Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. New Living Translation “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was a little boy. English Standard Version And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. Berean Standard Bible Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has this been with him?” “From childhood,” he said. Berean Literal Bible And He asked his father, "How long a time is it that this has been with him?" And he said, "From childhood. King James Bible And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. New King James Version So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. New American Standard Bible And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. NASB 1995 And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. NASB 1977 And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. Legacy Standard Bible And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. Amplified Bible Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he answered, “Since childhood. Christian Standard Bible “How long has this been happening to him? ” Jesus asked his father. “From childhood,” he said. Holman Christian Standard Bible “How long has this been happening to him?” Jesus asked his father.” From childhood,” he said. “ American Standard Version And he asked his father, How long time is it since this hath come unto him? And he said, From a child. Contemporary English Version Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" The man answered, "Ever since he was a child. English Revised Version And he asked his father, How long time is it since this hath come unto him? And he said, From a child. GOD'S WORD® Translation Jesus asked his father, "How long has he been like this?" The father replied, "He has been this way since he was a child. Good News Translation "How long has he been like this?" Jesus asked the father. "Ever since he was a child," he replied. International Standard Version Then Jesus asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" He said, "Since he was a child. NET Bible Jesus asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. New Heart English Bible He asked his father, "How long has it been since this has come to him?" He said, "From childhood. Webster's Bible Translation And he asked his father, How long is it since this came to him? and he said, From a child. Weymouth New Testament Then Jesus asked the father, "How long has he been like this?" "From early childhood," he said; Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleJesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has this been with him?” “From childhood,” he said. World English Bible He asked his father, “How long has it been since this has been happening to him?” He said, “From childhood. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd He questioned his father, “How much time is it since this came to him?” And he said, “From childhood, Berean Literal Bible And He asked his father, "How long a time is it that this has been with him?" And he said, "From childhood. Young's Literal Translation And he questioned his father, 'How long time is it since this came to him?' and he said, 'From childhood, Smith's Literal Translation And he asked his father, How long is it that this has been to him? And he said, From childhood. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd he asked his father: How long time is it since this hath happened unto him? But he said: From his infancy: Catholic Public Domain Version And he questioned his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” But he said: “From infancy. New American Bible Then he questioned his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” He replied, “Since childhood. New Revised Standard Version Jesus asked the father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleSo Jesus asked his father, How long has he been like this? He said to him, From his childhood. Aramaic Bible in Plain English Yeshua asked his father, “How long a time now has he been like this? He said to him, “From his childhood.” NT Translations Anderson New TestamentAnd he asked his father: How long is it since this came upon him? He replied: From childhood. Godbey New Testament And He asked his father, Haweis New Testament And he asked his father, For how long a time hath this been the case with him? And he replied, From his infancy. Mace New Testament Jesus then asked the father, how long is it since this befel him? from his infancy, said the father. Weymouth New Testament Then Jesus asked the father, "How long has he been like this?" "From early childhood," he said; Worrell New Testament And He asked his father, Worsley New Testament And He asked his father, Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Boy with an Evil Spirit…20So they brought him, and seeing Jesus, the spirit immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. 21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has this been with him?” “From childhood,” he said. 22“It often throws him into the fire or into the water, trying to kill him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”… Cross References Matthew 17:14-18 When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus and knelt before Him. / “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. / I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not heal him.” ... Luke 9:37-42 The next day, when they came down from the mountain, Jesus was met by a large crowd. / Suddenly a man in the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only child. / A spirit keeps seizing him, and he screams abruptly. