Markus 5:9

5:9 Jesus ¹  asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “My name is Legion, ²  for we are many.”

Markus 9:29

9:29 He told them, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” ³ 

[5:9]  ¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:9]  ² sn The name Legion means “thousands,” a word taken from a Latin term for a large group of soldiers. The term not only suggests a multiple possession, but also adds a military feel to the account. This is a true battle.

[9:29]  ³ tc Most witnesses, even early and excellent ones (Ì^45vid א² A C D L W Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat co), have “and fasting” (καὶ νηστείᾳ, kai nhsteia) after “prayer” here. But this seems to be a motivated reading, due to the early church’s emphasis on fasting (TCGNT 85; cf., e.g., 2 Clem. 16:4; Pol. Phil 7:2; Did. 1:3; 7:4). That the most important witnesses (א* B), as well as a few others (0274 2427 k), lack καὶ νηστείᾳ, when a good reason for the omission is difficult to find, argues strongly for the shorter reading.