Legion and the Little Girl
And he begged Jesus repeatedly not to send them out of that region. Mark 5:10 · Berean Standard Bible
The demons beg Jesus over and over not to send them away from that area. Even these powerful evil forces are reduced to begging when confronted by Jesus.
Notice the power dynamic: the demons aren't fighting Jesus — they're negotiating with him. They already know they've lost. The only question is where they'll end up.
The demons plead with Jesus through the possessed man.
An army of demons, and all they can do is beg. It shows you that no matter how overwhelming evil seems, it has no real power in the presence of Jesus.
The demons' repeated begging (parekalei auton polla) not to be sent 'out of that region' (exo tes choras) suggests they feared being sent to the abyss or a place of premature eschatological punishment (cf. Luke 8:31).
The demons' negotiation reveals their awareness of a coming judgment and their desire to delay it. Their pleading, ironically, mirrors the posture of human supplicants throughout Mark.
The demons, speaking through the man, plead with Jesus for a concession.
The legion of demons begs Jesus not to banish them from the region. Even in defeat, they attempt to negotiate terms — a futile effort against absolute authority.
8For Jesus had already declared, “Come out of this man, you unclean spirit!”
9“What is your name?” Jesus asked.
10And he begged Jesus repeatedly not to send them out of that region.
11There on the nearby hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding.
12So the demons begged Jesus, “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.”
Read all of Mark 5 — A man possessed by a thousand demons, a woman who has bled for twelve years, a father whose daughter has just died — all healed in a single chapter.
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