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It keeps mauling him and rarely departs from him. ... Matthew 15:22-28 And a Canaanite woman from that region came to Him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.” / But Jesus did not answer a word. So His disciples came and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” / He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ... John 4:46-54 So once again He came to Cana in Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. And there was a royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. / When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Him to come down and heal his son, who was about to die. / Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.” ... Matthew 9:32-33 As they were leaving, a demon-possessed man who was mute was brought to Jesus. / And when the demon had been driven out, the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!” Luke 11:14 One day Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. And when the demon was gone, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowds were amazed, Matthew 12:22 Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed the man so that he could speak and see. Acts 16:16-18 One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl with a spirit of divination, who earned a large income for her masters by fortune-telling. / This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!” / She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” And the spirit left her at that very moment. 1 Samuel 1:27 I prayed for this boy, and since the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him, 2 Kings 4:32-35 When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his bed. / So he went in, closed the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD. / Then Elisha got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eye to eye, and hand to hand. As he stretched himself out over him, the boy’s body became warm. ... Genesis 21:1-2 Now the LORD attended to Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what He had promised. / So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised. Genesis 25:21 Later, Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD heard his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived. Genesis 30:22-23 Then God remembered Rachel. He listened to her and opened her womb, / and she conceived and gave birth to a son. “God has taken away my shame,” she said. Exodus 23:25-26 So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take away sickness from among you. / No woman in your land will miscarry or be barren; I will fulfill the number of your days. Deuteronomy 7:14-15 You will be blessed above all peoples; among you there will be no barren man or woman or livestock. / And the LORD will remove from you all sickness. He will not lay upon you any of the terrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but He will inflict them on all who hate you. Treasury of Scripture And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came to him? And he said, Of a child. How. Mark 5:25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, Job 5:7 Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. Jump to Previous Ago Boy's Child Childhood Early Happening Jesus Questioned Questioning TimeJump to Next Ago Boy's Child Childhood Early Happening Jesus Questioned Questioning TimeMark 9 1. Jesus is transfigured.11. He instructs his disciples concerning the coming of Elijah; 14. casts forth a deaf and mute spirit; 30. foretells his death and resurrection; 33. exhorts his disciples to humility; 38. bidding them not to prohibit such as are not against them, 42. nor to give offense to any of the faithful. Jesus asked the boy’s father, This phrase highlights Jesus' direct engagement with the boy's father, emphasizing His personal and compassionate approach. In the cultural context of the time, addressing the father would have been significant, as fathers were seen as the primary authority figures in the family. This interaction also demonstrates Jesus' method of involving the family in the healing process, which can be seen in other instances, such as when He healed Jairus' daughter (Mark 5:22-43). “How long has this been with him?” “From childhood,” he said. Persons / Places / Events 1. JesusThe central figure of the New Testament, the Son of God, who performs miracles and teaches about the Kingdom of God. 2. The Boy's Father A desperate parent seeking healing for his son, who is possessed by a spirit causing seizures. 3. The Boy A child afflicted by a spirit that causes him to have seizures and other harmful behaviors. 4. The Disciples Followers of Jesus who were unable to cast out the spirit from the boy. 5. The Crowd Onlookers who witness the interaction between Jesus, the boy's father, and the disciples. Teaching Points The Importance of FaithJesus' question to the father highlights the need for faith in the process of healing and deliverance. Faith is not just belief in God's power but trust in His timing and methods. The Role of Persistence in Prayer The father's continued search for healing for his son demonstrates the importance of persistence in prayer, even when immediate results are not seen. Understanding Spiritual Warfare The disciples' inability to cast out the demon reminds us of the reality of spiritual warfare and the need for spiritual preparedness and reliance on God's power. Jesus' Compassion and Authority Jesus' interaction with the father and the boy shows His compassion and authority over evil, encouraging believers to trust in His power to intervene in their lives. The Community of Believers The presence of the disciples and the crowd underscores the role of the faith community in supporting individuals in their struggles and in witnessing God's work. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Mark 9:21?2. How does Mark 9:21 demonstrate Jesus' concern for individual circumstances and needs? 3. What can we learn about faith from the father's response in Mark 9:21? 4. How does Mark 9:21 connect to other healing stories in the Gospels? 5. How can we apply Jesus' attentive approach in Mark 9:21 to our ministry? 6. In what ways does Mark 9:21 encourage us to seek Jesus in our struggles? 7. Why does Jesus ask the boy's father about the duration of his son's condition in Mark 9:21? 