Mark 5 meaning explained in AI Summary

Deliverance and Healing

• Jesus delivers a man possessed by demons, who then enters a herd of pigs.
• He heals a woman with a twelve-year bleeding disorder.
• Jesus raises Jairus' daughter from the dead.

Mark chapter 5 showcases Jesus' power over the spiritual and physical realms through three key miracles:

1. The Gerasene Demoniac (vv. 1-20): Jesus encounters a man possessed by a legion of demons. Despite the demons' resistance, Jesus casts them into a herd of pigs, which then rush into the sea and drown. The healed man, now clothed and in his right mind, desires to follow Jesus, but is instructed to stay and share his testimony with others. This story highlights Jesus' authority over evil and his compassion for the marginalized.

2. The Healing of the Bleeding Woman (vv. 21-34): A woman suffering from a chronic bleeding condition for twelve years pushes through a crowd to touch Jesus' garment, believing it will heal her. Jesus, sensing power going out from him, stops and asks who touched him. The woman, fearful yet healed, falls before him and confesses her action. Jesus commends her faith, declaring that it has made her well. This miracle emphasizes the importance of faith in receiving healing from Jesus.

3. The Raising of Jairus' Daughter (vv. 35-43): While Jesus is still speaking with the bleeding woman, Jairus, a synagogue leader, arrives and pleads for Jesus to heal his dying daughter. As they journey to Jairus' house, news arrives that the girl has died. Jesus reassures Jairus to have faith and enters the house, where he raises the girl from the dead. This miracle demonstrates Jesus' power over death itself and his willingness to act on behalf of those who believe.

Overall, Mark chapter 5 presents a powerful picture of Jesus' authority and compassion. He is the one who conquers demons, heals the sick, and even raises the dead, offering hope and restoration to all who believe.

Mark 5 bible study ai commentary

Mark 5 powerfully demonstrates Jesus's absolute authority over the forces that hold humanity captive: the spiritual realm (demons), the physical body (chronic disease), and mortality itself (death). In a rapid succession of miracles, Jesus confronts and conquers demonic possession, debilitating uncleanness, and death, showing that no power or condition is beyond His restorative reach. These acts are not mere displays of power but purposeful restorations that bring isolated, hopeless individuals back into life and community.

Mark 5 Context

The chapter begins in the Decapolis, a league of ten Hellenistic (Greek-influenced) cities in a predominantly Gentile region. This context is crucial; the presence of a massive herd of pigs would be unthinkable in Jewish territory due to dietary laws (Leviticus 11:7). This setting establishes that Jesus's authority and compassion extend beyond the people of Israel. The cultural backdrop is steeped in concepts of purity and uncleanness. Tombs, bodily emissions (like blood), and corpses were sources of severe ritual defilement, leading to social and religious ostracization. Jesus systematically enters these zones of uncleanness, not to be defiled by them, but to overcome them with His inherent holiness and power.

Mark 5:1

And they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.

In-depth-analysis

• "Other side of the sea": A deliberate move into Gentile territory after calming the storm, showing His authority over both chaos (the sea) and foreign lands.
• "Country of the Gerasenes": Located in the Decapolis, a Gentile region. This signals the universal scope of Jesus's mission. Manuscript variations exist between "Gerasenes," "Gadarenes," and "Gergesenes," likely referring to the same general area east of the Sea of Galilee.

Bible references

• Matt 8:28: "...He came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes..." (Parallel account).
• Luke 8:26: "Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee." (Parallel account).
• Jonah 1:3: "But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord." (Contrast: Jonah flees from a mission to Gentiles; Jesus purposefully goes).

Cross references

Gen 12:3 (blessing all nations); Isa 49:6 (light to Gentiles); Acts 10:34-35 (God shows no partiality).

Mark 5:2-5

And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.

In-depth-analysis

• "Out of the tombs": The man inhabits a place of death, decay, and ritual uncleanness, cut off from community. He is a picture of living death.
• "Unclean spirit": Emphasizes the spiritual defilement, not just mental illness.
• Superhuman Strength: His ability to break chains shows that the force possessing him is not natural. Human means of control have utterly failed.
• Constant Torment: "Crying out" and "cutting himself" depict a state of unimaginable, perpetual agony and self-destruction. This is the ultimate end of demonic influence.

