What Does Mark 5:15 Mean in the King James?
And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
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 man once feared is now sound-minded, while the witnesses are the ones afraid.
THE MEANING
Before you is a person no longer overtaken by the force that once ruled him: he is seated, clothed, and sound-minded. Yet the witnesses are afraid. Restoration and fear occupy the same moment.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that visible restoration automatically makes everyone feel safe: a person can become composed while the people around them remain afraid of what they see.
THE ROOT
σωφρονοῦντα
sōphronounta
GROWS FROM
σωφρον
Sound-mindedness; a composed, self-possessed mind.
“in his right mind” in this verse is sōphronounta. The Greek word family is built around the sense of a sound mind. The man is not merely quiet or restrained: he is present and composed, while the fear in the scene belongs to the witnesses.
ALSO GROWS
sōphrosynē: soundness of mind; self-control
σωφροσύνη
This related noun carries the same sound-minded quality into a name for composed judgment.
sōphroneō: to be sound-minded; to think with sound judgment
σωφρονέω
The verb makes the shared root an active way of thinking, not simply an outward appearance.
ἐφοβήθησαν
ephobēthēsan
GROWS FROM
φοβ
Fear; being afraid.
“they were afraid” in this verse is ephobēthēsan. The Greek verb assigns fear to the witnesses, while the man is described as seated and sound-minded. The scene leaves the disturbance with those looking at him: they are afraid of the change they see.
ALSO GROWS
phobos: fear; alarm
φόβος
This noun names the fear that the verb expresses in the witnesses.
phobeomai: to fear; to be afraid
φοβέομαι
This verb is the same word family as the form translated “they were afraid.”
phoberos: fearsome; frightening
φοβερός
This adjective shows how the same root can describe what provokes fear.
THE PATTERN
When restoration becomes visible, witnesses may answer first with fear or astonishment before they can name what they are seeing.
And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people.And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.THE THREAD
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.The Greek word translated “in his right mind” in Mark belongs to the same σωφρον word family as “sound mind” here. Together, the verses name sound-mindedness as a state of composed presence, set beside fear rather than swallowed by it.
This reading is from Selah Verse.
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