Marcos 5

Theophylact of Ohrid

Marcos 5:1

In the more correct manuscripts it reads: "to the country of the Gergesenes." — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:2

Matthew says that there were two demoniacs (Mt. 8:32), while Mark and Luke (Lk. 8:26–33) speak of one. These latter chose the more fierce of them and narrate about him. The demoniac goes and confesses Christ as the Son of God. Since those who were on the ship were uncertain about who He was, the most reliable testimony about Him follows from His enemies, I mean the demons. — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:2

[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] Those who were in the ship enquired among themselves, What manner of man is this? and now it is made known Who He is by the testimony of His enemies. For the demoniac came up confessing that He was the Son of God. Proceeding to which circumstance the Evangelist says, And they came over unto the other side, &c. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Marcos 5:5

The demoniac lived among the tombs, because the demon wanted to instill through this the false idea that the souls of the dead become demons, which one must by no means believe. — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:7

The demons consider it a torment to come out of a man, which is why they said: "do not torment us," that is, do not cast us out of our dwelling, that is, out of the man. On the other hand, they thought that the Lord would no longer tolerate them because of their excessive audacity, but would immediately deliver them to torment, and therefore they begged Him not to torment them. — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:9

The Lord asks the demoniac not in order to know Himself, but so that others might know about the multitude of demons that had entered him. Since before their eyes stood one man, Christ shows how many enemies this wretched man was fighting against. — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:9

[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] The Lord indeed asks, not that He Himself required to know, but that the rest might know that there was a multitude of devils dwelling in him. Also that by fighting with us, they may make us more expert. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Marcos 5:12

The demons begged the Lord not to send them out of the country, but to let them into the herd of swine. — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:13

[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] Or by this it is signified that devils enter into those men, who live like swine, rolling themselves in the slough of pleasure; they drive them headlong into the sea down the precipice of perdition, into the sea of an evil life where they are choked. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Marcos 5:13

He agrees to this. Since our life is a warfare, the Lord did not wish to remove the demons from it, so that through their struggle against us they might make us more skilled. He permits them to enter the swine so that we may know that just as they did not spare the swine, so they would not have spared that man either, had the power of God not preserved him. For the demons, being hostile to us, would immediately destroy us if God did not protect us. Therefore, know that demons have no power even over swine, and still less over people, unless God permits it. But know also this: that into people who live like swine and wallow in the mire of sensual pleasures, demons enter and cast them down from the precipices of perdition into the sea of this life, and they drown. — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:15

Struck by the miracle, the inhabitants of that city came out to Jesus, and having heard the details, they were even more frightened. — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:17

[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] But amazed at the miracle, which they had heard, they were afraid, and for this reason they beseech him to depart out of their borders; which is expressed in what follows: And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts; for they feared lest some time or other they should suffer a like thing: for, saddened at the loss of their swine, they reject the presence of the Saviour. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Marcos 5:17

Therefore they also begged Jesus to depart from their region. They were afraid of suffering something even greater. Having lost the swine and grieving over this loss, they refuse even the presence of the Lord. — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:18

On the contrary, the demoniac asked Him for permission to be with Him, as he feared that the demons, finding him alone, might enter into him again. — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:18

[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] For he feared lest some time or other the devils should find him, and enter into him a second time. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Marcos 5:19

[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] But the Lord sends him back to his house, intimating to him, that though He Himself was not present, yet His power would keep him; at the same time also that he might be of use in the healing of others; wherefore it goes on: And he did not suffer him, and saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, &c. See the humility of the Saviour. He said not, Proclaim all things which I have done to you, but, all that the Lord hath done; do thou also, when thou hast done any good thing, take it not to thyself, but refer it to God. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Marcos 5:19

But the Lord sends him home, showing that His power and providence would guard him even in His absence. He sends him away also so that he might benefit others who would see him. — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:20

[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] He therefore began to proclaim it, and all wonder, which is that which follows: And he began to publish. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Marcos 5:20

Therefore he began to preach, and all marveled. But see how the Savior is free from boasting! He did not say, "Tell what I have done for you," but, "what the Lord has done for you." So you also, when you do something good, ascribe what was done not to yourself, but to God. — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:21

[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] After the miracle of the demoniac, the Lord works another miracle, namely, in raising up the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue; the Evangelist, before narrating this miracle, says, And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Marcos 5:22

After the miracle over the demoniac, the Lord performs another miracle — He raises the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue. For the Jews who witnessed the event, the Evangelist also mentions the name of the ruler of the synagogue. — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:23

[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] Now this man was faithful in part, inasmuch as he fell at the feet of Jesus, but in that he begged of Him to come, he did not show as much faith as he ought. For he ought to have said, Speak the word only, and my daughter shall be healed. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Marcos 5:23

