Markus 3:11

3:11 And whenever the unclean spirits ¹  saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”

Markus 3:23

3:23 So ²  he called them and spoke to them in parables: ³  “How can Satan cast out Satan?

Markus 3:30

3:30 (because they said, “He has an unclean spirit” ⁴ ).

Markus 5:8

5:8 (For Jesus ⁵  had said to him, “Come out of that man, you unclean spirit!”) ⁶ 

Markus 5:13

5:13 Jesus ⁷  gave them permission. ⁸  So ⁹  the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs. Then the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake, and about two thousand were drowned in the lake.

Markus 7:25

7:25 Instead, a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit ¹⁰  immediately heard about him and came and fell at his feet.

[3:11]  ¹ sn Unclean spirits refers to evil spirits.

[3:23]  ² tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

[3:23]  ³ sn Jesus spoke two parables to demonstrate the absurdity of the thinking of the religious leaders who maintained that he was in league with Satan and that he actually derived his power from the devil. The first parable (vv. 23-26) teaches that if Jesus cast out demons by the ruler of the demons, then in reality Satan is fighting against himself, with the result that his kingdom has come to an end. The second parable (v. 28) about tying up a strong man proves that Jesus does not need to align himself with the devil because Jesus is more powerful. Jesus defeated Satan at his temptation (1:12-13) and by his exorcisms he clearly demonstrated himself to be stronger than the devil. The passage reveals the desperate condition of the religious leaders, who in their hatred for Jesus end up attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan (a position for which they will be held accountable, 3:29-30). For an explanation of what a parable is, see the note on parables in 4:2.

[3:30]  ⁴ sn Unclean spirit refers to an evil spirit.

[5:8]  ⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:8]  ⁶ sn This is a parenthetical explanation by the author.

[5:13]  ⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:13]  ⁸ sn Many have discussed why Jesus gave them permission, since the animals were destroyed. However, this is another example of a miracle that is a visual lesson. The demons are destructive: They were destroying the man. They destroyed the pigs. They destroy whatever they touch. The point was to take demonic influence seriously, as well as Jesus’ power over it as a picture of the larger battle for human souls. There would be no doubt how the man’s transformation had taken place.

[5:13]  ⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate a conclusion and transition in the narrative.

[7:25]  ¹⁰ sn Unclean spirit refers to an evil spirit.