And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The demon's desperate plea, "What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" reveals a crucial detail: even spiritual entities recognized Jesus' divine authority and role, not out of reverence, but out of sheer terror. This isn't a humble confession, but a fearful acknowledgment by a recognized enemy, highlighting Jesus' supreme power over the demonic realm.
And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Fresh from calming a stormy sea, Jesus lands in Gentile territory and is immediately confronted by a man utterly consumed by an evil spirit. This man, dwelling among tombs and known for his violence, runs to Jesus, recognizing Him as the Son of the Most High God, and desperately begs not to be tormented. The spirit within him, speaking through the man, acknowledges Jesus' divine authority but fears His power, pleading to be spared what it perceives as torture.
Why would an evil spirit immediately recognize Jesus and cry out to Him using a divine title?
This demoniac, or rather the evil spirit speaking through him, knows exactly who Jesus is. The phrase "Son of the Most High God" isn't just a casual greeting; it's a title that strikes fear into the heart of this spiritual entity.
Acknowledgment Under Duress
What kind of 'torment' was this demon so desperate to avoid, and why?
The demon's desperate plea, "I adjure you by God, do not torment me," reveals a profound fear of something more than just physical pain. This isn't about avoiding discomfort; it's about avoiding divine judgment and the loss of its power.
The Abyss and Loss of Influence
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Understand the original words
Huiē tou Theou tou hypsistou · Greek Noun phrase
A title acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah and the incarnation of God; it emphasizes his direct lineage from God and his unique authority over creation and the spiritual realm.
horkizō · Greek Verb
To command or charge someone solemnly, often under an oath or by the authority of a higher power, to do or refrain from doing something.
basanīsēs · Greek Verb
To bring intense pain or distress; in the context of demonic interaction with Jesus, it refers to the final judgment and the inherent terror of the spiritual realm in the presence of the Holy One.
The intense recognition of Jesus as 'Son of the Most High God' by demonic entities highlights their awareness of His divine authority, even as the local population's fear and concern for their economic interests (swine) led them to reject Him.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus' Ministry in Galilee
Jesus' public ministry, including teaching, healing, and casting out demons, gained widespread attention throughout Galilee and surrounding regions.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Crossing the Sea of Galilee
Jesus and his disciples deliberately crossed the Sea of Galilee from a Galilean shore to the region of the Decapolis, a mixed Gentile and Jewish territory.
Early 1st century AD
Encounter with the Demoniacs
Upon arrival, Jesus immediately encountered a man (or men, in Matthew's account) fiercely possessed by a legion of demons, living among the tombs.
Early 1st century AD
The Demoniac's Plea
The possessed man, speaking with the voice of the demons, recognized Jesus as the Son of the Most High God and pleaded not to be tormented or sent out of the region.
Early 1st century AD
Expulsion into Swine
Jesus permitted the demons to enter a nearby herd of swine, which then rushed into the sea and drowned.
Early 1st century AD
The Gadarenes' Reaction
The local inhabitants, fearing the loss of their livelihood and disturbed by the event, begged Jesus to leave their territory.
Early 1st century AD
The Healed Man's Commission
Jesus instructed the now-healed man to return to his home and share the great things God had done for him, which he then proclaimed throughout the Decapolis.
This passage describes the same encounter, highlighting the man's recognition of Jesus as the 'Son of the Most High God' and his desperate plea not to be tormented.
Matthew 8:29Matthew's account emphasizes the demons' fear and their acknowledgment of Jesus' divine identity, directly paralleling the demoniac's cry of 'What have you to do with me?'
Acts 16:17Here, a spirit of divination recognizes Paul and Silas as servants of the Most High God, showing a recurring pattern of spiritual forces acknowledging Jesus' unique divine authority.
Deuteronomy 32:8This Old Testament passage uses the title 'Most High God' when speaking of God's sovereignty over the nations, providing an ancient backdrop to the demon's recognition of Jesus' supreme authority.
pooleMark 5:7: "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."
Ver. 7. See Poole on "Mark 5:6"
vincentMark 5:7: "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."
Crying - he saithThe inarticulate cry (Mark 5:5), and then the articulate speech.What have I to do with thee? (τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοὶ)Lit., what is there to me and thee ? What have we in common?I adjure thee by GodStronger than Luke's I pray thee. The verb ὁρκίζω, I adjure, is condemned by the grammarians as inelegant.
The demon's desperate plea, "What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" reveals a crucial detail: even spiritual entities recognized Jesus' divine authority and role, not out of reverence, but out of sheer terror. This isn't a humble confession, but a fearful acknowledgment by a recognized enemy, highlighting Jesus' supreme power over the demonic realm.
Fresh from calming a stormy sea, Jesus lands in Gentile territory and is immediately confronted by a man utterly consumed by an evil spirit. This man, dwelling among tombs and known for his violence, runs to Jesus, recognizing Him as the Son of the Most High God, and desperately begs not to be tormented. The spirit within him, speaking through the man, acknowledges Jesus' divine authority but fears His power, pleading to be spared what it perceives as torture.
Fresh from calming a stormy sea, Jesus lands in Gentile territory and is immediately confronted by a man utterly consumed by an evil spirit. This man, dwelling among tombs and known for his violence, runs to Jesus, recognizing Him as the Son of the Most High God, and desperately begs not to be tormented. The spirit within him, speaking through the man, acknowledges Jesus' divine authority but fears His power, pleading to be spared what it perceives as torture.
"And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.”" — The demon's desperate plea, "What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" reveals a crucial detail: even spiritual entities recognized Jesus' divine authority and role, not out of re…
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Last reviewed October 2026