Mark 9:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.”

NIV: Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.'

NASB: and whenever it seizes him, it slams him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes stiff. And I told Your disciples so that they would cast it out, but they could not do it.'

CSB: Whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they couldn't."

NLT: And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.'

KJV: And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

NKJV: And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”

Perhaps the most important thing to understand about this verse is this: the modern disease of epilepsy is not caused by demon possession. We don't know why Jesus and His followers encounter so much demonic attack. Perhaps Satan is trying to derail their ministries. But we do know that not every illness, brain-related or otherwise, is the result of demons. The boy's symptoms are similar to epilepsy, including the inability to speak, tremors and jerking, and rigid muscles, but Matthew 4:24 differentiates between seizures caused by demons and those from more natural causes.

Scholars debate on the meaning of the word "rigid." The Greek root word is xeraino and often means to become dry or withered. That may mean the boy becomes pale and physically exhausted after an attack. This would certainly explain why the crowd thinks he is dead after the exorcism (Mark 9:26).

The disciples have expelled demons before (Mark 6:13). In fact, they were so successful they earned the attention of a crowd of five thousand that followed them to a desolate place outside of Bethsaida (Mark 6:32–33). Now, however, stuck between a desperate father and cynical scribes, they find themselves unable to help. Jesus tells the disciples that this type of demon can only be exorcised through prayer (Mark 9:29). More directly, He seems to criticize their lack of faith (Mark 9:19).

We risk this same decrease in power and effectiveness when we stop relying on God. In the beginning stages, when we have more faith and enthusiasm than ability and knowledge, God has the freedom to do great things through us. Later, we tend to take credit for the successes. It's often then that God removes His power to remind us how reliant on Him we really are.

Mark 9:14–29 follows the transfiguration, where Peter, James, and John went up a mountain with Jesus and saw a display of His glory as God. They also saw Moses and Elijah and heard God affirm Jesus as His Son. Now the three disciples and Jesus return from the mountain and find the remaining disciples arguing with Jewish scribes. The disciples have tried to expel a dangerous demon from a young boy but have been unable despite having performed exorcisms before (Mark 6:7–13). Jesus explains that to do God's work, we need faith in Him and to be empowered by Him. This section is parallel to Matthew 17:14–20 and Luke 9:37–43.

Mark 9 continues Jesus' efforts to teach the disciples who He is, what He has come to do, and what their role is in His mission. The chapter begins with the transfiguration, where Peter, James, and John catch a glimpse of Jesus' glory, and ends back in Capernaum. Jesus spends most of that time teaching. Although the disciples do quarrel with the scribes, the misconceptions and errors Jesus addresses come from the disciples, themselves, not outsiders. In the next chapter, He will leave Galilee and travel toward Jerusalem and the cross.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.