Luke 8:31 kjv
And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.
Luke 8:31 nkjv
And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.
Luke 8:31 niv
And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.
Luke 8:31 esv
And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss.
Luke 8:31 nlt
The demons kept begging Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit.
Luke 8 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lk 4:36 | ...what is this word? For with authority and power He commands... unclean spirits, and they come out. | Jesus' authority over demons |
| Matt 8:16 | ...He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick... | Jesus' authority over demons |
| Mk 1:27 | ...what is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits... obey Him. | Jesus' authority over demons |
| Matt 8:29 | And behold, they cried out, "What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" | Demons acknowledge Jesus' identity and impending judgment |
| Mk 1:24 | ...What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are... | Demons recognize Jesus' identity and purpose |
| Jas 2:19 | You believe that God is one; you do well. The demons also believe, and shudder. | Demons acknowledge God/Christ and tremble |
| Acts 19:15 | ...Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you? | Demons recognize genuine authority of Christ |
| Matt 25:41 | ...Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. | Ultimate judgment for Satan and demons |
| 2 Pet 2:4 | For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into Tartarus and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; | Confinement of fallen angels for judgment |
| Jude 1:6 | And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority... he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day. | Confinement of fallen angels for judgment |
| Rev 9:1 | ...and to him was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. | Abyss as a source or prison of evil |
| Rev 9:2 | He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit... | Abyss as a source or prison of evil |
| Rev 9:11 | They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name... Abaddon. | Angel over the Abyss |
| Rev 11:7 | ...the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war with them... | Abyss as a source or prison of evil |
| Rev 17:8 | The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the abyss... | Abyss as a source or prison of evil |
| Rev 20:1-3 | Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven... he seized the dragon... and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the abyss... to keep him from deceiving... | Abyss as a prison for Satan during the millennium |
| Mk 5:1-20 | Parallel account of the Gerasene demoniac | Parallel Synoptic Gospel account |
| Matt 8:28-34 | Parallel account of the Gadarene demoniac | Parallel Synoptic Gospel account |
| 1 Pet 5:8 | Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. | Spiritual warfare reality |
| Eph 6:12 | For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness... | Nature of spiritual enemies |
| Col 1:13 | He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son... | God's power over darkness |
| Job 26:5 | The Rephaim tremble beneath the waters and its inhabitants. | The deep/underworld as a place of disquiet |
Luke 8 verses
Luke 8 31 Meaning
Luke 8:31 records the urgent plea of a legion of demons within a man to Jesus, imploring Him not to banish them into the "abyss." This highlights the profound recognition by demonic forces of Jesus' absolute divine authority, their innate knowledge of their predetermined ultimate judgment, and their profound terror of being immediately consigned to this specific realm of preliminary confinement. Their desperate petition underscores the truly terrifying and restrictive nature of the abyss for spiritual entities, a place distinct from their final damnation but one of severe restraint.
Luke 8 31 Context
This verse is situated within a series of events in Luke chapter 8 that powerfully demonstrate Jesus' supreme authority. Immediately before this account, Jesus had calmed a furious storm, exhibiting His power over creation. He then journeyed to the region of the Gerasenes (or Gadarenes in other Gospel accounts), encountering a man who had long been possessed by multiple demons, living in the tombs and unable to be restrained by human means. Upon Jesus' arrival, the demons inside the man recognized Him immediately as "Son of the Most High God" (Lk 8:28) and acknowledged His power to command their fate. Their fear and knowledge of Jesus' ultimate authority set the stage for their desperate plea. The presence of pigs in the region suggests a predominantly Gentile population, as pigs were considered unclean by Jewish law, highlighting the cultural context and providing a contrasting option for the demons to escape the "abyss."
Luke 8 31 Word analysis
And (Καὶ - Kai): This conjunction links the demons' plea to their preceding declaration of Jesus' identity and power, emphasizing the immediate and logical connection between His presence and their urgent request.
they begged Him (παρεκάλεσαν αὐτὸν - parekalesan auton): From the verb parakaleo, meaning to call alongside, implore, entreat, or beg. This term conveys an intense and desperate supplication. Even powerful evil spirits are reduced to begging before the supreme authority of Jesus Christ, acknowledging their subservience.
that He would not command them (μὴ ἐπιτάξῃ αὐτοῖς - mē epitaxē autois):
- Mē: The negative particle, expressing a prohibition or a desire that something not happen.
- Epitaxē: From epitasso, meaning to arrange upon, to impose, or to command with authority. It signifies a directive issued by one with superior power, implying obligation. The demons knew Jesus had the inherent right and power to issue such a definitive command.
to go out (ἀπελθεῖν - apelthein): To go away, to depart. In this context, it implies being driven away from their current realm of activity and influence in the world, into a place of complete restraint.
into the abyss (εἰς τὴν ἄβυσσον - eis tēn abysson):
- Abyss (ἄβυσσος - abyssos): This crucial term means "bottomless" or "unfathomable deep." In biblical thought, it is not merely a metaphor for emptiness but a tangible spiritual realm.
- In the Septuagint, abyssos often translates the Hebrew tehom, referring to the primeval deep (Gen 1:2) or the watery underworld.
- However, in the New Testament, especially in Revelation (Rev 9:1-2, 11:7, 20:1-3), it designates a specific, temporary prison for rebellious spiritual beings, including Satan himself for a period. It is a place of confinement and torment for evil spirits prior to their final judgment and is distinct from Gehenna (eternal hell) or Tartarus (the specific "darkness" for certain fallen angels in 2 Pet 2:4).
- The demons' dread of the abyss stems from its nature as a realm of complete confinement, signaling an immediate and authoritative cessation of their freedom and destructive activities, foreshadowing their ultimate eternal doom.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "And they begged Him that He would not command them": This entire phrase encapsulates the demons' desperate acknowledgment of Jesus' ultimate sovereignty. Despite their malevolent power, they possess no intrinsic right to choose their fate or avoid His direct decree. Their pleading reveals a clear understanding that Jesus alone holds the authority to decide their destiny.
- "to go out into the abyss": This specific destination, the abyss, represents a state of being removed from all activity and freedom, a spiritual prison of profound dread for the demons. Their plea highlights their desperate preference for any alternative, even entering unclean animals, over being consigned to this place of immediate and decisive confinement and ultimate incapacitation.
Luke 8 31 Bonus section
The concept of the abyssos in Luke 8:31 resonates deeply with ancient apocalyptic literature and Jewish cosmological thought. Unlike Hades or Sheol, which generally describe the realm of the dead, the abyssos here functions as a distinct, terrifying holding cell specifically for malevolent spiritual entities. The fact that the demons plead against going into it signifies it is a place of severe punishment and incapacitation for them, implying an awareness of what it means for their agency and purpose. This provides theological insight into the organized, albeit evil, spiritual hierarchy that knows its ultimate doom and fears God's interim judgment even more than being completely dispossessed without a destination.
Luke 8 31 Commentary
Luke 8:31 is a vivid illustration of Christ's unparalleled authority over all spiritual powers, reinforcing the truth that no being, visible or invisible, stands outside His dominion. The demons' acute awareness of their own fate and their profound dread of the "abyss" — a specific spiritual prison for rebellious spirits prior to ultimate judgment — reveals their understanding that their time and power are limited and subject to God's sovereign timetable. This episode powerfully demonstrates that the powers of darkness recognize Jesus as the Son of God, not as a mere human or exorcist, but as their rightful Judge. This gives believers immense comfort, knowing that spiritual enemies are not unrestrained, but are ultimately accountable to Jesus Christ, who will finally cast them into their eternal judgment.