Bible Strands
Mark 5:1
On the other side of the sea, they arrived in the region of the Gerasenes.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesus and His disciples arrive on the opposite shore of the sea after He commanded them to cross that evening (Mark 4:35). This geographical shift immediately precedes His descent from the boat to confront a man possessed by an unclean spirit (Mark 5:2).
The words — The phrase πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης (peran tēs thalassēs) literally translates to "the other side of the sea." The verb ἦλθον (ēlthon) simply records their arrival without narrative embellishment.
The thread — Parallel accounts locate this arrival in the region of the Gerasenes (Luke 8:26) or Gadarenes (Matthew 8:28). The narrative sequence directly fulfills the earlier command to cross to the other side (Mark 4:35).
Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to track Jesus' deliberate movement into a non-Jewish territory before engaging spiritual opposition. It demands attention to the concrete geography of His mission rather than abstract theological assumptions.
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.
The Greek words
King James Version
And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.
Cross-references
- Luke 8:26 Then they sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, across the lake from Galilee.
- Matthew 8:28 When Jesus arrived on the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, He was met by two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.
- Mark 4:35 When that evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side.”