Mar 9:14-29 | RWP | e4.org | And scribes questioning with them ( κα γραμματεις συνζητουντες προς αυτους ). Mark alone gives this item. He is much fuller on this incident ( ) than either Matthew ( ) or Luke ( ). It was just like the professional scribes to take keen interest in the failure of the nine disciples to cure this poor boy. They gleefully nagged and quizzed them. Jesus and the three find them at it when they arrive in the plain.

‏ Mark 9:14-29

And scribes questioning with them ( κα γραμματεις συνζητουντες προς αυτους ). Mark alone gives this item. He is much fuller on this incident (9:14-29) than either Matthew (Mt 17:14-20) or Luke (Lu 9:37-43). It was just like the professional scribes to take keen interest in the failure of the nine disciples to cure this poor boy. They gleefully nagged and quizzed them. Jesus and the three find them at it when they arrive in the plain.

Were greatly amazed ( εξεθαμβηθησαν ). First aorist passive ingressive aorist with perfective compound εξ-. The sudden and opportune appearance of Jesus in the midst of the dispute when no one was looking for him turned all eyes to him. He would not fail, however the disciples might do so. The people were awed for the moment and then running began to welcome him ( προτρεχοντες ησπαζοντο ). Present participle and imperfect middle indicative.

What question ye with them? ( Τ συνζητειτε προς αυτουσ; ). Jesus had noticed the embarrassment of the nine and at once takes hold of the situation.

I brought unto thee my son ( ηνεγκα τον υιον μου προς σε ). The father stepped out and gave the explanation of the excited dispute in direct and simple pathos.

Wheresoever it taketh him ( οπου εαν αυτον καταλαβη ). Seizes him down. Our word catalepsy is this same word. The word is used by Galen and Hippocrates for fits. The word is very common in the papyri in various senses as in the older Greek. Each of the verbs here in Mark is a graphic picture.

Dashes down ( ρησσε ). Also ρηγνυμι, μ form. Convulses, rends, tears asunder. Old and common word.

Foameth ( αφριζε ). Here only in the N.T. Poetic and late word.

Grindeth ( τριζε ). Another hapax legomenon in the N.T. Old word for making a shrill cry or squeak.

Pineth away ( ξηραινετα ). Old word for drying or withering as of grass in Jas 1:11.

And they were not able ( κα ουκ ισχυσαν ). They did not have the strength ( ισχυς ) to handle this case. See Mt 17:16; Lu 9:40 ( κα ουκ ηδυνηθησαν, first aorist passive). It was a tragedy.

Bring him unto me ( φερετε αυτον προς με ). The disciples had failed and their unbelief had led to this fiasco. Even the disciples were like and part of the

faithless ( απιστος, unbelieving) generation in which they lived. The word

faithless does not here mean treacherous as it does with us. But Jesus is not afraid to undertake this case. We can always come to Jesus when others fail us.

Tare him grievously ( συνεσπαραξεν αυτον ). Lu 9:42 has both ερρηξεν (dashed down, like Mr 9:18, ρησσε ) and συνεσπαραξεν (convulsed). This compound with συν- (together with), strengthens the force of the verb as in συνπνιγω (Mr 4:7) and συντηρεω (6:20). The only other instance of this compound verb known is in Maximus Tyrius (second century B.C.).

Wallowed ( εκυλιετο ). Imperfect passive, was rolled. A pitiful sight. Late form of the old κυλινδω.

But if thou canst ( αλλ 'ε τ δυνη ). Jesus had asked (verse 21) the history of the case like a modern physician. The father gave it and added further pathetic details about the fire and the water. The failure of the disciples had not wholly destroyed his faith in the power of Jesus, though the conditional form (first class, assuming it to be true) does suggest doubt whether the boy can be cured at all. It was a chronic and desperate case of epilepsy with the demon possession added.

Help us ( βοεθησον εμιν ). Ingressive aorist imperative. Do it now. With touching tenderness he makes the boy's case his own as the Syrophoenician woman had said, "Have mercy on me" (Mt 15:21). The leper had said: "If thou wilt" (Mr 1:40). This father says: "If thou canst."

If thou canst ( το ε δυνη ). The Greek has a neat idiom not preserved in the English translation. The article takes up the very words of the man and puts the clause in the accusative case of general reference. "As to the 'if thou canst,' all things can ( δυνατα ) to the one who believes." The word for "possible" is δυνατα, the same root as δυνη (canst). This quick turn challenges the father's faith. On this use of the Greek article see Robertson, Grammar, p. 766.

Cried out ( κραξας ). Loud outcry and at once ( ευθυς ). The later manuscripts have "with tears" ( μετα δακρυων ), not in the older documents.

I believe; help my unbelief ( Πιστευω: βοηθε τη απιστια ). An exact description of his mental and spiritual state. He still had faith, but craved more. Note present imperative here (continuous help) βοηθε, while aorist imperative (instant help) βοηθησον, verse 22. The word comes from βοη, a cry and θεω, to run, to run at a cry for help, a vivid picture of this father's plight.

A multitude came running together ( επισυντρεχε οχλος ). A double compound here alone in the N.T. and not in the old Greek writers. Επιτρεχω occurs in the papyri, but not επισυντρεχω. The double compound vividly describes the rapid gathering of the crowd to Jesus and the epileptic boy to see the outcome.

Come out of him ( εξελθε εξ αυτου ). Jesus addresses the demon as a separate being from the boy as he often does. This makes it difficult to believe that Jesus was merely indulging popular belief in a superstition. He evidently regards the demon as the cause in this case of the boy's misfortune.

Having torn much ( σπαραξας ). The uncompounded verb used in verse 20.

Became as one dead ( εγενετο ωσε νεκρος ). As if dead from the violence of the spasm. The demon did him all possible harm in leaving him.

Privately, saying ( κατ' ιδιαν οτ ). Indoors the nine disciples seek an explanation for their colossal failure. They had cast out demons and wrought cures before. The Revisers are here puzzled over Mark's use of οτ as an interrogative particle meaning

why where Mt 17:19 has δια τ. Some of the manuscripts have δια τ here in Mr 9:28 as all do in Mt 17:19. See also Mr 2:16 and 9:11. It is probable that in these examples οτ really means

why. See Robertson, Grammar, p. 730. The use of ος as interrogative "is by no means rare in the late Greek" (Deissmann, Light from the Ancient East, p. 126).

Save by prayer ( ε μη εν προσευχη ). The addition of "and of fasting" does not appear in the two best Greek manuscripts (Aleph and B). It is clearly a late addition to help explain the failure. But it is needless and also untrue. Prayer is what the nine had failed to use. They were powerless because they were prayerless. Their self-complacency spelled defeat. Mt 17:20 has "because of your little faith" ( ολιγοπιστιαν ). That is true also. They had too much faith in themselves, too little in Christ. "They had trusted to the semi-magical power with which they thought themselves invested" (Swete). "Spirits of such malignity were quick to discern the lack of moral power and would yield to no other" (ibid.).