Bible references

• Isa 65:4: "...who sit in tombs and spend the night in secret places..." (Describes rebellious people engaging in pagan, unclean practices).
• Lev 21:1, 11: Contact with the dead made one unclean, isolating them.
• Ps 88:5: "...like the slain that lie in the grave...you remember them no more..." (Describes ultimate isolation).

Cross references

Job 2:7-8 (Job's self-inflicted scraping); 1 Kings 18:28 (pagan prophets cutting themselves); Isa 53:5 (contrast with Christ, who was wounded for our transgressions).

Mark 5:6-8

And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”

In-depth-analysis

• "Ran and fell down before him": The demon-possessed man runs to Jesus, and the spirit within him bows in submission. It's an involuntary act of recognizing a higher authority.
• "Son of the Most High God": The demons have correct theology. They immediately recognize Jesus's divine identity, something the disciples were still struggling to grasp.
• "I adjure you... do not torment me": The demon attempts to use a religious formula to control Jesus, but it's an act of desperation. The irony is palpable: the tormentor begs not to be tormented. The "torment" is to be cast out.

Bible references

• Mark 1:24: "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God." (Demons consistently recognize Jesus's identity).
• James 2:19: "You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!" (Belief as mere intellectual assent is demonic).
• Phil 2:10: "...at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth..." (A foretaste of universal, eventual submission to Christ).

Cross references

Acts 16:17 (spirit-possessed girl identifies Paul); Acts 19:15 (demons recognize Jesus and Paul's authority); Matt 4:3 (Satan's temptation acknowledges Jesus as Son of God).

Mark 5:9

And he asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.”

In-depth-analysis

• "What is your name?": In ancient thought, knowing a name gave one a degree of authority over the being. Jesus is not asking for information but demonstrating His authority.
• "Legion" (Greek: legiōn): This is a Latin loanword. A Roman legion consisted of up to 6,000 soldiers. This name communicates:
  1. Overwhelming Number: The man is possessed by a vast, organized army of demons.
  2. Destructive Power: Roman legions were known for their brutal efficiency and control.
  3. Polemic: In a land occupied by Roman forces, naming the demonic force "Legion" creates a powerful political and spiritual statement. Jesus is confronting an occupying force far greater than Rome.

Bible references

• Luke 11:26: "Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there." (Illustrates multiple demonic presences).
• Dan 7:7: "a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong..." (Describes the terrifying power of the Roman Empire, which a legion represents).

Mark 5:10-13

And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.

In-depth-analysis

• "Not to send them out of the country": Demons desire a territory, a place to inhabit. They fear being sent to the "abyss" (see Luke 8:31), a place of imprisonment.
• "Pigs": Unclean animals according to Jewish law (Lev 11:7). Their presence confirms the Gentile setting. The demons' choice of pigs reveals their foul nature.
• "He gave them permission": Jesus is in complete control.
• "Two thousand... drowned": This provides a dramatic, undeniable, visible sign that the man is truly free. The destructive nature of the demons is externalized. The evil is eradicated from the man and destroyed. The economic loss highlights the supreme value of one rescued human soul.

Bible references

• Rev 20:3: "...and threw him into the abyss...so that he might not deceive the nations any longer..." (The destiny of Satan and demonic forces).
• Matt 8:32: "And he said to them, 'Go.' So they came out and went into the pigs..." (Jesus's simple, authoritative command).

Mark 5:14-17

The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. And they came to Jesus and saw the man who had been possessed with the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region.

In-depth-analysis

• "Clothed and in his right mind": This is the picture of total restoration. Chaos has been replaced with peace, nakedness with dignity, and insanity with sanity.
• "And they were afraid": Their response is not joy or gratitude, but fear. They are confronted by a power they cannot understand or control. The radical change is terrifying.
• "Beg Jesus to depart": They prioritize their economic stability (the pigs) and their comfortable familiarity over the liberating but disruptive power of God. They choose the status quo, even if it includes a tormented man in the tombs, over the presence of the Holy One.

Bible references

• Luke 5:8: "When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, 'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.'" (Fear and awe in the presence of divine power).
• John 3:20: "For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed." (An aversion to the revealing presence of God).

Mark 5:18-20

As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus has done for him, and everyone marveled.

