Lukas 8:31-32

8:31 And they began to beg ¹  him not to order ²  them to depart into the abyss. ³  8:32 Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, ⁴  and the demonic spirits ⁵  begged Jesus ⁶  to let them go into them. He gave them permission. ⁷ 

[8:31]  ¹ tn One could also translate the imperfect tense here with a repetitive force like “begged him repeatedly.”

[8:31]  ² tn Or “command.”

[8:31]  ³ tn This word, ἄβυσσος (abusso"), is a term for the place where the dead await the judgment. It also could hold hostile spirits according to Jewish belief (Jub. 5:6-7; 1 En. 10:4-6; 18:11-16).

[8:32]  ⁴ tn Grk “mountain,” but this might give the English reader the impression of a far higher summit.

[8:32]  ⁵ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the demonic spirits) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:32]  ⁶ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:32]  ⁷ sn Many have discussed why Jesus gave them permission, since the animals were destroyed. However, this is another example of a miracle that is a visual lesson. The demons are destructive: They were destroying the man. They destroyed the pigs. They destroy whatever they touch. The point was to take demonic influence seriously, as well as Jesus’ power over it as a picture of the larger battle for human souls. There would be no doubt how the man’s transformation had taken place.