When the man saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees before Him.
Parallel translations
- WEB When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and bowed down to him,
- KJV But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,
- NKJV When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.
- NASB Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him;
- NLT When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him.
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
Seeing Jesus from a distance, the man runs and bows down before him.
Overview
Even the demon-possessed man is drawn to Jesus and falls before him, acknowledging a superior power. The act of homage shows that the forces of darkness must yield to Christ's presence. This anticipates the deliverance that Jesus alone can grant.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Jas 2:19You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
- Ps 66:3Say to God, “How awesome are Your deeds! So great is Your power that Your enemies cower before You.
- Luke 4:41Demons also came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But He rebuked the demons and would not allow them to speak, because they knew He was the Christ.
- Ps 72:9May the nomads bow before him, and his enemies lick the dust.
- Acts 16:17This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 5:6 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.