Matthew 8:33 (LSB)

Passage

Now the herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs.

Nearby Context

Matthew 8:31 And the demons began to plead with Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.”

Matthew 8:32 And He said to them, “Go!” And coming out, they went into the swine; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and perished in the waters.

Matthew 8:33 Now the herdsmen ran away, and went to the city and reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs.

Matthew 8:34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they pleaded with Him to leave their region.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "herdsmen", "away", "went", "city", "reported", "everything", "including", and "happened". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "herdsmen" and "away", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 32's "And He said to them Go And..." into verse 34's "And behold the whole city came out...", so "herdsmen" and "away" 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 "herdsmen" and "away" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.