Matthew 8:34
New International Version
Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.

New Living Translation
Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus, but they begged him to go away and leave them alone.

English Standard Version
And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

Berean Standard Bible
Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.

Berean Literal Bible
And behold, all the city went out to meet Jesus. And having seen Him, they begged Him that He would depart from their region.

King James Bible
And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.

New King James Version
And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.

New American Standard Bible
And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they pleaded with Him to leave their region.

NASB 1995
And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they implored Him to leave their region.

NASB 1977
And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they entreated Him to depart from their region.

Legacy Standard Bible
And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they pleaded with Him to leave their region.

Amplified Bible
And the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and as soon as they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.

Christian Standard Bible
At that, the whole town went out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
At that, the whole town went out to meet Jesus. When they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.

American Standard Version
And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart from their borders.

Contemporary English Version
Everyone in town came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged him to leave their part of the country.

English Revised Version
And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart from their borders.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Everyone from the city went to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged him to leave their territory.

Good News Translation
So everyone from the town went out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their territory.

International Standard Version
Then the whole city went out to meet Jesus, and as soon as they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

Majority Standard Bible
Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.

NET Bible
Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

New Heart English Bible
And look, all the city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.

Webster's Bible Translation
And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their borders.

Weymouth New Testament
So at once the whole population came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they besought Him to leave their country.

World English Bible
Behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus. When they saw him, they begged that he would depart from their borders.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And behold, all the city came forth to meet Jesus, and having seen Him, they called on [Him] that He might depart from their borders.

Berean Literal Bible
And behold, all the city went out to meet Jesus. And having seen Him, they begged Him that He would depart from their region.

Young's Literal Translation
And lo, all the city came forth to meet Jesus, and having seen him, they called on him that he might depart from their borders.

Smith's Literal Translation
And, behold, all the city came forth to the meeting to Jesus: and seeing him, they besought that he would go away from their boundaries.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And behold the whole city went out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart from their coasts.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And behold, the entire city went out to meet Jesus. And having seen him, they petitioned him, so that he would cross from their borders.

New American Bible
Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.

New Revised Standard Version
Then the whole town came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their neighborhood.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So all the city went out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they urged him to depart from their borders.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the whole city came out to meet with Yeshua, and when they saw him, they begged him to depart from their borders.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And, behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they besought him to depart out of their borders.

Godbey New Testament
And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and seeing Him, intreated Him, that He should depart from their coasts.

Haweis New Testament
And, behold, all the city came out to meet him: and when they saw him, they besought him to depart from their territories.

Mace New Testament
whereupon the city went in a body to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they desir'd him to withdraw out of their country.

Weymouth New Testament
So at once the whole population came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they besought Him to leave their country.

Worrell New Testament
And, behold, all the city came forth to meet Jesus; and, seeing Him, they besought Him, that He would depart from their borders.

Worsley New Testament
And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they intreated Him to depart from their coasts.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Demons and the Pigs
33Those tending the pigs ran off into the town and reported all this, including the account of the demon-possessed men. 34Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their region.

Cross References
Mark 5:17
And the people began to beg Jesus to leave their region.

Luke 8:37
Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to depart from them, because great fear had taken hold of them. So He got into the boat and started back.

Acts 16:39
They came to appease them and led them out, requesting that they leave the city.

John 1:11
He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

John 3:19-20
And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. / Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

John 15:18-25
If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first. / If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. / Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well. ...

Acts 7:51-53
You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. / Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers— / you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.”

Acts 13:45-46
But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and they blasphemously contradicted what Paul was saying. / Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.

Acts 19:23-28
About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. / It began with a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver shrines of Artemis, bringing much business to the craftsmen. / Demetrius assembled the craftsmen, along with the workmen in related trades. “Men,” he said, “you know that this business is our source of prosperity. ...

1 Peter 2:7-8
To you who believe, then, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” / and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word—and to this they were appointed.

Isaiah 53:3
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

Jeremiah 6:10
To whom can I give this warning? Who will listen to me? Look, their ears are closed, so they cannot hear. See, the word of the LORD has become offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.

Jeremiah 8:9
The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what wisdom do they really have?

Isaiah 65:2-5
All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people who walk in the wrong path, who follow their own imaginations, / to a people who continually provoke Me to My face, sacrificing in the gardens and burning incense on altars of brick, / sitting among the graves, spending nights in secret places, eating the meat of pigs and polluted broth from their bowls. ...

1 Samuel 8:7
And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king.


Treasury of Scripture

And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they sought him that he would depart out of their coasts.

they besought.

Matthew 8:29
And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

Deuteronomy 5:25
Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die.

1 Samuel 16:4
And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?

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Matthew 8
1. Jesus cleanses the leper;
5. heals the centurion's servant,
14. Peter's mother in law,
16. and many others;
18. shows the cost of following him;
23. stills the storm on the sea;
28. drives the demons out of two men possessed;
31. and tells them to go into the pigs.














And the whole town
This phrase indicates a collective response from the community. The Greek word for "town" here is "πόλις" (polis), which can refer to a city or a significant settlement. In the context of first-century Judea, towns were often tightly-knit communities where news spread quickly. The fact that the entire town came out suggests the magnitude of the event that had just occurred—the healing of the demon-possessed men—and the impact it had on the community. This collective movement underscores the communal nature of ancient societies, where events were experienced and responded to as a group.

went out to meet Jesus
The action of going out to meet someone is significant in biblical narratives. It often denotes a desire to confront, welcome, or inquire. The Greek verb "ὑπαντάω" (hypantaō) used here implies an encounter or confrontation. In this context, the townspeople's decision to meet Jesus suggests a mixture of curiosity, fear, and perhaps hostility. Historically, meeting someone outside the town could also imply a formal or significant encounter, indicating the seriousness with which the townspeople regarded the situation.

