Luke 8:26

Study note

Setting — The narrative records Jesus and His disciples sailing across the lake from Galilee immediately after the disciples express awe at His command over the wind and water. This transition places them at the geographic starting point for the next encounter with a demon-possessed man.

The words — The Greek verb κατεπλεύσαν (katepleusan) literally means "they sailed down," indicating the direction of travel from Galilee toward the lower elevation of the sea. The preposition εἰς (eis) marks their destination as the specific territory belonging to the Gerasenes.

The thread — Parallel accounts record this same journey into the territory of the Gerasenes in Mark 5:1 and the region of the Gadarenes in Matthew 8:28. These synoptic parallels confirm the geographic shift as a deliberate narrative bridge to the next event.

Why it lands — The verse establishes a physical movement that precedes a spiritual confrontation, requiring the reader to track Jesus’ deliberate progression into hostile territory. It demands attention to the narrative sequence rather than abstract theology.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.