Mark 5:4 Meaning and Explanation
“Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Repeated attempts to bind him with fetters and chains have failed; he tears them apart, and no one has the strength to subdue him.
What Does Mark 5:4 Mean?
The description deepens: fetters for the feet, chains for the hands, applied "often," and every one of them wrenched apart. The closing phrase -- "neither could any man tame him" -- uses the language of subduing a wild animal. His neighbors no longer treat him as a man at all.
Mark measures the strength of the evil so that we can measure the greater strength of the deliverer. Every escalation of human force has failed; the next voice to address this man will use no force at all, only a word. Where the strongest restraints break, Christ's command will be enough -- and it will not tame him like a beast but restore him as a man.
Mark 5:4 in the Original Language
damazo (δαμάζω), 'tame' -- to subdue or master a wild creature, the same verb James uses of the tongue.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mark 5:4
What does Mark 5:4 mean?
Repeated attempts to bind him with fetters and chains have failed; he tears them apart, and no one has the strength to subdue him.