Matthew 8:30 (KJV)

Passage

And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.

Nearby Context

Matthew 8:28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.

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

Matthew 8:30 And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.

Matthew 8:31 So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.

Matthew 8:32 And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "good", "herd", "swine", and "feeding". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "good" and "herd", 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 "So the devils besought him saying If...", so "good" and "herd" 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 "good" and "herd" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.