8. What significance does the father's response hold in the context of faith and healing? 9. How does Mark 9:21 reflect the importance of personal testimony in the healing process? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Mark 9? 11. What defines the concept of Lordship Salvation? 12. Mark 9:14–29 – What proof exists that this exorcism was not merely a medical or psychological case misunderstood by ancient people? 13. What did Jesus mean by 'prayer and fasting'? 14. What is the Bible's perspective on doubt? What Does Mark 9:21 Mean jesus asked• Mark presents a factual, historical moment: “Jesus asked…” (Mark 9:21). • Jesus often begins a healing encounter with a question (Mark 10:51; John 5:6). • The question is never for His information—He is omniscient (John 2:24-25)—but for the benefit of the hearers: – It draws the sufferer into honest dialogue (Mark 5:30-32). – It showcases Christ’s compassion, proving He is personally engaged, not mechanically performing miracles (Hebrews 4:15). – It sets the stage for a public testimony that will glorify God (Luke 17:15-19). the boy’s father • Scripture highlights the father, underscoring parental responsibility and love (Proverbs 22:6; Psalm 103:13). • The father is exhausted yet still seeking help—an example of persevering intercession (Mark 9:17-18). • In a few verses he will cry, “I do believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24), modeling honest faith that does not pretend but pleads. • The narrative reminds believing parents that they can bring impossible situations to Jesus rather than surrender to despair (Luke 8:41-42). how long has this been with him? • Jesus’ specific query—“How long has this been with him?”—highlights: – The severity and chronic nature of the affliction, distinguishing it from a passing illness (Luke 13:16: a woman bound eighteen years). – The greater glory when deliverance finally comes: the longer the bondage, the brighter the liberation (John 9:1-3). – A deliberate dismantling of any doubt about the miracle’s authenticity; nobody can claim a coincidence when a lifelong torment ends in a moment (Mark 5:2-5). • For the bystanders, the question sets up a faith lesson: no duration of suffering places someone beyond Christ’s reach (Isaiah 59:1). from childhood • The father answers, “From childhood,” confirming the boy has never known a normal life. • Long-term bondage from such an early age illustrates humanity’s natural state: “dead in trespasses and sins” from birth (Ephesians 2:1-3; Psalm 51:5). • The enemy’s cruelty is exposed; he does not spare the young (Matthew 2:16), yet Christ comes “to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). • This timing magnifies the miracle’s significance: – No habit, chain, or spiritual oppression is too ingrained for Jesus to break (Isaiah 46:3-4). – Hope endures even when years of failure suggest permanence (Lamentations 3:21-23). summary Mark 9:21 captures a real conversation that reveals Christ’s compassionate method. Jesus’ question is purposeful, the father’s answer is honest, and the length of the boy’s suffering underscores both the enemy’s malice and the Savior’s supremacy. What humans resign to as lifelong, Jesus reverses in seconds, proving that time and torment pose no obstacle to His delivering power. (21) And he asked his father.--The question, asked as if to bring into strong relief the chronic, and therefore seemingly hopeless, character of the possession, is peculiar to this Gospel, as is the circumstantial account of the falling oft-times "into the fire and into the waters."Verses 21, 22. - Our Lord asks the father, not the sufferer, which in this case would have been useless - he was but a lad, and he was dumb. Our Lord's question, How long time is it since this hath come unto him? was intended, not of course for his own information, but to inspire the father with hope and confidence. The father briefly answers, From a child; and then turns to a description of the perils to which his child was continually exposed through these paroxysms. And then, half doubting, half in despair, he says, If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us. It is as though he said, "Thy disciples have failed, perhaps thy power may be greater."Parallel Commentaries ... Greek [Jesus] askedἐπηρώτησεν (epērōtēsen) Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 1905: To interrogate, question, demand of. From epi and erotao; to ask for, i.e. Inquire, seek. [the boy’s] αὐτοῦ (autou) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons. father, πατέρα (patera) Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular Strong's 3962: Father, (Heavenly) Father, ancestor, elder, senior. Apparently a primary word; a 'father'. “How long Πόσος (Posos) Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular Strong's 4214: How much, how great, how many. From an absolute pos and hos; interrogative pronoun how much (plural) many). {has} this τοῦτο (touto) Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Neuter Singular Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it. been γέγονεν (gegonen) Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 1096: A prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be, i.e. to become, used with great latitude. with him?” αὐτῷ (autō) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons. “From Ἐκ (Ek) Preposition Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out. childhood,” παιδιόθεν (paidiothen) Adverb Strong's 3812: From childhood, from early boyhood. Adverb from paidion; from infancy. he said. εἶπεν (eipen) Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say. Links Mark 9:21 NIVMark 9:21 NLT Mark 9:21 ESV Mark 9:21 NASB Mark 9:21 KJV Mark 9:21 BibleApps.com Mark 9:21 Biblia Paralela Mark 9:21 Chinese Bible Mark 9:21 French Bible Mark 9:21 Catholic Bible NT Gospels: Mark 9:21 He asked his father How long has (Mar Mk Mr) |
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