Mark 5:13 records Jesus giving the demons permission to leave the man they had controlled and enter a large herd of pigs, which then ran down a steep bank into the sea and drowned. The verse shows Jesus’ authority over evil spirits, and it is one of the most striking scenes in the Gospels. Jesus gives the command, and the demons, who had begged for this exact outcome, are sent out of the man.
At once Jesus gave them permission. The unclean spirits came out and entered into the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and they were drowned in the sea.
Mark 5:13 (WEB)
What Mark 5:13 Means
The verse opens with “At once Jesus gave them permission.” The word “permission” matters because the demons do not simply get what they want. They ask to be sent into the pigs, and Jesus decides whether that request is granted. The verse presents Jesus as the one in control of the spiritual conflict, not the demons.
Next, “The unclean spirits came out and entered into the pigs.” The Gospel writer uses “unclean spirits” to describe the demons, a common way of speaking about evil spirits in first-century Jewish writing. Their leaving the man is the real healing in the story. The pigs are the means of their going, and the pigs’ fate is part of what happens next.
Finally, the herd rushes into the sea and drowns. The verse describes what happened without explaining why the pigs reacted this way. It does not promise that God will act in the same dramatic way in every situation, and it does not teach that animals are central to God’s plan. It records a single event and shows what Jesus did in that moment.
The Context of Mark 5:13
The Gospel of Mark is traditionally attributed to John Mark, a companion of Peter, and it was written for a largely Gentile audience, possibly in Rome. Mark moves quickly from one scene to the next, and he often emphasizes Jesus’ power over sickness, nature, and spiritual forces. This passage belongs to a sequence of stories showing that Jesus’ authority reaches into places most people feared.
Verses 10 through 12 describe the demons begging Jesus not to send them out of the region and then asking to be sent into the pigs. Verses 14 through 16 show the people from the surrounding area coming to see what had happened and finding the man sitting, clothed, and in his right mind. Read in that setting, verse 13 is the hinge of the story: the demons’ request is granted, and the result is the man’s restoration seen in verse 15.
Key Phrases in Mark 5:13
Luke 8:35
People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
(WEB)
Luke tells the same story and includes the detail that the people found the man sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind. Reading this parallel helps you see the restoration Mark highlights in verse 15 from another angle, and it confirms the outcome of the encounter.
Mark 1:27
They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching? For with authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him!”
(WEB)
Earlier in Mark, the crowd recognizes that Jesus commands even unclean spirits and they obey him. This verse establishes the pattern of authority that the healing in chapter 5 displays, and it helps you read the demons’ request as part of that larger picture.
A Short Prayer From Mark 5:13
Lord Jesus, you hold authority over every power that works against people and against your good purposes. Thank you that the demons who begged for their own way were sent out at your word, and that the man who had been bound was found clothed and in his right mind. Where I feel held by fear, habit, or harm, I ask you to speak the same word of freedom. Help me trust your authority when I cannot see the outcome, and let your peace settle my heart. Amen.
