What Does Luke 8:27 Mean in the King James?
And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The Greek word for “tombs” belongs to the family of remembrance, so the man’s dwelling is among places marked to remember the dead.
THE MEANING
You see a man under a long-standing demonic grip, without clothing or a house and living among tombs. His isolation is bodily and visible: he comes out from the city, yet the tombs are his place of dwelling.
THE ROOT
μνημεῖον
mnēmeion
GROWS FROM
μνημ-
mnēm-
Memory, remembrance; this word family includes a memorial or tomb.
“tombs” in this verse is mnēmeion. The word for a tomb is tied to remembering: it is a memorial place. The man’s dwelling is among places that make death the community’s visible memory.
ALSO GROWS
mnēmē: memory, remembrance
μνήμη
This related noun makes the remembrance within the tomb word visible.
mimnēskomai: to remember, call to mind
μιμνῄσκομαι
The related verb shows the same memory root at work as an act of recalling.
ἔμενεν
emenen
GROWS FROM
μένω
menō
To stay, remain, or continue.
“abode” in this verse is emenen. The verb marks staying, not just passing through: he does not remain in a house, and the tombs are his place of dwelling. This word family also gives Greek a word for a dwelling place, linking the question of where someone remains to where they can belong.
ALSO GROWS
monē: dwelling place, place to stay
μονή
John 14:2 uses this related noun for the dwelling places in the Father’s house.
emmenō: to remain, continue
ἐμμένω
This related verb keeps the root’s sense of sustained staying in view.
THE PATTERN
Scripture makes isolation visible in where a person lives and restoration visible in renewed company.
Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.THE THREAD
In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.Luke’s “abode” translates ἔμενεν (emenen, “was remaining”), from μένω (menō, “remain”); John’s “mansions” translates μοναί (monai, “dwelling places”), from the same word family. The shared root sets this man’s dwelling among tombs beside a promise of a prepared place to remain.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us