Matthew 8:32 is the 32nd verse in the eighth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament. Content In the original Greek according to Westcott-Hort this verse is: Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Ὑπάγετε. Οἱ δὲ ἐξελθόντες ἀπῆλθον εἰς τὴν ἀγέλην τῶν χοίρων· καὶ ἰδού, ὥρμησε πᾶσα ἡ ἀγέλη τῶν χοίρων κατὰ τοῦ κρημνοῦ εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ ἀπέθανον ἐν τοῖς ὕδασιν. In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads: 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. The New International Version translates the passage as: 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. For a collection of other versions see BibleHub Matthew 8:32. Analysis Lapide gives a number of reasons why Christ granted the request of the devils, 1) to show that He had power over evil spirits, and that without his permission they could not even harm pigs, much less people. (this point is discussed in the life of Anthony the Great); 2) to show the number, strength and ill-nature of the devils, and to show how much greater was his own power; 3. To disprove the error of the Sadducees, who say that there is “neither angel nor spirit” (Acts 23:8). Lapide also puts forth a mystically meaning for this passage, saying that Christ did this to show that "all who, after the manner of swine wallow in fleshly lusts and pleasures, that they in like manner are rushing into the abyss of hell, and also to teach us that we must account the loss of our earthly possessions as of small account compared with the destruction of the soul. For He permitted the devils to enter into the herd of swine in order to free the demoniacs from their power." Commentary from the Church Fathers Chrysostom: "Jesus did not say this, as though persuaded by the dæmons, but with many designs therein. One, that He might show the mighty power to hurt of these dæmons, who were in possession of the two men; another, that all might see that they had no power against the swine unless by