Mark 5:3 (KJV)

What does Mark 5:3 mean?

Mark 5:3 describes a man whose life was separated from ordinary community life and whose strength was beyond others’ control. Living among burial places, he could not be restrained even with chains.

After introducing the man in verse 2, Mark’s account gives a picture of where he lived and how difficult he was to contain. The tombs were places for the dead, making them an unsettling setting for a living person’s home.

The Greek behind Mark 5:3

• “dwelling” — κατοίκησις (katoikēsis): The word carries the sense of a place where someone lives. It presents the tombs as the man’s home, not merely somewhere he happened to be.
• “tombs” — μνημεῖον (mnēmeion): The word refers to burial places or memorials for the dead. For the first readers, tombs could include chambers cut into rock, not just graves in the ground.
• “bind” — δέω (deō): The word means to tie or fasten. Here it describes an attempt to hold the man physically, with chains as the strongest example Mark gives.

Why Mark 5:3 matters

• The account emphasizes that ordinary restraints had failed. Mark says “no man could bind him,” and adds “no, not with chains” to make the difficulty clear.
• The next verse gives the reason for that claim: the man had pulled chains apart and broken the restraints on his feet. The statement about his strength is grounded in what people had already tried.
• The setting prepares the reader for the encounter with Jesus. The man comes from among the tombs in verse 2, and the account continues with their meeting in the verses that follow.