και 2532 CONJ εθεραπευσεν 2323 5656 V-AAI-3S πολλους 4183 A-APM κακως 2560 ADV εχοντας 2192 5723 V-PAP-APM ποικιλαις 4164 A-DPF νοσοις 3554 N-DPF και 2532 CONJ δαιμονια 1140 N-APN πολλα 4183 A-APN εξεβαλεν 1544 5627 V-2AAI-3S και 2532 CONJ ουκ 3756 PRT-N ηφιεν 863 5707 V-IAI-3S λαλειν 2980 5721 V-PAN τα 3588 T-APN δαιμονια 1140 N-APN οτι 3754 CONJ ηδεισαν 1492 5715 V-LAI-3P αυτον 846 P-ASM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
34. Devils (daimonia). The Rev., unfortunately, and against the protest of the American committee, retains devils instead of rendering demons. See on Matt. iv. 1. The New Testament uses two kindred words to denote the evil spirits which possessed men, and which were 60 often cast out by Christ: daimwn, of which demon is a transcript, and which occurs, according to the best texts, only at Matt. viii. 31; and daimonion, which is not a diminutive, but the neuter of the adjective daimoniov, of, or belonging to a demon. The cognate verb is daimonizomai, to be possessed with a demon, as in Mark i. 32.The derivation of the word is uncertain. Perhaps daiw, to distribute, since the deities allot the fates of men. Plato derives it from dahmwn, knowing or wise. In Hesiod, as in Pythagoras, Thales, and Plutarch, the word; daimwn is used of men of the golden age, acting as tutelary deities, and forming the link between gods and men. Socrates, in Plato's "Cratylus," quotes Hesiod as follows: "Socrates: You know how Hesiod uses the word? Hermogenes: Indeed I do not. Soc.: Do you not remember that he speaks of a golden race of men who came first? Her.: Yes, I know that. Soc.: He says of them,
'But now that fate has closed over this race, They are holy demons upon earth, Beneficent, averters of ills, guardians of mortal men.'"
After some further conversation, Socrates goes on: "And therefore I have the most entire conviction that he called them demons, because they were dahmonev (knowing or wise). Now, he and other poets say truly that, when a good man dies, he has honor and a mighty portion among the dead, and becomes a demon, which is a name given to him signifying wisdom. And I 'say, too, that every wise man who happens to be a good man is more than human (daimonion) both in life and death, and is rightly called a demon." Mr. Grote (" History of Greece") observes that in Hesiod demons are "invisible tenants of the earth, remnants of the once happy golden race whom the Olympic gods first made - the unseen police of the gods, for the purpose of repressing wicked behavior in the world." In later Greek the word came to be used of any departed soul.
In Homer daimwn is used synonymously with qeov and qea, God and goddess, and the moral quality of the divinity is determined by the context: but most commonly of the divine power or agency, like the Latin numen, the deity considered as a power rather than as a person. Homer does not use daimonion substantively, but as an adjective, always in the vocative case and with a sorrowful or reproachful sense, indicating that the person addressed is in some astonishing or strange condition. Therefore, as a term of reproach - wretch! sirrah! madman! ("Iliad," ii., 190, 200; iv., 31; ix., 40). Occasionally in an admiring or respectful sense ("Odyssey," xiv., 443; xxiii., 174); Excellent stranger! noble sir! Homer also use daimwn of one's genius or attendant spirit, and thence of one's lot or, fortune. So in the beautiful simile of the sick father ("Odyssey," v., 396), " Some malignant genius has assailed him." Compare "Odyssey," x., 64; xi.,
Robertson's NT Word Studies
1:34 {Devils} (daimonia). Demons it should be translated always. {Suffered not} (ouk efien). Would not allow, imperfect tense of continued refusal. The reason given is "because they knew him" (hoti eideisan auton). Whether "to be Christ" (criston einai) is genuine or not, that is the meaning and is a direct reference to #1:24 when in the synagogue the demon recognized and addressed Jesus as the Holy One of God. Testimony from such a source was not calculated to help the cause of Christ with the people. He had told the other demon to be silent. See on Mt 8:29 for discussion of the word demon.
