons.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus crosses the Sea of Galilee
Jesus and his disciples set out across the Sea of Galilee, despite a storm, and land in the region of the Gerasenes.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Demoniac healed near Gadara
Jesus encounters a man possessed by a legion of demons, heals him, and allows the demons to enter a herd of swine, which then rush into the sea.
Early 1st century AD
Gerasenes reject Jesus
The inhabitants of the region, fearful of Jesus' power and concerned about their livestock, ask him to leave their territory.
Early 1st century AD
Healed man proclaims Jesus' deeds
Jesus instructs the formerly demon-possessed man to return home and declare what God has done for him, which he does throughout the city.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus returns to Galilee
Jesus crosses back over the Sea of Galilee, leaving the region of the Gerasenes.
This passage directly parallels the command given in Luke 8:39, emphasizing that the healed man also proclaimed 'how much the Lord had done for him' and 'had had mercy on him' in the broader Decapolis region.
1 Samuel 2:8This verse from Hannah's prayer echoes the sentiment of recognizing God's powerful acts in one's life, stating, 'He raises the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap.' The healed man's testimony is a powerful example of this divine reversal.
John 9:24-25Similar to the command for the formerly demon-possessed man, Jesus instructs the man born blind to 'go, wash in the pool of Siloam' and then testifies himself about his healing. This highlights the personal testimony as a key way God's work is revealed.
Psalm 66:16The psalmist declares, 'Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.' This verse captures the essence of the healed man's obedience – a public declaration of God's personal intervention.
1 Peter 2:9This verse calls believers a 'royal priesthood, a holy nation,' and declares that they 'proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.' The healed man's public testimony directly fulfills this priestly duty.
gillLuke 8:39: "Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him."
Return to thine own house,.... Which very likely was in the city of Gadara, whither he went, and throughout the whole of which he published the account of the dispossession of the devils from him: Mark adds, "to thy friends"; relations, acquaintance, and countrymen: and show how great things God hath don…
ellicottLuke 8:39: "Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him."
(39) Throughout the whole city. —The city was, of course, according to the reading adopted, Gerasa, or Gadara.
Jesus tells the formerly demon-possessed man to proclaim what God has done for him, but the man instead testifies about what Jesus has done. This isn't a correction by Jesus, but a subtle yet profound shift from attributing the miracle to the Father to recognizing Jesus himself as the divine agent.
Having just delivered a man from a powerful legion of demons, Jesus tells the healed man to return home and share his story. While Jesus commanded secrecy in other instances, this man is explicitly sent to proclaim what God has done for him, likely because Jesus would not be returning to this region. The man immediately obeys, becoming a powerful testimony throughout the city.
Having just delivered a man from a powerful legion of demons, Jesus tells the healed man to return home and share his story. While Jesus commanded secrecy in other instances, this man is explicitly sent to proclaim what God has done for him, likely because Jesus would not be returning to this region. The man immediately obeys, becoming a powerful testimony throughout the city.
"“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him." — Jesus tells the formerly demon-possessed man to proclaim what God has done for him, but the man instead testifies about what Jesus has done. This isn't a correction by Jesus, but a subtle yet pro…
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Last reviewed October 2026