Be quiet! said Jesus. Come out of him! — the two-part command is brief and authoritative: silence first (phimoō, to muzzle), then expulsion. The silencing of the demon's testimony is the beginning of the Messianic Secret pattern in Mark: Jesus consistently refuses to allow demons to publicize his identity. The demon's testimony, though accurate, would be on the demon's terms and in the demon's interest; the full disclosure of Jesus' identity must come through the whole Gospel's narrative, not proclaimed prematurely by an unreliable witness. The command Come out of him does not negotiate or explain — it commands, and the result confirms the authority that the teaching style already communicated.

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