There on the nearby hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now on the mountainside there was a great herd of pigs feeding.
- KJV Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.
- NKJV Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.
- NASB Now there was a large herd of pigs feeding nearby on the mountain.
- NLT There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby.
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
A large herd of pigs was feeding nearby on the mountainside.
Overview
Mark notes the herd of pigs, fitting the Gentile setting where such animals were raised. Their presence becomes the means by which the reality of the deliverance is publicly demonstrated. The detail prepares for the dramatic outcome that follows.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Lev 11:7–8And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you.
- Isa 65:4sitting among the graves, spending nights in secret places, eating the meat of pigs and polluted broth from their bowls.
- Isa 66:3Whoever slaughters an ox is like one who slays a man; whoever sacrifices a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever presents a grain offering is like one who offers pig’s blood; whoever offers frankincense is like one who blesses an idol. Indeed, they have chosen their own ways and delighted in their abominations.
- Deut 14:8as well as the pig; though it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud. It is unclean for you. You must not eat its meat or touch its carcass.
- Luke 8:32There on the hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding. So the demons begged Jesus to let them enter the pigs, and He gave them permission.
- Matt 8:30In the distance a large herd of pigs was feeding.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 5:11 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.