Luke 8:31
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And the demons kept begging Jesus not to order them to go into the Abyss.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
A GALILEAN CIRCUIT, WITH THE TWELVE AND CERTAIN MINISTERING WOMEN. (In Luke only). (Luk 8:1-3) went--travelled, made a progress. throughout every city and village--through town and village. preaching, &c.--the Prince of itinerant preachers scattering far and wide the seed of the Kingdom.
Open source ↗Most of this chapter is a repetition of divers passages of Christ's preaching and miracles which we had before in Matthew and Mark; they are all of such weight, that they are worth repeating, and therefore they are repeated, that out of the mouth not only of two, but of three, witnesses every word may be established. Here is, I. A general account of Christ's preaching, and how he had subsistence for himself and his numerous family by the charitable contributions of good people (Luk 8:1-3). II. The parable of the sower, and the four sorts of ground, with the exposition of it, and some inferences from it (Luk 8:4-18). III. The preference which Christ gave to his obedient disciples before his nearest relations according to the flesh (Luk 8:19-21). IV. His stilling a storm at sea, with a word's speaking (Luk 8:22-25). V. His casting a legion of devils out of a man that was possessed by them (Luk 8:26-40). VI. His healing the woman that had the bloody issue, and raising Jairus's daughter to life (v. 41-56).
Open source ↗8:31 the bottomless pit: The Greek word abussos means “bottomless” and often refers to the underworld prison of evil spirits or fallen angels (Rev 9:1-2, 11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1, 3; cp. 2 Pet 2:4). The metaphor is taken from the apparently bottomless depth of the ocean (the ancients had no means for sounding the ocean depths, so to them it was bottomless).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
But stretch out Your hand and strike all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face.”
The beast that you saw—it was, and now is no more, but is about to come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. And those who dwell on the earth whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will marvel when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet will be.
When the man saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, shouting in a loud voice, “What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You not to torture me!”
They were ruled by a king, the angel of the Abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek it is Apollyon.
But stretch out Your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse You to Your face.”
When the two witnesses have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will wage war with them, and will overpower and kill them.