When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country.

LUKE 8:34KJV
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Luke 8:34 (KJV)

What does Luke 8:34 mean?

Luke 8:34 describes how the people who were taking care of the herd saw what happened and ran away, spreading the news in both the city and the countryside. The verse shows their immediate reaction to the dramatic event they had just witnessed.

In this scene, Jesus has just cast demons out of a man and into a herd of pigs, which then rushed down a steep bank and drowned. The people tending the pigs, shocked and likely frightened by what they saw, did not stay to investigate but instead quickly left to tell others. This sets the stage for the wider community’s response to Jesus’ miracle.

The Greek behind Luke 8:34

  • The word "fled" (ἔφυγον, ephygon) carries the sense of escaping quickly out of fear or alarm, highlighting the caretakers’ urgent and possibly panicked reaction.
  • The word "told" (ἀπήγγειλαν, apēngeilan) is often used for reporting or announcing important news, suggesting that what happened was seen as highly significant and worth spreading widely.
  • The phrase "in the city and in the country" (εἰς τὴν πόλιν καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἀγρούς, eis tēn polin kai eis tous agrous) shows that the news was not just kept local but was shared broadly, emphasizing the impact of the event on the whole region.

Why Luke 8:34 matters

  • Luke 8:34 helps clarify that the miracle was not a private event but immediately became public knowledge, affecting both urban and rural communities.
  • The verse highlights the fear and astonishment that Jesus’ actions could provoke, even among bystanders who were not directly involved.
  • This reaction sets up the following verses, where the broader community comes to see what happened and respond to Jesus, showing how one miracle can ripple out to affect many lives.

Where else these words appear

“fed” Greek G1006 · used in 9 verses

  • Matthew 8:30 And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.
  • Mark 5:11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.
  • Luke 15:15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

“fled” Greek G5343 · used in 31 verses

  • Matthew 2:13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
  • Mark 14:52 And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.
  • 1 Corinthians 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

“country” Greek G68 · used in 34 verses

  • Matthew 6:28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
  • Matthew 24:40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
  • Mark 16:12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.

“told” Greek G518 · used in 44 verses

  • Matthew 2:8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.
  • Luke 8:20 And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee.
  • Acts 12:14 And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.