He was a man of half-faith: by falling at the feet of Christ, he shows himself to be a believer, but by asking Him to come, he reveals a faith not of the kind it should be; he ought to have said: "only speak the word." — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:25

Meanwhile, on the Lord's way, the woman with the flow of blood is also healed. This woman had great faith, because she hoped to be healed by the Lord's garment alone; and for this she received healing. — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:29

In a figurative sense, understand this also concerning human nature. It was suffering from a flow of blood, because it was producing sin, which is the murder of the soul and which sheds the blood of our souls. Our nature could not receive healing from many physicians, that is, neither from the wise men of this age, nor even from the Law and the prophets. But it was healed as soon as it touched the garment of Christ, that is, His flesh. For whoever believes that Christ became incarnate is the one who touches His garment. — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:29

[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] Or else, by the woman, who had a bloody flux, understand human nature; for sin rushed in upon it, which since it killed the soul, might be said to spill its blood. It could not be cured by many physicians, that is, by the wise men of this world, and of the Law and the Prophets; but the moment that it touched the hem of Christ's garment, that is, His flesh, it was healed, for whosoever believes the Son of man to be Incarnate is he who touches the hem of His garment. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Marcos 5:29

[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] Most faithful indeed is this woman, who hoped for healing from His garments. For which reason she obtains health; wherefore it goes on, And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Marcos 5:30

Power goes out from Christ not in such a way as to change place; on the contrary, it is communicated to others and at the same time remains in Christ without diminution, just as the lessons of teaching both remain with the teachers and are imparted to the students. — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:30

[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] For the Lord wished to declare the woman, first to give His approbation to her faith, secondly to urge the chief of the synagogue to a confident hope that He could thus cure his child, and also to free the woman from fear. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Marcos 5:31

But see how the crowd pressed upon Him from all sides, and yet not one of them touched Him; on the contrary, the woman, who did not press upon Him, touched Him. From this we learn the mystery that of people occupied with a multitude of worldly cares, no one touches Christ: they only press upon Him; on the contrary, whoever does not press upon Jesus and does not burden his mind with vain concerns, that person touches Him. — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:33

But why does the Lord reveal the woman? First, in order to glorify the woman's faith; second, in order to arouse faith in the ruler of the synagogue that his daughter also will be saved; and also in order to free the woman from her great fear, for she was afraid as one who had stolen a healing. Thus the Evangelist also says: "she came in fear and trembling." — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:33

[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] For the woman feared because she had stolen health; wherefore there follows, But the woman, fearing and trembling, &c. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Marcos 5:34

[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] But He saith to her, Go in peace, that is, in rest, which means, go and have rest, for up to this time thou hast been in pains and torture. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Marcos 5:34

Therefore the Lord did not say, "I have saved you," but "your faith has saved you; go in peace," that is, in rest. The meaning of these words is this: be at peace, you who until now have been in sorrow and distress. — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:35

The people of the ruler of the synagogue regarded Christ as one of the ordinary teachers, which is why they asked Him to come and pray over the girl, and in the end, when she died, they thought that He was no longer needed after her death. — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:35

[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] Those who were about the ruler of the synagogue, thought that Christ was one of the prophets, and for this reason they thought that they should beg of Him to come and pray over the damsel. But because she had already expired, they thought that He ought not to be asked to do so. Therefore it is said, While he yet spake, there came messengers to the ruler of the synagogue, which said, Thy daughter is dead; why troublest thou the Master any further? — Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Marcos 5:36

[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] But the Lord Himself persuades the father to have confidence. For it goes on, As soon as Jesus heard the word which was spoken, he saith to the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid; only believe. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Marcos 5:37

[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] For Christ in His lowliness would not do any thing for display. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Marcos 5:37

Meanwhile, He does not allow anyone to follow Him except the three disciples, because the humble Jesus does not wish to do anything for show. — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:39

At His words, "the girl is not dead, but sleeping," they laugh; this was permitted so that afterward they would have no pretext to say that she had been in a faint and that it was no wonder if He raised her. On the contrary, they would convict themselves by their own testimony of His raising one who was truly dead, since they had even laughed at His words that she was not dead but sleeping. — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:40

[(as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)] But they laugh at Him, as if unable to do any thing farther; and in this He convicts them of bearing witness involuntarily, that she was really dead whom He raised up, and therefore, that it would be a miracle if He raised her. — Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Marcos 5:41

The Lord takes her by the hand in order to impart strength to her. — Commentary on Mark

Marcos 5:43

He commands that she be given something to eat in order to confirm that the resurrection was a real event and not an imaginary one. — Commentary on Mark