Matthew 8:29

They ¹  cried out, “Son of God, leave us alone! ²  Have you come here to torment us before the time?” ³ 

biblegateway Mat 8:29

"What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"

biblegateway Mat 8:29

And they cried out, saying, "What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?"

biblegateway Mat 8:29

They began screaming at him, "Why are you bothering us, Son of God? You have no right to torture us before God’s appointed time!"

biblegateway Mat 8:29

Seeing Jesus, the madmen screamed out, "What business do you have giving us a hard time? You're the Son of God! You weren't supposed to show up here yet!"

SABDAweb Mat 8:29

And they gave a loud cry, saying, What have we to do with you, you Son of God? Have you come here to give us punishment before the time?

bibleoremus Mat 8:29

Suddenly they shouted, "What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?"

biblegateway Mat 8:29

And suddenly they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?"

biblegateway Mat 8:29

They ¹  cried out, “Son of God, leave us alone! ²  Have you come here to torment us before the time?” ³ 

¹ tn Grk “And behold, they cried out, saying.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1). The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated.

² tn Grk “what to us and to you?” (an idiom). The phrase τί ἡμῖν καὶ σοί (ti Jhmin kai soi) is Semitic in origin, though it made its way into colloquial Greek (BDAG 275 s.v. ἐγώ). The equivalent Hebrew expression in the OT had two basic meanings: (1) When one person was unjustly bothering another, the injured party could say “What to me and to you?” meaning, “What have I done to you that you should do this to me?” (Judg 11:12, 2 Chr 35:21, 1 Kgs 17:18). (2) When someone was asked to get involved in a matter he felt was no business of his own, he could say to the one asking him, “What to me and to you?” meaning, “That is your business, how am I involved?” (2 Kgs 3:13, Hos 14:8). These nuances were apparently expanded in Greek, but the basic notions of defensive hostility (option 1) and indifference or disengagement (option 2) are still present. BDAG suggests the following as glosses for this expression: What have I to do with you? What have we in common? Leave me alone! Never mind! Hostility between Jesus and the demons is certainly to be understood in this context, hence the translation: “Leave us alone….”

³ sn There was an appointed time in which demons would face their judgment, and they seem to have viewed Jesus’ arrival on the scene as an illegitimate change in God’s plan regarding the time when their sentence would be executed.