Mark 9 · Verse 17

Mark 9:17

And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;
Mark 9:17, King James Version

Mark 9:17 in other translations

BSBSomeone in the crowd replied, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a spirit that makes him mute.
WEBOne of the multitude answered, “Teacher, I brought to you my son, who has a mute spirit;
ASVAnd one of the multitude answered him, Teacher, I brought unto thee my son, who hath a dumb spirit;
YLTand one out of the multitude answering said, ‘Teacher, I brought my son unto thee, having a dumb spirit;
DARBYAnd one out of the crowd answered him, Teacher, I brought to thee my son, who has a dumb spirit;
BBEAnd one of the number said to him in answer, Master, I came to you with my son, who has in him a spirit which takes away his power of talking;
WebsterAnd one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought to thee my son, who hath a dumb spirit;

What does Mark 9:17 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
17. And one of the multitude answered, and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son--"mine only child" (Lu 9:38). which hath a dumb spirit--a spirit whose operation had the effect of rendering his victim speechless, and deaf also (Mr 9:25). In Matthew's report of the speech (Mt 17:15), the father says "he is lunatic"; this being another and most distressing effect of the possession.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 17. A dumb spirit. A spirit which deprived his son of the power of speaking.

(b) "a dumb spirit" Mt 12:22, Lk 11:14

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 A dumb spirit - That is, a demon who afflicted those in whom it dwelt with an incapacity of speaking. The spirit itself could not be either deaf or dumb. These are accidents that belong only to organized animate bodies. See this case explained, Mat 17:14 (note), etc.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Mark 9:14-29

The father of the suffering youth reflected on the want of power in the disciples; but Christ will have him reckon the disappointment to the want of faith. Very much is promised to our believing. If thou canst believe, it is possible that thy hard heart may be softened, thy spiritual diseases may be cured; and, weak as thou art, thou mayest be able to hold out to the end. Those that complain of unbelief, must look…

Read the full comment on Mark 9:14-29 →

Mark 9:17 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΚαὶKaiAndG2532
ἀπεκρίθηapekrithēansweredG611
εἷςheisoneG1520
ἐκekout ofG1537
τοῦtoutheG3588
ὄχλουochloucrowdG3793
διδάσκαλε,didaskaleTeacher,G1320
ἤνεγκαēnegkaI broughtG5342
τὸνtontheG3588
υἱόνhuionsonG5207
μουmouof mineG3165
πρὸςprostoG4314
σὲseYouG4771
ἔχονταechontahavingG2192
πνεῦμαpneumaa spiritG4151
ἄλαλον.alalonmute.G216

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Mark 9:17

  • Mark 9:25

    When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

  • Luke 11:14

    And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered.

  • Luke 9:38

    And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.

  • Mark 10:13

    And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.

  • Mark 5:23

    And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.

  • Matthew 17:15

    Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

  • Mark 7:26

    The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.

  • Matthew 12:22

    Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.

  • John 4:47

    When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
I.
5:23; 7:26; 10:13; Mt 17:15; Lu 9:38; Joh 4:47
a dumb.
25; Mt 12:22; Lu 11:14

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Mark 9:16

    And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?

  • Mark 9:17

    And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

  • Mark 9:18

    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.

Read all of Mark 9

Mark 9:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y respondiendo uno de la compañía, dijo: Maestro, traje á ti mi hijo, que tiene un espíritu mudo,
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et quelqu’un de la foule lui répondit: Maître, je t’ai amené mon fils qui a un esprit muet,
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und einer aus der Volksmenge antwortete ihm: Lehrer, ich habe meinen Sohn zu dir gebracht, der einen stummen Geist hat;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		qui ubicumque eum apprehenderit, allidit illum, et spumat, et stridet dentibus, et arescit: et dixi discipulis tuis ut ejicerent illum, et non potuerunt.