think that the process of exorcism was itself painful (see.), though there is no sign of pain for the man in this exorcism.”89 Incidentally, this verse also emphasizes the Gentile setting. “Most High God” appears in the Hebrew Bible when non-Jews speak of God as in Genesis .-; Numbers .; when God is spoken of in a Gentile context as in Daniel ., .,,,; or when the God of Israel is contrasted with other gods; Psalm..90 () When asked by Jesus his name the evil spirit responded “Legion” (Mark.). Though the term is used here, I believe, to mean simply a very large number, the word with its reference to the Roman army serves again to emphasize the Gentile context. Jews were exempted from Roman military service because they would not fight on the Sabbath.91 () Much more significant for us is the following verse : “He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country.” Here “He” is the evil spirit addressed by Jesus, and the plural “They” are the multiple evil spirits that are said to be in the man. The essential point is that the evil spirits beg not to be sent out of the country. They very much want to remain in the Decapolis Gentile territory. They do not want to be sent to the land of the Jews. () There was a great herd of swine feeding on the hillside (Mark .). Again, we have notification that we are in Gentile territory. The evil spirits begged to be sent into the swine (Mark 5.12). Unclean as they are, they wish to remain unclean. Jesus permits, and the herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned (Mark .). Some commentators are troubled. Thus 89 Mark, p. 89. 90 See, e.g., Hurtado, Mark, pp. 82f. 91 See, e.g., David Daube, ‘What Price Equality?’ 5 Rechtshistoriches Journal (1986), pp. 185ff.
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