Mark 5:17 (KJV)

What does Mark 5:17 mean?

Mark 5:17 describes how the people of the region, after witnessing Jesus’s power in casting out demons, urgently asked him to leave their area. The verse shows their strong reaction to what had just happened and their desire for Jesus to depart from their territory.

The people speaking in Mark 5:17 are the local residents of the region near the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus had just healed a man possessed by many demons. Instead of welcoming Jesus, they were afraid or unsettled by the dramatic change and the loss of their herd of pigs, so they pleaded with him to go away from their land. This verse highlights the tension between Jesus’s miraculous actions and the community’s response.

The Greek behind Mark 5:17

• παρακαλέω (parakaleō, "pray"): This Greek word means to urge, beg, or entreat. Here, it shows that the people were not making a polite request but were earnestly and repeatedly asking Jesus to leave.
• ἀρχίζω (archizō, "began"): This word often marks the start of a significant action. It suggests that the people’s plea was immediate and possibly spread among the crowd, not just a single person’s request.
• χώρα (chōra, "coasts"): This term refers to a region or territory, not just a shoreline. The people wanted Jesus to leave their whole district, not just the immediate area.

Why Mark 5:17 matters

• Mark 5:17 helps clarify that not everyone welcomed Jesus’s miracles; some were disturbed or afraid of the changes he brought, especially when it affected their livelihood or sense of normalcy.
• The verse connects to the wider passage by showing the contrast between the man who was healed (who wanted to follow Jesus) and the townspeople (who wanted Jesus to leave), highlighting different responses to Jesus’s power.
• Understanding the urgency and collective nature of the people’s plea helps explain the social and emotional impact Jesus’s actions had on the community.