Matthew 8:31
 
Matthew 8:31
(KJV) So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.
(1611 KJV) So the deuils besought him, saying, If thou cast vs out, suffer vs to goe away into the herd of swine.
(1587 Geneva) And the deuils besought him, saying, If thou cast vs out, suffer vs to goe into the heard of swine.
(1568 Bishops) So, the deuyls besought hym, saying: Yf thou cast vs out, suffer vs to go away into the hearde of swyne.
(1526 Tyndale) Then ye devyles besought him sayinge: if thou cast vs out suffre vs to go oure waye in to the heerd of swyne.
 
Counterfeit Versions
(1881 RV) And the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine.
(1901 ASV) And the demons besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine.
(AMP) And the demons begged Him, If You drive us out, send us into the drove of hogs.
(CEB) The demons pleaded with him, “If you throw us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”
(CEV) So the demons begged Jesus, “If you force us out, please send us into those pigs!”
(CSB) “If you drive us out,” the demons begged him, “send us into the herd of pigs.”
(1899 Douay-Rheims American Edition) And the devils besought him, saying: If thou cast us out hence, send us into the herd of swine.
(ERV) The demons begged Jesus, “If you make us leave these men, please send us into that herd of pigs.”
(ESV) And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.”
(GNB) So the demons begged Jesus, “If you are going to drive us out, send us into that herd of pigs.”
(HCSB) If You drive us out,” the demons begged Him, “send us into the herd of pigs.”
(JB Phillips) So the devils implored him, “If you throw us out, send us into the herd of pigs!”
(THE MESSAGE) The evil spirits begged Jesus, “If you kick us out of these men, let us live in the pigs.”
(NASV) The demons began to entreat Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.”
(NCV) The demons begged Jesus, "If you make us leave these men, please send us into that herd of pigs."
(NIRV) The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”
(NIV) The demons begged Jesus, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”
(NLV) The demons begged Jesus, saying, “If You put us out, send us into the pigs.”
(NLT) So the demons begged, “If you cast us out, send us into that herd of pigs.”
(RSV) And the demons begged him, "If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine."
(NAB-Roman Catholic) The demons pleaded with him, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.”
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) So the demons began to entreat him, saying: “If you expel us, send us forth into the herd of swine.”
 
Textus Receptus - Traditional Text
οι δε δαιμονες παρεκαλουν αυτον λεγοντες ει εκβαλλεις ημας επιτρεψον ημιν απελθειν εις την αγελην των χοιρων
 
Hort-Westcott - Critical Text
οι δε δαιμονες παρεκαλουν αυτον λεγοντες ει εκβαλλεις ημας αποστειλον ημας εις την αγελην των χοιρων
 
Corrupt Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century
Theta 038 - Ninth century
33 (Minuscule) - Ninth Century
 
Manuscripts Which Agree with the Textus Receptus for this Verse
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
C 04 - Ephraemi Rescriptus - Fifth century
K 017 - Ninth century
L 019 - Seventh century
W 032 - Fourth/fifth century
Delta 037 - Ninth century
13 (Minuscule) - Eighth century
 
Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions
Reads “send us away” instead of “suffer us to go away”
Greisbach, Johann - 1805
Lachmann, Karl - 1842
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Westcott and Hort - 1881
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition
Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition
United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition
Weiss, Bernhard - 1894
Von Soden, Freiherr - 1902
 
Affected Teaching
In this verse we read that the Lord Jesus Christ has just healed two men from devil possession. Close by there were about 2,000 swine and in the King James Bible, the devils are asking Jesus permission if He will allow them to go into the herd of swine. In the modern versions, the devils are commanding Jesus and telling Him where they want to go. There is no way that any devil will ever command the Lord Jesus Christ in any situation. The proper understanding of this verse is that the devils are servant to Christ, not the other way around.

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