Mark 5:4

Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.

King James Version · Read in your translation · Open the Explore console

Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
that	διὰ dia	G1223	through (in very wide applications · preposition
he	αὐτὸν auton	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative singular masculine
been	δεδέσθαι dedesthai	G1210	to bind (in various applications · verb — perfect passive infinitive
often	πολλάκις pollakis	G4178	many times · adverb
bound	δέω déō	G1210	to bind (in various applications
fetters	πέδαις pedais	G3976	a shackle for the feet · noun — dative plural feminine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
chains	ἁλύσεσιν halusesin	G254	a fetter or manacle · noun — dative plural feminine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
chains	ἁλύσεις haluseis	G254	a fetter or manacle · noun — accusative plural feminine
asunder	διεσπάσθαι diespasthai	G1288	to draw apart · verb — perfect passive infinitive
by	ὑπ᾽ hup᾽	G5259	under · preposition
him	αὐτοῦ autou	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive singular masculine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
fetters	πέδας pedas	G3976	a shackle for the feet · noun — accusative plural feminine
pieces	συντετρῖφθαι, suntetriphthai	G4937	to crush completely · verb — perfect passive infinitive
neither	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
could	ἴσχυεν ischuen	G2480	to have (or exercise) force (literally or figuratively) · verb — imperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular
any	οὐδεὶς oudeis	G3762	not even one (man · adjective — nominative singular masculine
tame	δαμάσαι. damasai	G1150	to tame · verb — aorist active infinitive
him	αὐτὸν auton	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative singular masculine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

James 3:7-8 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Mark 5:1-20

We have here an instance of Christ's dispossessing the strong man armed, and disposing of him as he pleased, to make it appear that he was stronger than he. This he did when he was come to the other side, whither he went through a storm; his business there was to rescue this poor creature out of the hands of Satan, and when he had done that, he returned. Thus he came from heaven to earth, and returned, in a storm, to redeem a remnant of mankind out of the hands of the devil, though but a little remnant, and did not think his pains ill bestowed. In Matthew, they were said to be two possessed with devils; here it is said to be a man possessed with an unclean spirit. If there were two, there wa…

Read the whole note in the console

Adam Clarke on Mark 5:4

With fetters and chains - His strength, it appears was supernatural, no kind of chains being strong enough to confine him. With several, this man would have passed for an outrageous madman, and diabolic influence be entirely left out of the question; but it is the prerogative of the inspired penman only, to enter into the nature and causes of things; and how strange is it, that because men cannot see as far as the Spirit of God does, therefore they deny his testimony. "There was no devil; there can be none." Why? "Because we have never seen one, and we think the doctrine absurd." Excellent reason! And do you think that any man who conscientiously believes his Bible will give any credit to yo…

Read the whole note in the console

John Gill on Mark 5:4

Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains,.... Trial had been made several times, to no purpose; his arms had been bound with chains, and his feet with fetters, which was very proper to prevent doing hurt to himself, and injury to others: and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces; as if they had been twine threads; such was his strength, through the force of madness, and the possession of Satan, and his diabolical influence: neither could any man tame him; by any methods whatever; even such who undertook the cure of madness, or to exorcise those that were possessed: this man was so furious and outrageous, that he was not to be manag…

The Church Fathers

And no one was able to bind him anymore, not even with chains, for he had often been bound with fetters and chains, and he had torn the chains apart and smashed the fetters: and no one could tame him. By chains and fetters are signified the severe and hard laws of the Gentiles, by which sins are restrained even in their republic. And with the chains broken (as Luke writes), he was driven by the demon into the wilderness, who, having also transgressed those laws, was led by desire to those crimes that already exceeded common custom.
— Bede, On the Gospel of Mark

"Neither could anyone tame him." Give me a reprobate who is impetuous, foul-mouthed and overbearing. With few words the Lord will render him as gentle as a lamb. Give me one who is covetous, avaricious, grasping. The Lord will restore him to liberality, and he will dispose of his resources bountifully of his own hand. Show me one who trembles at the idea of pain and of death, and soon I will show you one who has learned to disdain crosses, flames and the bull of Perillus. Even one who is sensual, adulterous and gluttonous can be made sober, chaste and abstinent.
— Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius, DIVINE INSTITUTES 3.26.4

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Crucifixion — A common mode of punishment among heathen nations in early times. It is not certain whether it was known among the ancient Jews; probably it was not. The modes of capital punishment according to the…
Daemoniac — One “possessed with a devil.” In the days of our Lord and his apostles, evil spirits, “daemons,” were mysteriously permitted by God to exercise an influence both over the souls and bodies of men,…
Demoniacs — This word is frequently used in the New Testament, and applied to persons suffering under the possession of a demon or evil spirit, such possession generally showing itself visibly in bodily disease…
Devil — (Gr. diabolos), a slanderer, the arch-enemy of man’s spiritual interest (Job 1:6; Rev. 2:10; Zech. 3:1). He is called also “the accuser of the brethen” (Rev. 12:10). In Lev. 17:7 the word “devil” is…
Gergesa — =Gerasa, identified with the modern Khersa, “over against Galilee,” close to the lake. This was probably the scene of the miracle, Mark 5:1-20, etc. “From the base of the great plateau of Bashan,…
Demons · 8:28-34; — 8:28-34;
Fetters · Used for securing pri — Used for securing pri
Gadarenes · Jesus visits and works miracles among, but is rejected — Jesus visits and works miracles among, but is rejected

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Mark 5:4

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Mark 5:1-20

Adam Clarke on Mark 5:4

John Gill on Mark 5:4

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Mark 5:4

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Mark 5:1-20

Adam Clarke on Mark 5:4

John Gill on Mark 5:4

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Mark 5:1-21

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Mark 5:2-5