Bible Strands
Mark 5:10
And he begged Jesus repeatedly not to send them out of that region.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The unclean spirits, identified as Legion because they are many, beg Jesus not to send them out of that specific region. This plea occurs immediately after Jesus asks the possessed man his name and follows the observation of a nearby herd of pigs.
The words — παρεκάλει (parekalei) means "he was begging" and is intensified by πολλὰ (polla), literally "numerous times," emphasizing the repeated nature of the request. The construction uses ἵνα (ina) with a negative μὴ (mē) to form a strong plea that Jesus "may not send" (ἀποστείλῃ) them away.
The thread — The theme of demonic opposition and accusations of demonic alliance appears in Mark 3:22 when scribes claim Jesus is possessed by Beelzebul. The immediate narrative consequence unfolds in Mark 5:13 when Jesus grants permission and the spirits enter the pigs.
Why it lands — The text states that the spirits repeatedly ask Jesus to keep them within a specific geographic boundary. It requires the reader to acknowledge that spiritual forces operate under territorial constraints and submit to Christ's authority.
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 he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
Cross-references
- Mark 3:22 And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “By the prince of the demons He drives out demons.”
- Mark 5:13 He gave them permission, and the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs, and the herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the water.