Matthew 8:30 (DRB)

Passage

And there was, not far from them, a herd of many swine feeding.

Nearby Context

Matthew 8:28 And when he was come on the other side of the water, into the country of the Gerasens, there met him two that were possessed with devils, coming out of the sepulchres, exceeding fierce, so that none could pass by that way.

Matthew 8:29 And behold they cried out, saying: What have we to do with thee, Jesus Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

Matthew 8:30 And there was, not far from them, a herd of many swine feeding.

Matthew 8:31 And the devils besought him, saying: If thou cast us out hence, send us into the herd of swine.

Matthew 8:32 And he said to them: Go. But they going out went into the swine, and behold the whole herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea: and they perished in the waters.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "herd", "swine", and "feeding". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "herd" and "swine", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 29's "And behold they cried out saying What..." into verse 31's "And the devils besought him saying If...", so "herd" and "swine" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "herd" and "swine" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.