Matthew 17:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”

NIV: Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, 'Why couldn't we drive it out?'

NASB: Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, 'Why could we not cast it out?'

CSB: Then the disciples approached Jesus privately and said, "Why couldn't we drive it out? "

NLT: Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, 'Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?'

KJV: Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

NKJV: Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”

Jesus has cast a demon from a boy (Matthew 17:18). It was causing symptoms like epilepsy, including seizures and foaming at the mouth. Unlike "normal" epilepsy, however, these events frequently happen in crucial moments, throwing the boy into fire and water. Jesus was not available when the boy first arrived with his father. He was up on a mountain with Peter, James, and John (Matthew 17:1). The remaining nine of the twelve disciples (Matthew 10:1–4) attempted to cast the demon out themselves, as Jesus had given them the power and authority to do (Matthew 10:8). They failed.

Jesus responded to their failure with exasperation, lumping them in with a "faithless and twisted" generation (Matthew 17:17). Now, the disciples want to understand what went wrong. They sincerely attempted to cast the demon out, and they don't know why they were unable to do so. They come to Jesus privately, after they are away from the crowd, and ask Him in all earnestness why they couldn't do it. He will explain the heart of the issue in the following verse.

Matthew 17:14–21 finds Jesus and three of the disciples returning from the mountain, to find a crowd gathered around the remaining nine. A desperate father pleads on behalf of his demon-afflicted son who has seizures and often falls into water or fire. The disciples could not cast the demon out (Mark 9:14–29). Jesus, exasperated by the doubt of His disciples, rebukes the demon and heals the boy. When they ask, Jesus tells the disciples their faith was too small to cast out the demon. Even faith as small as a mustard seed is enough to move a mountain. Verse 21 nearly duplicates Mark 9:29 but is not found in the earliest manuscripts of Matthew.

Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up on a high mountain. There, they see Him "transfigured" into a shining, divine form. They also see Christ speaking with Moses and Elijah but are commanded not to speak of this event until later. Jesus heals a demon-afflicted boy after the disciples cannot cast the demon out. Jesus very clearly tells the disciples He will be delivered into the hands of men, killed, and raised on the third day. After explaining why He is exempt from a temple tax, Jesus agrees to pay it and tells Peter to find the money in the mouth of a fish.

Matthew 17 begins with the fulfillment of Jesus' prediction at the end of the previous chapter: that some of those present would not die before seeing Him coming in His kingdom. Jesus casts out a demon, predicts His death, and commands Peter to pay a temple tax with a coin from the mouth of a fish. This leads Matthew back to extensive records of Jesus' teachings, continuing through chapter 20.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.

Accessed 5/4/2024 12:53:39 PM