And he said to them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.
Go.
1 Kings 22:22 And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
Job 1:10-12 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land…
Job 2:3-6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause…
the whole.
Job 1:13-19 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house: …
Job 2:7,8 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown…
Mark 5:13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.
So they came out and went into the pigs,
The demons' request to enter the pigs (as seen in the preceding verses) highlights their desire to inhabit a physical form. The choice of pigs is significant, as pigs were considered unclean animals according to Jewish law (Leviticus 11:7). This event takes place in a predominantly Gentile region, which explains the presence of a large herd of pigs. The transfer of demons from humans to animals underscores the destructive nature of demonic forces and the mercy of Jesus in liberating the men.
and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea
The geographical setting is crucial here. The steep bank leading to the Sea of Galilee provides a vivid backdrop for this dramatic event. The topography of the region supports the narrative, as there are indeed steep cliffs in the area. The demons' influence drives the pigs to self-destruction, illustrating the chaos and death that accompany demonic possession. This act serves as a visual demonstration of the destructive power of evil and the deliverance Jesus provides.
and died in the waters.
The death of the pigs in the waters symbolizes the ultimate defeat of evil. Water often represents chaos and judgment in biblical literature, as seen in the story of Noah's flood (Genesis 7) and the parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 14). The drowning of the pigs signifies the cleansing and purifying power of Jesus' intervention. This event foreshadows the ultimate victory over evil through Christ's death and resurrection, where sin and death are defeated. The incident also serves as a warning of the consequences of rejecting Jesus' authority and the destructive end of those who remain under demonic influence.
“Go!” (Matthew 8:32a)
• One word from Jesus is enough; His authority is absolute, just as in Mark 1:25 and Luke 4:36 where a simple command expels demons.
• The demons had already acknowledged His divinity (Matthew 8:29). By granting their request to enter the pigs (cf. Mark 5:12), Jesus shows He alone decides their limits (Job 1:12).
• His spoken word confirms Scripture’s reliability: God’s Son rules over every realm—physical and spiritual (Colossians 1:16–17).
“So they came out…” (Matthew 8:32b)
• Instant obedience follows Christ’s command, illustrating James 2:19—demons believe and shudder under His lordship.
• The two men are immediately freed, foreshadowing every believer’s deliverance from darkness into light (Colossians 1:13).
• Luke 11:14 records another literal expulsion, reinforcing that such miracles are factual history, not metaphor.
“…and went into the pigs…” (Matthew 8:32c)
• Jesus allows the demons’ request to expose their destructive nature; animals become a visible lesson (John 10:10).
• Human souls outweigh material loss. One herd of swine is a small price for two lives restored (Matthew 10:29–31).
• The transfer underscores that uncleanness seeks a host, but Christ provides complete eviction (Luke 8:33).
“…and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank…” (Matthew 8:32d)
• Approximately two thousand pigs (Mark 5:13) stampede in panic, demonstrating demonic fury when restrained.
• Evil’s aim is always ruin (Revelation 12:12). By allowing the plunge, Jesus turns invisible malice into a visible warning.
• The rapid response underlines that Christ controls timing and outcome; nothing occurs outside His sovereign will (Psalm 115:3).
“…into the sea and died in the waters.” (Matthew 8:32e)
• The demons drive their new hosts to death, previewing their own final doom in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10).
• Like Pharaoh’s army swallowed by the Red Sea (Exodus 14:28), evil pursuers meet watery judgment while God’s people walk free.
• The drowned herd testifies to the permanence of the men’s deliverance; the unclean spirits cannot return (Matthew 12:43–44).
Matthew 8:32 records a literal event where Jesus speaks a single commanding word, demons obey, enter a herd of pigs, and the animals plunge to their deaths. Each step highlights Christ’s unbeatable authority, the priceless value He places on human life, and the destructive intent of evil. The scene offers a vivid reminder that the same Lord who set those men free still commands every spiritual power today and secures lasting freedom for all who trust Him.
(32) He said unto them, Go.--Men have asked sometimes, in scorn, why the word was spoken; why permission was given for a destructive work which seemed alike needless and fruitless. The so-called rationalistic explanation, that the demoniacs drove the swine down the cliff in a last paroxysm of frenzy, is no solution of the difficulty, for, even if that hypothesis were on other grounds tenable, it is clear that our Lord's words sanctioned what they did. We are at least on the right track in suggesting that only in some such way could the man be delivered from the inextricable confusion between himself and the unclean spirits in which he had been involved. Not till he saw the demoniac forces that had oppressed him transferred to the bodies of other creatures, and working on them the effects which they had wrought on him, could he believe in his own deliverance. Those who measure rightly the worth of a human spirit thus restored to itself, to its fellow-men, and to God, will not think that the destruction of brute life was too dear a price to pay for its restoration. Other subordinate ends--such, e.g., as that it was a penalty on those who kept the unclean beasts for their violation of the Law, or that it taught men that it was through their indulgence of the swinish nature in themselves that they became subject to the darker and more demoniac passions--have been suggested with more or less plausibility.Down a steep place.--Literally, down the cliff.
Verses 32, 33. - And he said unto them, Go. As they asked; for he was not yet come to send them to their final home. He would not employ his inherent Divine power even against the kingdom of Satan, or forcibly disturb the conditions under which evil existed in the world. Notice further:(1) That as regards the right to destroy the swine when they were the property of others, our Lord in no way destroyed them himself, but only did not interfere with the powers of the evil spirits in giving them permission to work out their own purposes. It is possible, too, though far from certain, that the owners of the swine were acting illegally in owning them (though even then our Lord was not constituted as judge, Luke 12:14); but this supposes first that they were Jews, and secondly that it was illegal for Jews to keep swine, of which suppositions not even the latter can be clearly proved either by Scripture or by early forms of tradition.
(2) The destruction of the swine might well be beneficial to the complete recovery of the men.
(3) It would fully arouse the Gerasenes, and bring home to them the holiness of the Lord from whom evil spirits fled, and the call to personal holiness that such a Presence demanded. The result of their being thus amused lay with themselves (John 3:19; 2 Corinthians 2:16). . . .
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