Luke 8:28 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

What have I to do with thee, &c.?— This way of speaking has been used bywriters in all the ancient languages, and is applied both to personsand things. With respect to persons, it is used, sometimes by superiors towards inferiors; at other times, by one equal to another; and again, at other times, by inferiors towards their superiors; and the sense must vary according to the different circumstances of the persons whom it respects. For when an inferior thus addresses his superior, which is the case here, it is to be considered only as an expostulation; and in that sense the devils might use this form of expression to Christ: for that they did it in an expressive manner, is evident from the worship which they paid him at the same time; as likewise from their petition to himimmediately afterwards, that he would permit them to go into the swine. And therefore, his being their judge seems to occasion no impropriety in the expression; for a criminal may, and often does expostulate with his judge: but the inconsistencyof it, as coming from the demoniacs themselves, has been shewn already in the preceding note. It is evident indeed from many passages in the evangelists, that Christ frequently forbad not only the devils, but men likewise, in public, to acknowledge him to be the Son of God; the reasons for which have been already repeatedly given: but at other times he thought proper to permit such a declaration in private, and particularly from his disciples, as we find Matthew 16:15; Matthew 16:28. And as to the case of these demoniacs among the Gadarenes, there seems to have been the greatest propriety at that time, not only for his permitting the devils to confess him, as they do, to be the Son of God, but likewise to worship him. For it does not appear that any other persons were then present but Christ himself and his disciples, except the demoniacs; and this was not long before he sent forth his disciples before him to preach and to heal, &c. Matthew 10:7-8 and therefore, what could be more proper, or give them higher encouragement to hope for success in this great work, than to see the devils thus subject to their Master, and paying homage to him, as they had a little before seen the winds and the waves obey his command in their passage thither? Now the power given them in their commission, as recorded Matthew 10:8 was to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: if therefore the last, cast out devils, had meant no more than to cure madmen, surely it would not have been placed after raising the dead.—Again, in ch. Luke 10:1 we are told that Christ appointed and sent out seventy other disciples, who are said, Luke 8:17 to have returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject to us through thy name. Where it is plain that they did not mean mere madmen, by our Saviour's answer,—Rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.