Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Often bound (pollakiv dedesqai). Perfect passive infinitive, state of completion. With fetters (pedaiv, from peza, foot, instep) and chains, bound hand and foot, but all to no purpose. The English plural of foot is feet (Anglo-Saxon fot, fet) and fetter is feeter.
Rent asunder (diespasqai). Drawn (spaw) in two (dia- same root as duo, two). Perfect passive infinitive.
Broken in pieces (suntetrifqai.) Perfect passive infinitive again, from suntribw, to rub together. Rubbed together, crushed together. Perhaps the neighbours who told the story could point to broken fragments of chains and fetters. The fetters may have been cords, or even wooden stocks and not chains.
No man had strength to tame him (oudeiv isxuen auton damasai). Imperfect tense. He roamed at will like a lion in the jungle.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Mark 5:4:
Luke 9:39
Acts 21:33
Acts 23:10
James 3:7
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