Luke 8:27

When Jesus stepped ashore, He was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothing or lived in a house, but he stayed in the tombs.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jesus steps onto land in the region of the Gerasenes after crossing the lake from Galilee. He is immediately confronted by a demon-possessed man who has lived among the tombs without clothing or a home for an extended period.

The words — The Greek ὑπηντήσεν (hupēntēsen) literally means "met" or "encountered," indicating a sudden, face-to-face confrontation. This verb follows ἐξελθόντι (exelthonti), "having gone forth," marking the precise moment Jesus disembarks.

The thread — This encounter parallels the synoptic account in Mark 5:2, where Jesus is similarly met by a man with an unclean spirit emerging from the tombs. The theme of ritual impurity associated with tombs also echoes the purity laws outlined in Numbers 19:16.

Why it lands — The text demands recognition that Jesus enters spaces of extreme defilement and social exclusion without hesitation. It requires the reader to acknowledge that divine authority operates directly upon brokenness rather than waiting for it to be cleaned first.

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The Greek words

King James Version

And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.

Cross-references

Mark 5:2 As soon as Jesus got out of the boat, He was met by a man with an unclean spirit, who was coming from the tombs.
1 Samuel 19:24 Then Saul stripped off his robes and also prophesied before Samuel. And he collapsed and lay naked all that day and night. That is why it is said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
Numbers 19:16 Anyone in the open field who touches someone who has been killed by the sword or has died of natural causes, or anyone who touches a human bone or a grave, will be unclean for seven days.
Isaiah 65:4 sitting among the graves, spending nights in secret places, eating the meat of pigs and polluted broth from their bowls.