When they saw Him
The act of seeing in biblical terms often goes beyond mere physical sight. The Greek word "εἶδον" (eidon) can imply understanding or perceiving. This moment of seeing Jesus is pivotal; it is not just about recognizing Him physically but also confronting the reality of His power and authority. In the scriptural context, seeing Jesus often leads to a decision or a change of heart, highlighting the transformative power of His presence.

they pleaded with Him
The word "pleaded" comes from the Greek "παρακαλέω" (parakaleō), which can mean to urge, entreat, or beg. This indicates a strong emotional response from the townspeople. Their plea for Jesus to leave suggests fear or discomfort with the supernatural events they had witnessed. It reflects a common biblical theme where human beings are often overwhelmed by the divine and react with fear or rejection rather than faith and acceptance.

to leave their region
The request for Jesus to leave is significant. The Greek word "χωρέω" (chōreō) implies making space or departing. This reflects a rejection of Jesus' presence and, by extension, His message and power. Historically, this reaction can be understood in the context of economic loss (as the herd of pigs had been destroyed) and fear of further disruption. Scripturally, it serves as a sobering reminder of how people can choose to reject divine intervention due to fear or misunderstanding, preferring the status quo over the transformative power of Christ.

(34) The whole city--i.e., the population of Gadara or Gerasa (more probably the former), according to the reading which we adopt in Matthew 8:28. St. Mark and St. Luke add, that they found the demoniac "clothed, and in his right mind, sitting at the feet of Jesus," in the clinging gratitude of faith. The narrative half suggests the thought that the garment which he now wore as the outward sign of a new self-reverence had been supplied by the pity of the disciples.

Besought him that he would depart.--It was characteristic of the wild, half-heathen population that they were led to look on the Prophet who had wrought so great a work as a Destroyer rather than a Saviour, and therefore shrank from His presence among them. Not so with the demoniac himself. He felt, with a faith which was real, though weak, as if he were only safe while close to his Deliverer. He followed Him to the boat, and as He was in the act of embarking (Mark 5:18), prayed that he might be with Him. But this was not the discipline which was needed for his spiritual health. Retirement, renewed fellowship with his kindred in his own house, the quiet witness borne there that the Lord had had compassion on him--this was better for him than the work of a more avowed discipleship. And so he went his way "proclaiming," or "preaching," what Jesus had done for him--a true evangelist to a people whose panic terror showed that they were as yet in darkness and the shadow of death.

Verse 34. - And, behold. The third of the stages (vers. 29, 32) in this incident that were apparent to all. The whole city; i.e. Khersa, from the parallel passages (ver. 28, note); all the city (Revised Version, though a similar phrase is not altered in ver. 32); πᾶσα ἡ πόλις. Not really less comprehensive, but giving a less vivid representation of one united body than ὅλη ἡ πόλις (Mark 1:33, and especially Luke 8:39); cf. Matthew 4:23, 24, ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ Γαλιλαία εἰς ὅλην τὴν Συριάν. Came out to meet Jesus (εἰς ὑπάντησιν τῷ [Westcott and Hort margin, τοῦ] Ἰησοῦ). A distance of half a mile or so would satisfy the expression. The true reading, ὑπάντησιν (also Matthew 25:1; John 12:13), would seem to suggest the closest proximity (cf. Bishop Lightfoot on ὑπεναντίος Colossians 2:14), while ἀπάντησιν (Matthew 25:6; Acts 28:15; 1 Thessalonians 4:17) connotes a, contrast to the place left. Συνάντησιν, again (Textus Receptus here, and John 12:13, D, el.), emphasizes the thought of companionship. And when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts; from their borders (Revised Version). These Gerasenes, vexed at the loss of wealth, felt, like the demoniacs, that there was nothing in common between themselves and Jesus, but, unlike them, showed no consciousness of sin. Without this he could do nothing for them, so he granted their request (Matthew 9:1). St. Peter also once bade Jesus depart (Luke 5:8), but his reason, "for I am a sinful man, O Lord," showed a heartfelt desire after the deepest union with him. With the ungranted request of the man to remain with Jesus, and his subsequent preaching to these Gerasenes and others (parallel passages), St. Matthew does not concern himself.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Then
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

the
(hē)
Article - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

whole
πᾶσα (pasa)
Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.

town
πόλις (polis)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4172: A city, the inhabitants of a city. Probably from the same as polemos, or perhaps from polus; a town.

went out
ἐξῆλθεν (exēlthen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1831: To go out, come out. From ek and erchomai; to issue.

to
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

meet
ὑπάντησιν (hypantēsin)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5222: A meeting. From hupantao; an encounter or concurrence.

Jesus.
Ἰησοῦ (Iēsou)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424: Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.

And
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

when they saw
ἰδόντες (idontes)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3708: Properly, to stare at, i.e. to discern clearly; by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear.

Him,
αὐτὸν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

they begged [Him]
παρεκάλεσαν (parekalesan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 3870: From para and kaleo; to call near, i.e. Invite, invoke.

to leave
μεταβῇ (metabē)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3327: To change my place (abode), leave, depart, remove, pass over. From meta and the base of basis; to change place.

their
αὐτῶν (autōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

region.
ὁρίων (horiōn)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural
Strong's 3725: Neuter of a derivative of an apparently primary horos; a boundary-line, i.e. a frontier.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 8:34 Behold all the city came out (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 8:33
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