New Testament · Gospel

Matthew 8:30

Authority Over Everything

In the distance a large herd of pigs was feeding. Matthew 8:30 · Berean Standard Bible
What It Means

Matthew 8:30, in plain English

Nearby, a large herd of pigs was feeding on the hillside.

Why it's here

Pigs were unclean for Jews but normal livestock in this Gentile area. This detail matters for what happens next.

Who's speaking

Matthew, setting up what's about to happen.

Where it sits in the story

This small detail shows we're in foreign territory where Jesus' power is about to be displayed in dramatic fashion.

A Closer Look

The scholarly reading

A large agele (herd) of pigs was feeding at a distance, confirming the Gentile setting since Jews did not raise pigs.

Language and setting

The presence of pigs indicates a non-Jewish region, reinforcing that Jesus has crossed into Gentile territory.

Voice

Matthew, noting a detail that confirms the Gentile setting.

Significance

This geographical detail underscores the universal scope of Jesus' authority, operating in territory beyond Israel.

In context

Matthew 8:28–32

28When Jesus arrived on the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, He was met by two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.

29“What do You want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have You come here to torture us before the appointed time?”

30In the distance a large herd of pigs was feeding.

31So the demons begged Jesus, “If You drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”

32“Go!” He told them. So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and died in the waters.

Read all of Matthew 8 — A leper, a centurion's servant, a raging storm — nothing resists Jesus' word. His authority isn't theoretical; it's immediate.

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