Matthew 8:30 (YLT)

Passage

And there was far off from them a herd of many swine feeding,

Nearby Context

Matthew 8:28 And he having come to the other side, to the region of the Gergesenes, there met him two demoniacs, coming forth out of the tombs, very fierce, so that no one was able to pass over by that way,

Matthew 8:29 and lo, they cried out, saying, `What--to us and to thee, Jesus, Son of God? didst thou come hither, before the time, to afflict us?'

Matthew 8:30 And there was far off from them a herd of many swine feeding,

Matthew 8:31 and the demons were calling on him, saying, `If thou dost cast us forth, permit us to go away to the herd of the swine;'

Matthew 8:32 and he saith to them, `Go.' And having come forth, they went to the herd of the swine, and lo, the whole herd of the swine rushed down the steep, to the sea, and died 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 lo they cried out saying What--to..." into verse 31's "and the demons were calling on him...", 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.