In-depth-analysis

• "Begged...that he might be with him": A natural response of gratitude and devotion.
• "Go home...and tell them": Jesus gives him a mission. Instead of following, he is to become a witness. His changed life is his testimony. He is the first "apostle to the Gentiles" in Mark's Gospel.
• "The Lord... Jesus": Mark equates what "the Lord" (a term often for YHWH in the OT) has done with what "Jesus" has done, a subtle but powerful claim to divinity.
• "Everyone marveled": His testimony prepares the way for Jesus's later return to the region (Mark 7:31).

Bible references

• Ps 66:16: "Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul." (The model of personal testimony).
• Acts 1:8: "...and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (The Great Commission in action).
• Rom 10:14: "How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?" (The importance of proclamation).

Mark 5:21-24

And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” And he went with him.

In-depth-analysis

• "Ruler of the synagogue": Jairus was a respected religious leader, a layman responsible for the administration of the synagogue. He represents the Jewish establishment.
• "Fell at his feet": An act of immense humility and desperation from a man of high social standing. His position means nothing in the face of death.
• "Lay your hands on her": Jairus believes in Jesus's power to heal through touch, a common motif in Mark's Gospel.

Bible references

• Matt 9:18: "While he was saying these things...a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, 'My daughter has just died...'" (Matthew's account is more compressed).
• Luke 8:41: "And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus' feet, he implored him to come to his house." (Parallel account).

Cross references

2 Kings 4:34 (Elisha's physical contact in healing); Mark 6:5 (Jesus laid hands on a few sick people); Acts 28:8 (Paul healing by laying on hands).

Mark 5:25-29

And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease.

In-depth-analysis

• "Discharge of blood for twelve years": According to Levitical law, this condition made her perpetually ritually unclean. She could not enter the temple and would make anyone she touched unclean. This meant 12 years of social, religious, and marital isolation.
• "Twelve years": The same duration as the age of Jairus's daughter. This intentional literary link connects the two stories.
• "Suffered much under many physicians... spent all": Highlights the failure of human systems and resources. She is destitute and desperate.
• "Touched his garment": An act of daring, risky faith. As an unclean woman, she risked defiling a holy man. Her faith is focused on the very edge of His power. Some scholars connect the "garment" to the tzitzit or tassels worn by Jewish men in obedience to Num 15:38-39.
• Polemics: This is a direct polemic against the limitations of the medical knowledge of the day and a subtle critique of a purity system that ostracized the suffering. Jesus's holiness is not compromised by her uncleanness; instead, His holiness cleanses her.

Bible references

• Lev 15:25-27: "if a woman has a discharge of blood... all the days... she shall be unclean... Whoever touches them shall be unclean..." (The law defining her condition).
• Mal 4:2: "...the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings." (The Hebrew for "wings" (kanaph) can also mean "corner" or "edge" of a garment).
• Luke 6:19: "...and power was coming out from him and healing them all." (The reality of power emanating from Jesus).

Mark 5:30-34

And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” ...But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

In-depth-analysis

• "Power (dynamis) had gone out from him": Healing is not an automatic or magical process. It is a real expenditure of divine power from Jesus.
• "Who touched my garments?": Jesus knows who it was. He asks the question to draw the woman out of anonymity and superstition into a public, personal relationship. He wants to confirm her faith, not just her healing.
• "Daughter": An incredibly tender and intimate term. He doesn't just heal her body; He restores her to the family of God, affirming her identity and value.
• "Your faith has made you well (sesōken)": The Greek word can mean both "healed" and "saved." Her physical healing is a sign of a deeper, spiritual salvation. He attributes the reception of healing to her faith.
• "Go in peace (eirēnē)": More than just a peaceful feeling, this is the Hebrew concept of shalom—total well-being, wholeness, and restoration in her relationship with God and community.

Bible references

• Hab 2:4: "...but the righteous shall live by his faith." (A foundational OT principle of faith).
• Luke 7:50: "[Jesus] said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace.'" (A similar formula used for the sinful woman who anointed His feet).
• Eph 2:8: "For by grace you have been saved through faith..." (The NT doctrine of salvation by faith).

Mark 5:35-36

While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.”

In-depth-analysis

• "Your daughter is dead": The ultimate bad news. Humanly speaking, the situation has moved from critical to hopeless. The interruption for the woman now seems tragic.
• "Why trouble the Teacher any further?": This is the voice of reason and despair. They believe Jesus's power has a limit, and death is that limit.
• "Do not fear, only believe": Jesus directly counters the voice of despair with a command for faith. This is the central crisis point for Jairus. His faith must now extend beyond healing to resurrection.

