Luke 8:33

Then the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — The narrator records the immediate aftermath of Jesus permitting unclean spirits to leave a demon-possessed man and enter a nearby herd of pigs. This occurs during Jesus’ ministry on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, directly following the permission granted in Luke 8:32.

The words — ἐξελθόντα (exelthon) translates literally as "having gone out" and εἰσῆλθον (eisēlthon) as "they entered," denoting the precise physical transfer of the spirits from the man to the animals. These verbs structure the verse as a direct account of movement rather than a symbolic statement.

The thread — The crossing to the lake's eastern side recalls Jesus' prior command to his disciples in Luke 8:22, while the destructive outcome mirrors the devil's identity as a murderer and devourer in John 8:44 and 1 Peter 5:8. The narrative pattern of spiritual entities moving between hosts and causing ruin appears throughout the biblical witness to hostile powers.

Why it lands — The text states that the herd rushed down a steep bank into the lake and was drowned, establishing that spiritual activity produces concrete, observable consequences. It requires the reader to acknowledge Christ's authority to command hostile powers while soberly recognizing that permitted disruption still yields destruction.

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The Greek words

King James Version

Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.

Cross-references

Luke 8:22 One day Jesus said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side of the lake.” So He got into a boat with them and set out.
John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Revelation 9:11 They were ruled by a king, the angel of the Abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek it is Apollyon.