In Mark 5:19, the word is “house” not “people.”

Question:

In the article "How Do They Do That?" you stated:

One of these cities was Decapolis. Just outside the town, Jesus freed a man possessed by demons. The man wanted to follow Jesus, but instead, Jesus tells him to go and preach what he has learned to his people (Mark 5:19-20). Look closely at what Jesus said.  He did not say "our people," but "your people." This man went among the Gentiles of Decapolis preaching the good news of Jesus.

The Greek word is not  "people",  it's "house. " Jesus told the man to go home.

Answer:

"However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you."" (Mark 5:19, NJKV)

"And He did not let him, but He said to him, "Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you."" (Mark 5:19, NASB '95)

The Greek phrase is hupage eis ton oikon sou pros tous sous that translates the section highlighted in blue in the two translations above. The literal word-for-word translation is "go to the house your to the your." Yes, oikonprimarily means a person's dwelling place; however, "the New Testament employs 'house' to indicate tribes, descendants, or nations." (Complete Biblical Library Greek - English Dictionary). In the case, Jesus tells the man to go to his home and to those belonging to him (sous). In doing so, he was to announce what the Lord did for him.

In carrying out this command we learn in the next verse that "And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled" (Mark 5:20). Thus we learn that in following Jesus' command he did not limit his proclamation to his immediate family or even to his close friends. He told the news to Decapolis.

In this case, I believe the New American Standard has the closer sense of the phrase by translating sous as referring to his nation, tribe, or people, as the preceding noun oikon allows since the context shows that he did not limit his statements to only his household or his friends.

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