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Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying,
Luke 8:38 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB But the man from whom the demons had gone out begged him that he might go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,
  • BSB The man whom the demons had left begged to go with Jesus. But He sent him away, saying,
  • NKJV Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying,
  • NASB But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Him that he might accompany Him; but Jesus sent him away, saying,
  • NLT The man who had been freed from the demons begged to go with him. But Jesus sent him home, saying,

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The freed man begs to go with Jesus, but Jesus sends him home instead. Christ gives him a different calling.

Overview

Out of gratitude and devotion, the delivered man wants to accompany Jesus, but Jesus has another purpose for him. His request reflects genuine love for his deliverer. Jesus redirects that love into mission among the man's own people.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 22

  • Acts 9:13–16Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
  • Mark 5:18–20And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
  • Ps 145:3–12Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.
  • Deut 10:20–21Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.
  • Isa 63:7–13I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.
  • Luke 8:28When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.
  • Luke 8:37Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.
  • Gal 1:23–24But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.
  • Phil 1:23For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
  • 1 Tim 1:13–16Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
  • Ps 27:4One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
  • Ps 116:12What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?
  • Ps 107:31–32Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
  • Ps 32:7Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.
  • Ps 78:3–6Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
  • Ps 107:21–22Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
  • Ps 111:2–4The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.
  • Ps 116:16O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.
  • Exod 12:25–27And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.
  • Ps 71:17–18O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
  • Exod 13:8–9And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt.
  • Exod 13:14–16And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Luke videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Luke 8:38YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on LukeMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.

How Luke 8:38 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.