Matthew 8:32

ὑπάγετε : Christ's laconic reply, usually taken to mean: go into the swine, but not necessarily meaning more than “begone”. So Weiss, who holds that Jesus had no intention of expressing acquiescence in the demoniac's request. (Matt. Evan. and Weiss-Meyer, “Hinweg mit euch”.) οἱ δὲ … χοίρους : the entrance of the demons into the swine could not, of course, be a matter of observation, but only of inference from what followed. ἰδοὺ, introducing a sudden, startling event ὥρμησεν πᾶσα ἡ ἀγέλη the mad downrush of the herd over the precipice into the lake. Assuming the full responsibility of Jesus for the catastrophe, expositors have busied themselves in inventing apologies. Euthy gives four reasons for the transaction, the fourth being that only thereby could it be conclusively shown that the devils had left the demoniacs. Rosenmüller suggests that two men are worth more than ever so many swine. The lowest depth of bathos in this line was touched by Wetstein when he suggested that, by cutting up the drowned swine, salting the meat or making smoke-dried hams (fumosas pernas), and selling them to Gentiles who did not object to eat suffocated animals, the owners would escape loss. But the learned commentator might be jesting, for he throws out the suggestion for the benefit of men whom he describes as neither Jews, Gentiles, nor Christians.