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And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
Mark 5:15 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB They came to Jesus, and saw him who had been possessed by demons sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, even him who had the legion; and they were afraid.
  • BSB When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons sitting there, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
  • NKJV Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.
  • NASB And then they *came to Jesus and *saw the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had previously had the “legion”; and they became frightened.
  • NLT A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid.

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 people find the formerly possessed man sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, and they are afraid.

Overview

The transformation is complete: the wild, naked, self-harming man now sits calm and restored at Jesus' feet. This is a picture of the salvation Christ brings, restoring sinners to clothing, sanity, and peace. Yet the people respond with fear rather than worship, troubled by such power.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 19

  • Col 1:13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
  • 2 Tim 1:7For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
  • 1 Sam 6:20–21And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?
  • 1 Sam 16:4And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
  • Isa 49:24–25Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?
  • Mark 5:9And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.
  • Luke 8:27And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.
  • 1 Chr 15:13For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order.
  • Mark 5:18And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
  • Luke 10:39And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
  • Ps 14:5There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the righteous.
  • Job 13:11Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?
  • Matt 4:24And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.
  • Luke 8:35–36Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
  • Matt 12:29Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
  • Mark 5:16And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine.
  • Mark 5:4Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.
  • Matt 9:33And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.
  • 1 Chr 13:12And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Mark videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

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

  • VideoWatch teaching on Mark 5:15YouTube · 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 MarkMatthew 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

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 5:15 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.