And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine.

MARK 5:16KJV
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Mark 5:16 (KJV)

What does Mark 5:16 mean?

Mark 5:16 describes how the people who had witnessed Jesus heal the man possessed by a demon explained to others what had happened to the man and also what happened to the herd of pigs. This verse shows that the eyewitnesses shared the full story of both the man’s deliverance and the fate of the swine.

In the setting of Mark 5, Jesus has just cast a group of demons out of a man and allowed them to enter a herd of pigs, which then rushed into the sea and drowned. The people who saw these events are now telling others—likely the townspeople—about both the man’s dramatic change and the loss of the pigs. This sets the stage for the crowd’s reaction in the following verses.

The Greek behind Mark 5:16

  • "ἐξέθεντο" (exethento, "told"): The Greek word used here means to report or explain in detail, suggesting that the witnesses gave a thorough account, not just a brief mention.
  • "περὶ" (peri, "concerning"): This word means "about" or "concerning," showing that the report included specific details about the pigs, not just the man.
  • "χοίρων" (choirōn, "swine"): The mention of the pigs highlights the economic and social impact of the event, which helps explain the strong reaction from the local people.

Why Mark 5:16 matters

  • Mark 5:16 clarifies that the witnesses did not just focus on the healed man but also made sure to mention the loss of the pigs, which was significant to the local community.
  • This verse helps explain why the townspeople react with fear and ask Jesus to leave in the next verse—they are responding to both the miraculous healing and the unexpected destruction of their livestock.
  • Mark 5:16 connects the miracle to its broader social context, showing that Jesus’ actions had real-world consequences for the people living there.

Where else these words appear

“told” Greek G1334 · used in 8 verses

  • Mark 9:9 And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.
  • Luke 9:10 And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.
  • Acts 9:27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

“devil” Greek G1139 · used in 13 verses

  • Matthew 4:24 And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.
  • Matthew 9:32 As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.
  • Mark 5:15 And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

“swine” Greek G5519 · used in 13 verses

  • Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
  • Mark 5:11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.
  • Luke 8:32 And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.

“how” Greek G4459 · used in 100 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:
  • Luke 12:11 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:
  • Acts 9:27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.