Mark 5:6 kjv
But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,
Mark 5:6 nkjv
When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him.
Mark 5:6 niv
When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.
Mark 5:6 esv
And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him.
Mark 5:6 nlt
When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him.
Mark 5 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Demons Acknowledging Jesus/His Authority: | ||
| Mk 1:24 | "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? ...the Holy One of God!" | Demons acknowledge Jesus's divine identity. |
| Lk 4:34 | "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? ...the Holy One of God!" | Similar recognition of Jesus's holiness. |
| Mt 8:29 | "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?" | Demons acknowledge His Sonship and future judgment. |
| Lk 8:28 | "What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!" | Parallels Mark 5, demons recognizing His high status. |
| Acts 19:15 | "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" | Even unknown demons acknowledge Jesus's power. |
| Jas 2:19 | "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!" | Demons' intellectual belief in God, leading to terror. |
| Worship/Homage Paid to Jesus: | ||
| Mt 2:11 | "...and fell down and worshiped Him." | Magi worship the infant Jesus. |
| Mt 14:33 | "Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, 'Truly You are the Son of God.'" | Disciples worship Jesus after He walks on water. |
| Mt 28:9 | "...they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him." | Women worship resurrected Jesus. |
| Mt 28:17 | "When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted." | Disciples worship resurrected Jesus. |
| Jn 9:38 | "Then he said, 'Lord, I believe!' And he worshiped Him." | The man born blind worships Jesus after healing. |
| Heb 1:6 | "Let all the angels of God worship Him." | God's command for angels to worship Jesus. |
| Phil 2:10-11 | "...that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, ...and that every tongue should confess..." | Universal future worship and confession of Christ. |
| Jesus's Authority Over Spiritual Powers: | ||
| Mt 12:28 | "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you." | Jesus's power over demons signifies the Kingdom. |
| Lk 10:17 | "...Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." | Disciples' power through Jesus over demons. |
| Col 2:15 | "Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing..." | Jesus's decisive victory over spiritual forces. |
| 1 Jn 3:8 | "...For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." | Jesus's mission to undo the devil's works. |
| Rev 20:1-3 | Describes an angel binding Satan for 1,000 years. | Foreshadows complete defeat and binding of evil. |
| Reactions to Jesus's Power (Fear/Request to Depart): | ||
| Lk 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!'" | Awe-inspired fear leading to a request to depart. |
| Mk 5:17 | "And they began to plead with Him to depart from their region." | Locals' reaction of fear after the demoniac's healing. |
| Preceding Actions & Future Impact: | ||
| Mk 5:19-20 | "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you..." | The demoniac is commissioned to testify about Jesus. |
| Isa 61:1 | "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, ...To proclaim liberty to the captives..." | Prophecy fulfilled by Jesus's ministry of liberation. |
Mark 5 verses
Mark 5 6 Meaning
Mark 5:6 depicts the Gerasene demoniac, still under the power of a "legion" of demons, recognizing Jesus from a distance, urgently running towards Him, and performing an act of worship. This immediate and compelled homage by hostile spiritual entities underscores Jesus's supreme divine authority and their forced acknowledgement of His power, even before His command for their expulsion.
Mark 5 6 Context
Mark 5:6 is nestled within the vivid account of Jesus's confrontation with the Gerasene demoniac (Mk 5:1-20). Immediately prior, Jesus and His disciples have endured a fierce storm on the Sea of Galilee, a display of Jesus's authority over creation. Landing in the region of the Gerasenes, a Gentile territory (indicated by the presence of swine), Jesus is instantly met by a man who has been severely tormented and controlled by numerous unclean spirits. The verse highlights the immediate spiritual tension as the forces of darkness within the man instinctively react to Jesus's divine presence. The cultural context would recognize demonic possession as a genuine affliction, but Jesus's ability to command and subdue such a "legion" would far exceed conventional expectations of exorcists, profoundly demonstrating His unique divine power.
Mark 5 6 Word analysis
But when he saw: "He" refers to the demoniac. The Greek word for "saw," εἶδεν (eiden), indicates a clear, direct perception. Despite being under the control of demons, the man (or more likely the demons through him) perceived Jesus. This initial observation triggers the immediate response.
Jesus: The person and presence of the Son of God. His identity is innately recognized by spiritual beings, whether human or demonic.
afar off: The Greek ἀπὸ μακρόθεν (apo makrothen) emphasizes a significant distance. This suggests that Jesus's spiritual presence and authority emanated powerfully, recognized even from a great remove by the unclean spirits inhabiting the man. It speaks to the potency of Christ's arrival.
he ran: The Greek verb is προσέδραμεν (prosedramen), meaning "he ran towards" or "ran up to." This describes a swift, purposeful, and urgent movement. It could indicate either the desperate desire of the tormented man himself to reach Jesus, or the compelling, panicked urgency of the demons within him, sensing their inevitable defeat and rushing to confront Him.
and worshipped him: The Greek word προσεκύνησεν (prosekynesen) refers to an act of prostration or obeisance, typically performed to a king, a dignitary, or a deity, often in fear or reverence. This is not simply acknowledging a human, but a divine or supremely powerful being. The demons within the man compel him to perform this act of worship, showcasing their enforced, albeit fearful, recognition of Jesus's divine authority and lordship.
"he saw Jesus afar off, he ran": This sequence reveals an immediate and instinctual, albeit compelled, response from the demon-possessed man to Jesus's distant presence. The swift action of running suggests an urgent, inescapable encounter between opposing spiritual powers.
"worshipped him": This phrase is profoundly significant. It demonstrates that the demons, through the man, recognized and were forced to pay homage to Jesus's supreme authority and divine status. They did not simply flee in terror; they were compelled to bow in submission, revealing that even the forces of darkness are subject to the Lordship of Christ.
Mark 5 6 Bonus section
- The dramatic action of "running" towards Jesus by the demon-possessed man underscores the inherent tension between good and evil; evil, despite its nature, cannot resist being drawn to its vanquisher.
- This verse provides an indirect but powerful polemic against any contemporary belief that evil spirits were beyond control or mere superstition. Jesus's arrival causes immediate, palpable subservience from a legion of them.
- The paradox of worship emanating from such profound unholiness (the demoniac) foreshadows the eventual universal acknowledgment of Jesus's Lordship, where "every knee shall bow" (Phil 2:10).
- The immediate recognition by demons, who clearly knew who Jesus was, highlights the spiritual battle and the blind spots of many humans who struggled to identify Jesus's divine nature.
Mark 5 6 Commentary
Mark 5:6 encapsulates the terrifying and awe-inspiring confrontation between the Kingdom of God embodied in Jesus Christ and the entrenched powers of spiritual darkness. The immediate and compelling recognition of Jesus by the Gerasene demoniac, from afar, is not merely a physical sighting but a spiritual awareness. The swift, unrestrained dash towards Jesus, culminating in an act of prostration, signifies the demons' desperate, fear-driven acknowledgment of His overwhelming authority. This act of "worship" is coerced homage, a testament to Jesus's inherent sovereignty over all creation, including the spiritual realm. Even malevolent spirits are forced to recognize His divine identity and ultimate dominion, validating Jesus's unique Messianic claims and establishing His power as utterly unrivaled by any force, whether human or demonic.