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G1367 · Greek · New Testament
δισχίλιοι
Dischilioi
Numeral adjective
Two thousand

Definition

The Greek numeral dischilioi means two thousand — used precisely in the Gospels to describe the herd of pigs that rushed into the Sea of Galilee when Jesus cast the demons out of the Gadarene demoniac.

Usage & Theological Significance

Dischilioi appears in Mark 5:13, where a herd of about two thousand pigs rushes down a steep bank and drowns after Jesus permits the demons to enter them. This specific number marks the totality of the destruction — not a few pigs but an entire herd. The scene is one of dramatic cosmic confrontation: Legion, representing the forces of demonic occupation, is expelled and destroyed, while the formerly tormented man sits clothed and in his right mind. The number underscores the completeness of Christ's victory over evil and the cost at which human freedom from demonic bondage was purchased.

Key Bible Verses

Mark 5:13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
Mark 5:15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind.
Luke 8:30 Jesus asked him, 'What is your name?' 'Legion,' he replied, because many demons had gone into him.
Matthew 8:32 He said to them, 'Go!' So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.
Mark 5:20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

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