and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The demons don't just ask to be sent into the pigs; they beg for it. This isn't a casual request, but an urgent plea to avoid a worse fate – the abyss – showing their desperate fear of complete annihilation and their relentless drive to cause destruction, even if it's just to animals.
and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Fresh from calming the storm, Jesus lands on the Gentile side of the Sea of Galilee, immediately confronting a terrifying, intensely violent man possessed by a legion of demons. The demons, recognizing Jesus' divine authority and fearing His power, plead not to be sent into the abyss but instead ask permission to enter a nearby herd of pigs.
Why would demons, powerful spiritual beings, beg to enter pigs? It reveals a desperate strategy rooted in their deep hatred for humanity.
When Jesus commanded the unclean spirits to come out of the man, they didn't want to be sent away entirely. Their primary desire was to continue their destructive work.
Jesus didn't just cast out the demons; He allowed their request. What does this tell us about His ultimate power?
Jesus' permission for the demons to enter the swine is a powerful demonstration of His absolute authority.
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The demand to enter the pigs reveals the demons' immediate desire to continue causing destruction and to remain in the region, rather than face judgment or the 'abyss.' Their choice of pigs, unclean animals according to Jewish law, underscores their own impurity and reflects the cultural context of the Decapolis region, where pig farming was common despite Jewish objections.
c. 1st Century AD
Roman Rule in Decapolis
The region of Decapolis, a league of ten Greek cities east of the Jordan River, was under Roman influence. This area was known for its Hellenistic culture and economy, which included the raising of pigs, a practice considered unclean by Jewish law.
c. 1st Century AD
Presence of Roman Legions
Roman legions were stationed throughout the Roman Empire, including in regions like Judea and its surrounding territories. The term 'Legion' used by the demoniac reflects the understanding of Roman military organization and power prevalent in the region.
c. 30-33 AD— this verse
Jesus Encounters the Demoniac
Jesus crosses the Sea of Galilee into the region of the Gadarenes (or Gerasenes) and encounters a man, or two men according to Matthew, intensely afflicted by a 'legion' of demons. The demons beg Jesus to send them into a nearby herd of about two thousand pigs.
c. 30-33 AD
Destruction of the Swine Herd
Jesus permits the demons to enter the pigs. The entire herd then rushes violently down a steep bank into the sea and drowns. This event highlights the destructive nature of demonic power.
c. 30-33 AD
Gadarene Reaction and Jesus' Departure
The herdsmen flee and report the events to the town. The inhabitants, fearing for their property and perhaps intimidated by the display of supernatural power, beg Jesus to leave their region.
c. 30-33 AD
The Healed Man's Testimony
Jesus allows the formerly demon-possessed man, now clothed and in his right mind, to follow Him, but then sends him back to his home in the Decapolis to proclaim God's mercy. His testimony spreads the news of Jesus' power.
This passage directly parallels the demons' request to enter the swine, highlighting their fear of being sent to the abyss and their desire for any form of existence over utter destruction.
Matthew 8:31This parallel account emphasizes that the demons' request was not arbitrary but was a desperate measure to avoid a worse fate, illustrating their inherent malice by seeking to destroy the pigs.
2 Peter 2:4This verse speaks of God casting angels who sinned into hell, providing a theological backdrop to the demons' dread of the 'abyss' and their desperation to avoid this ultimate judgment.
Revelation 9:3This prophetic passage describes locusts with the power of scorpions, which, like the demons in Mark, are allowed to torment but not kill, hinting at the limited scope of destructive power granted to such entities.
pooleMark 5:12: "And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them."
See Poole on "Mark 5:1"
expositorsMark 5:1-20: "And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes."
Chapter 5CHAPTER 5:1-20 (Mark 5:1-20)THE DEMONIAC OF GADARA "And they came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. And when he was come out of the boat, straightway there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling in the tombs: and no man could any more bind him, no, not with a chain; because that he had been often bound with fetters and…
The demons don't just ask to be sent into the pigs; they beg for it. This isn't a casual request, but an urgent plea to avoid a worse fate – the abyss – showing their desperate fear of complete annihilation and their relentless drive to cause destruction, even if it's just to animals.
Fresh from calming the storm, Jesus lands on the Gentile side of the Sea of Galilee, immediately confronting a terrifying, intensely violent man possessed by a legion of demons. The demons, recognizing Jesus' divine authority and fearing His power, plead not to be sent into the abyss but instead ask permission to enter a nearby herd of pigs.
Fresh from calming the storm, Jesus lands on the Gentile side of the Sea of Galilee, immediately confronting a terrifying, intensely violent man possessed by a legion of demons. The demons, recognizing Jesus' divine authority and fearing His power, plead not to be sent into the abyss but instead ask permission to enter a nearby herd of pigs.
"and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.”" — The demons don't just ask to be sent into the pigs; they beg for it. This isn't a casual request, but an urgent plea to avoid a worse fate – the abyss – showing their desperate fear of complete ann…
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Last reviewed October 2026