Mark 5:7 occurs in the account of Jesus’ confrontation with the Gerasene demoniac — a man possessed by a legion of unclean spirits (Mark 5:1–20). After running to Jesus and falling before Him, the possessed man (or rather the spirit within him) speaks. This verse captures the moment of spiritual tension where evil recognizes divine authority and recoils. It is a rare moment in the Gospels when a demon articulates theology with unsettling clarity.
Structural Analysis
καὶ κράξας φωνῇ μεγάλῃ λέγει·
τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί, Ἰησοῦ, υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου;
ὁρκίζω σε τὸν Θεόν, μή με βασανίσῃς.
The verse contains three coordinated parts: (1) the possessed man’s scream and speech introduction, (2) a rhetorical question expressing dread and distance, and (3) a solemn adjuration begging Jesus not to torment him. The verse’s climax is theological: the demon publicly acknowledges Jesus as υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου — “Son of God Most High.”
Semantic Nuances
κράξας φωνῇ μεγάλῃ is an intense expression: “having cried out with a loud voice.” The participle κράξας implies a loud, uncontrolled shriek, while φωνῇ μεγάλῃ intensifies the desperation and fear.
τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί is a Semitic idiom rendered literally, “What [is] to me and to you?” It expresses resistance, avoidance, and emotional recoil — “What do you want with me?” or “Why are you interfering with me?”
Ἰησοῦ, υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου is an astonishing confession — more accurate than what most human characters in Mark’s Gospel recognize at this point. The phrase τοῦ ὑψίστου adds majestic transcendence, echoing titles for God in the Hebrew Scriptures (cf. Genesis 14:18; Psalm 78:35).
ὁρκίζω σε τὸν Θεόν — “I adjure you by God” — is a formula of exorcistic legal language. Ironically, the demon attempts to invoke God’s authority to shield itself from Jesus.
μή με βασανίσῃς — “do not torment me” — uses the aorist subjunctive with μή for prohibition. The verb βασανίζω in this context implies eschatological torment — final judgment — as seen in apocalyptic and demonological literature.
Syntactical Insight
The participial phrase καὶ κράξας φωνῇ μεγάλῃ sets the tone before the main verb λέγει introduces direct speech. The asyndetic shift into the rhetorical question increases emotional force. The question τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί frontloads the alienation, and the vocative sequence Ἰησοῦ, υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ slows the pace, giving prominence to the recognition of identity.
The structure ὁρκίζω σε τὸν Θεόν is grammatically tight: verb + personal object + accusative of oath. The following clause μή με βασανίσῃς functions as the content of the adjuration — what the demon is pleading to avoid.
Historical and Cultural Background
In ancient Jewish and Greco-Roman demonology, knowing a spiritual being’s name was believed to grant power over it. By naming Jesus, the demon may be attempting self-defense. The usage of oaths and invocations was standard in magical texts, and here the demon ironically employs the same methods used against it in exorcism rituals — calling on God to plead for mercy from the Messiah.
Intertextuality
- Mark 1:24: A demon cries, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” — almost identical structure and recognition.
- Luke 8:28: Parallel account with similar wording, affirming the fear of torment “before the time.”
- Revelation 20:10: The final destiny of demonic powers is torment — giving βασανίζω an eschatological edge.
These echoes demonstrate that demons consistently recognize Jesus’ divine authority and final role in judgment — before many humans do.
Hermeneutical Reflection
Mark 5:7 is a window into cosmic warfare. Greek syntax lays bare the paradox: evil not only fears holiness — it must acknowledge it. The demon’s appeal to God is not piety but panic. Its knowledge of Jesus’ identity does not lead to worship but terror. In a world obsessed with spiritual power, Jesus stands as the true authority. The recognition comes not from confession of faith, but from dread of judgment.
The Theology of a Screaming Spirit
This verse flips the expected. The unclean spirit becomes a theologian — calling Jesus by his divine title and begging not to be judged. But grammar exposes the heart: verbs of shrieking, speech, and oath all serve one goal — to avoid holiness. In Mark 5:7, it is not faith that speaks, but fear. And yet, even fear must bow before the Son of the Most High.
