Dictionary Article

A unit of the Roman army. In NT times the standard size of the legion was 6,000 men, to which some 120 cavalry were added.

Because it represented a large body of men, the word “legion” came to be used symbolically for an indefinitely large number; this use occurs four times in the NT. In the story about the demoniac in the country of the Gerasenes, Jesus asked the man, “What is your name?” and the reply was, “My name is Legion, for we are many” (Mk 5:9, 15 OET MRK 5:9 · OET MRK 5:15; Lk 8:30; cf. Mt 12:45; Lk 8:2, which speak of a number of demons possessing a single individual).

Show passage in OET: MRK 5:9; MRK 5:15

OET-RV MRK 5:9

9 Yeshua asked, “What’s your name?”
¶ The man answered, “My name is ‘Thousands’ because there’s many of us,”

OET-RV MRK 5:15

15 When they arrived where Yeshua was, they saw the man who had been demon-possessed, fully-clothed and sitting there in full control of his senses. They knew it was the man called ‘Thousands’ and they became frightened.

OET-LV MRK 5:9

9 And he _was _asking him:
What is the_name of _you?
And he _is _saying to _him:
Many _thousands is the_name to _me, because we _are many.

OET-LV MRK 5:15

15 And they _are _coming to the Yaʸsous/(Yəhōshūˊa), and they _are _observing the man being _demon _possessed sitting, having _been _clothed and being _sensible, the one having _had the Many _thousands, and they _were _afraid.

Show passage in OET: LUK 8:30

OET-RV LUK 8:30

30 “What’s your name?” Yeshua asked.
¶ “Thousands,” he answered, because many thousands of demons had entered him

OET-LV LUK 8:30

30 And the Yaʸsous asked him:
What to _you is the_name?
And he said:
Many _thousands, because many demons came _in into him.

Show passage in OET: MAT 12:45

OET-RV MAT 12:45

45 So it goes and finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all go to live there, so that person is worse off than they were at the beginning. So now, it’ll be just like that for this evil generation.”

OET-LV MAT 12:45

45 Then it _is _going and is _taking with itself seven other spirits more _evil than itself, and having _come _in it _is _dwelling there, and the last state of _the that person is _becoming worse than the first.
Thus it _will _be also to_ the this - evil _generation.

Show passage in OET: LUK 8:2

OET-RV LUK 8:2

2 along with some women who’d been healed from evil spirits and sicknesses: Miryam (Grk. Maria /Mariam) from Magdala (that seven demons had come out of),

OET-LV LUK 8:2

2 and some women who were having _been _healed from evil spirits and sicknesses:
Maria/(Miryām) who being _called from _Magdala, from whom seven demons had _come _out,

Jump to OET MRK 5:9 section. · OET MRK 5:15 section.

Jump to OET LUK 8:30 section.

Jump to OET MAT 12:45 section.

Jump to OET LUK 8:2 section.

Another use of the word is in Matthew 26:53, where at the time of Jesus’ arrest one of those with him drew his sword to defend his Master. Jesus forbade such action, saying, “Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands [legions] of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?” (NLT; see mg). Thus he spoke of the vast number of angels that could be summoned to his aid.

Show passage in OET: MAT 26:53

OET-RV MAT 26:53

53 Don’t you realise that I could just ask my father and he would place over a dozen divisions of heavenly soldiers here in front of me,

OET-LV MAT 26:53

53 Or are _you _supposing that I _am_ not _being _able now to _appeal the father of _me, and he _will _be _standing_ more twelve of _legions of _messengers _before before _me?

Jump to OET MAT 26:53 section.

The word “legion” is never used in the NT in its military sense, but either of the spiritual powers of evil that oppose men (cf. Eph 6:12) or of the spiritual powers that can be summoned to their aid (cf. Heb 1:14).

Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary