Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Mark 5:4

"because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been rent asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: and no man had strength to tame him." — Mark 5:4 (ASV)

The possessed man lived in the tombs. Often in Palestine people were buried in natural caves or in tombs cut out of the limestone rock. It was a natural place for a demon-possessed man to dwell because of the popular belief that tombs were a favorite haunt of demons. Efforts had been made to control this wretched man, but without success.