Devils Gone into Swine Matthew 8:32

Matthew continued his gospel with the words, “when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with you, Jesus, you Son of God? Are you come here to torment us before the time?And there was a good way off from them a herd of many swine feeding, So the devils besought him, saying, If you cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine”, and in chapter eight and verse thirty-two of his book, Matthew shared how Jesus told the devils, “go” where we read:

And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.

The verse reads, “And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: ...” Matthew began with the words, “and he said” or “and Jesus uttered, declared and proclaimed” “unto them” which means “to the devils”, “go” or “withdraw and depart”. “And when” which means “and at the time and moment” “they were come out” or “the demons departed and left the two possessed men”, “they went” which means “the demons departed” “into the herd of swine” which means “into the hogs that were grazing in the distant field”. Matthew shared how Jesus only needed to say “Go”, and the demons immediately left the two men and went into the “hogs”.

The verse goes on to say, “... and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.” Matthew continued with the words, “and, behold” or “and, lo and see”, “the whole herd of swine”” which means “the entire, all and everyone of the group of hogs” “ran violently down” which refers to “rapid motion, stirred up, incited, started forward impetuously and rushed downward and toward” “a steep place” or “a high precipice or overhanging” “into the sea” which refers to “into a large body of water”, “and perished” or “and violently died” “in the waters” which means “within the body of waters below”. Matthew shared how the entire “herd of pigs” “impetuously rushed” toward the cliff edge and plunged into the waters below where they drowned.

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see the mighty power of Jesus demonstrated with these two “demon-possessed” men. The “devils” within them immediately left upon Jesus' command, and they “possessed” the “hogs” who reacted by “violently rushing” toward a cliff edge where they fell into the waters below. James the apostle wrote, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7), and when a person submits their life to Jesus Christ as their personal “Savior and Lord”, they align themselves with the only power in the universe that is able to easily make “demons” run. May all who read these words consider the awesome power of Jesus Christ and submit their lives to Him today.

Next time Matthew shares how, “they that kept” the swine “fled”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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