Bible references

• John 11:25: "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.'" (Jesus's definitive statement on His power over death).
• Isa 41:10: "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God..." (The consistent biblical call to choose faith over fear in God's presence).
• Rom 4:18: "In hope he believed against hope..." (Describes Abraham's faith in a seemingly impossible situation).

Mark 5:37-40

And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house... and saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside...

In-depth-analysis

• Inner Circle: Peter, James, and John are taken to witness this profound miracle. They will also witness the Transfiguration (Mark 9:2) and the agony in Gethsemane (Mark 14:33), key moments of His divine glory and human suffering.
• Professional Mourners: The "weeping and wailing" was often done by hired mourners, a common custom. Their noise represents public, accepted grief.
• "Not dead but sleeping": A common biblical euphemism for the death of a believer (see John 11:11, 1 Thess 4:13). For Jesus, death is not a final state but a temporary condition He can reverse.
• "They laughed at him": The mockery of the mourners shows their complete lack of faith. They are experts in death, and from their perspective, He is a fool. Jesus removes this unbelief from the room.

Bible references

• John 11:11: "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him." (Jesus uses the same "sleeping" metaphor for death).
• 1 Thess 4:13-14: "...that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep." (The Christian hope in resurrection).

Mark 5:41-43

Taking her by the hand, he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And immediately the girl got up and began to walk (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know of it, and told them to give her something to eat.

In-depth-analysis

• "Taking her by the hand": Jesus touches a corpse, which would make any other Jew ceremonially unclean (Num 19:11). But His life-giving holiness overcomes the defilement of death.
• "Talitha cumi": Mark preserves the original Aramaic, the common language spoken. This adds a sense of realism and intimacy to the account. It is a tender, personal command.
• "I say to you": An assertion of His own authority. He doesn't pray to God to raise her; He commands her to rise.
• "Give her something to eat": A practical, compassionate command that serves as proof she is not a spirit or a vision, but a fully restored, living human being.
• Messianic Secret: The charge for them not to speak of it is a recurring theme in Mark. Jesus sought to control the narrative about His identity, preventing a premature political messianic fervor based solely on miracles rather than an understanding of His coming suffering and death.

Bible references

• 1 Kings 17:21-23: "Then he stretched himself upon the child three times... And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah...and he revived." (Elijah raises the widow's son through prayer).
• 2 Kings 4:34-35: "Then he went up and lay on the child... and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes." (Elisha raises the Shunammite's son).
• John 11:43-44: "Lazarus, come out." (Jesus resurrects with a simple command).

Mark chapter 5 analysis

• Authority Over a Triad of Enemies: The chapter is structured to show Jesus’s victory over three distinct, unconquerable foes: the demonic realm ("Legion"), chronic physical suffering that isolates (woman with the hemorrhage), and death itself (Jairus's daughter).
• Faith as the Key: In all three narratives, faith is the conduit through which divine power flows. Legion's confession is an involuntary faith, the woman’s is a desperate, active faith, and Jairus’s is a faith that must persevere through delay and despair. Conversely, fear (the Gerasenes) and mockery (the mourners) are barriers to God's work.
• Restoration to Community: The core outcome of each miracle is restoration. The demoniac is restored to sanity and sent home. The woman is cleansed and restored to society and the family of God ("Daughter"). The girl is restored to her family. Jesus's work is not just about power, but about making broken people whole again.
• The Markan Sandwich (Intercalation): The story of Jairus’s daughter (vv. 21-24, 35-43) intentionally "sandwiches" the story of the bleeding woman (vv. 25-34). This literary device connects them thematically. The delay caused by the woman tests and ultimately deepens Jairus’s faith. Both stories involve a period of "twelve years," uncleanness (blood/death), touch, faith, and a female subject. The healing of the woman becomes a guarantee to Jairus that Jesus's power is sufficient even for his now-dead daughter.

Mark 5 summary

Jesus demonstrates his absolute authority over the forces of darkness, disease, and death. He casts out a legion of demons from a man in Gentile territory, restoring him to sanity. He then heals a woman who suffered from a 12-year hemorrhage, honoring her faith and restoring her to community. Finally, despite news of her death, He raises the 12-year-old daughter of Jairus, a synagogue ruler, proving that His power to give life is ultimate and that faith in Him overcomes all fear and despair.