Luke 8 39

Luke 8:39 kjv

Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.

Luke 8:39 nkjv

"Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you." And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

Luke 8:39 niv

"Return home and tell how much God has done for you." So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

Luke 8:39 esv

"Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

Luke 8:39 nlt

"No, go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you." So he went all through the town proclaiming the great things Jesus had done for him.

Luke 8 verses

Luke 8 39 Meaning

Luke 8:39 instructs the healed Gerasene demoniac to return to his home and extensively declare the great things God had done for him. In remarkable obedience, the man not only complies but broadens his message, fervently proclaiming throughout his city the great things Jesus had done for him, showcasing Jesus as the tangible agent of divine power and mercy. This verse highlights the importance of personal testimony and witnessing within one's own community after experiencing Christ's transformative power.

Luke 8 39 Context

Luke 8:39 concludes the account of Jesus casting out a legion of demons from a man in the region of the Gerasenes (or Gadarenes), a Gentile territory within the Decapolis. Prior to this, Jesus has been performing various miracles, including calming a storm and raising Jairus's daughter, demonstrating His power over nature, sickness, and death. The demoniac was an outcast, living among tombs, shunned by society. Jesus, without physical touch due to his ritual impurity, directly engages and heals him, demonstrating radical compassion and authority over demonic forces. Following his dramatic healing, the man begs to go with Jesus. However, Jesus gives him a counter-intuitive command: not to follow Him physically, but to return to his home and share his testimony. This commission is particularly significant as it occurs in a Gentile area, initiating a unique form of ministry beyond Jewish boundaries and using a newly transformed Gentile as a primary witness. The residents, frightened by the event and loss of their swine, had asked Jesus to leave their region. In stark contrast to their fear-driven rejection, the healed man becomes a zealous ambassador for Christ in a community where Jesus Himself was not welcomed.

Luke 8 39 Word analysis

• "Return" (Hypostrepho, ὑποστρέφω): This Greek verb means "to turn back, to return." In this context, it is significant because, unlike many others whom Jesus called to follow Him, this man is specifically commanded to return to his previous environment. This highlights a mission of witness within the man's familiar sphere of influence, emphasizing the impact of a changed life on those who knew the former state.

• "to your home" (eis ton oikon sou, εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου): Oikos refers to a household, family, or home. Jesus sends the man to his closest community, the people who had firsthand knowledge of his former tormented condition. This ensures the most compelling testimony, as his transformation would be undeniable to them. This specific command implies that evangelism often begins most powerfully in one's immediate circle.

• "and declare" (kai diegei, καὶ διηγοῦ): From the Greek diegeomai (διηγεῖσθαι), meaning "to narrate fully, relate in detail, recount." It's not a casual mention, but an intentional, in-depth sharing of his experience. It suggests telling the entire story of his affliction, deliverance, and new-found peace, giving honor and glory for the transformation.

• "how much God has done for you" (hosa soi ho theos epoiesen, ὅσα σοι ὁ θεὸς ἐποίησεν): This refers to the vast, extensive, and magnificent works of God's power and mercy. Jesus frames the healing as a divine act, emphasizing the omnipotence and beneficence of God. This forms the content of the testimony, attributing all glory to the Creator.

• "And he went away" (Kai apelthōn, καὶ ἀπελθὼν): This signifies immediate and direct obedience to Jesus' command. There is no hesitation, debate, or delay from the formerly demon-possessed man. His actions confirm a changed heart and spirit.

• "proclaiming throughout the city" (diekēryssen kata pasan tēn polin, διεκήρυσσεν κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν πόλιν): Diekeryssen from diakērussō (διακηρύσσω) means "to proclaim throughout, publish abroad, announce widely." This signifies a public, widespread, and enthusiastic declaration, not just to his household. The sphere of his testimony expanded from his home to his entire city (pasan tēn polin), suggesting an effective evangelistic effort.

• "how much Jesus had done for him" (hosa epoiēsen autō ho Iēsous, ὅσα ἐποίησεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς): This is the profound shift from Jesus' command "God has done" to the man's declaration "Jesus has done." This transition highlights the man's understanding and personal revelation that Jesus is the visible embodiment and agent of God's power and saving acts. For the man, Jesus is God manifest in action. This implicitly acknowledges Jesus's divine authority and identity without explicitly stating "Jesus is God," yet the implication is clear given the previous instruction.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you": This instruction from Jesus outlines the specific mission: immediate testimony to those who know the former condition, focusing on divine authorship. It's a localized, personal commission.
  • "And he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him": This shows the man's obedient response, his zeal, and a key interpretative leap. His proactive widespread proclamation (proclaiming throughout the city) exceeds the initial instruction to "declare" and extends beyond his home, demonstrating deep gratitude and transformed identity. The shift from "God" to "Jesus" is crucial, demonstrating his profound understanding that Jesus is not merely a prophet or a man, but the divine agent through whom God’s powerful intervention has occurred. His experience made it impossible for him to separate God's action from Jesus's person.

Luke 8 39 Bonus section

The story of the Gerasene demoniac's commissioning provides a powerful example for all believers. Not everyone is called to full-time ministry or to physically "go" to distant lands. Many are called, like this man, to return to their families, workplaces, neighborhoods, and existing communities. The most effective witness often comes from a radically changed life among those who know the "before" and "after" story. Furthermore, this incident showcases Jesus's sovereign choice in commissioning even "unlikely" evangelists (a Gentile, formerly possessed by many demons) and demonstrates His foresight in planting seeds of faith in Gentile territory long before the widespread Gentile mission described in Acts. The healed man became an enduring "gospel outpost" in the Decapolis, a beacon of Jesus's power in a region initially unwelcoming to Him, testifying to Jesus's universal compassion and saving reach.

Luke 8 39 Commentary

Luke 8:39 serves as a potent conclusion to one of Jesus's most dramatic healings. Rather than calling the healed Gerasene demoniac to physically follow Him like other disciples, Jesus sends him on a unique, inverse mission: to return home and bear witness. This highlights that active discipleship is not limited to those in Jesus's immediate retinue but extends to anyone transformed by His power, particularly within their pre-existing social spheres. The man, formerly a terror and an outcast, is now commissioned as an evangelist in a Gentile region. His transformed life becomes the sermon itself, making him uniquely credible to those who witnessed his previous wretched state. His immediate obedience, despite desiring to be with Jesus, demonstrates genuine faith and the new Lordship of Christ in his life. The subtle yet powerful shift in his proclamation from "God has done for you" to "Jesus has done for him" reveals a profound theological understanding on the man's part: for him, Jesus is the one through whom God's mighty acts of salvation are made manifest. This testifies to Jesus's divine authority and identity as the very embodiment of God's saving power. His public, enthusiastic witnessing led to an early, powerful testimony in the Decapolis, laying groundwork for future evangelism in this Gentile area. It affirms that true spiritual transformation empowers one to be a powerful witness, even when isolated from direct companionship with Jesus.