And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.
Parallel translations
- WEB Behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged that he would depart from their borders.
- BSB Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.
- NKJV And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.
- NASB And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they pleaded with Him to leave their region.
- NLT Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged him to go away and leave them alone.
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 whole town comes out and begs Jesus to leave their region. They prefer their comfort and livelihood over the presence of the One who delivers.
Overview
Rather than rejoicing at the men's freedom, the townspeople, perhaps fearing further loss like the pigs, ask Jesus to depart. Their reaction is a sobering picture of hearts that value earthly things above the Savior. It warns that the right response to Christ's power is worship and welcome, not rejection.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Acts 16:39And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.
- Luke 5:8When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
- Luke 8:37–39Then 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.
- Job 21:14Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.
- Mark 5:17–18And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.
- Job 22:17Which said unto God, Depart from us: and what can the Almighty do for them?
- 1 Kgs 17:18And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?
- 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?
- Matt 8:29And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
- 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.
- Deut 5:25Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die.
- 1 Kgs 18:17And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 8:34 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
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