Mark 9 · Verse 19

Mark 9:19

He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.
Mark 9:19, King James Version

Mark 9:19 in other translations

BSB“O unbelieving generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to Me.”
WEBHe answered him, “Unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me.”
ASVAnd he answereth them and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him unto me.
YLTAnd he answering him, said, ‘O generation unbelieving, till when shall I be with you? till when shall I suffer you? bring him unto me;'
DARBYBut he answering them says, O unbelieving generation! how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him to me.
BBEAnd he said to them in answer, O generation without faith, how long will I have to be with you? how long will I put up with you? let him come to me.
WebsterHe answered him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you, how long shall I suffer you? bring him to me.

What does Mark 9:19 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
19. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation--"and perverse," or "perverted" (Mt 17:17; Lu 9:41). how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you?--language implying that it was a shame to them to want the faith necessary to perform this cure, and that it needed some patience to put up with them. It is to us surprising that some interpreters, as Chrysostom and Calvin, should represent this rebuke as addressed, not to the disciples at all, but to the scribes who disputed with them. Nor does it much, if at all, mend the matter to view it as addressed to both, as most expositors seem to do. With Bengel, De Wette, and Meyer, we regard it as addressed directly to the nine apostles who were unable to expel this evil spirit. And though, in ascribing this inability to their "want of faith" and the "perverted turn of mind" which they had drunk in with their early training, the rebuke would undoubtedly apply, with vastly greater force, to those who twitted the poor disciples with their inability, it would be to change the whole nature of the rebuke to suppose it addressed to those who had no faith at all, and were wholly perverted. It was because faith sufficient for curing this youth was to be expected of the disciples, and because they should by that time have got rid of the perversity in which they had been reared, that Jesus exposes them thus before the rest. And who does not see that this was fitted, more than anything else, to impress upon the by-standers the severe loftiness of the training He was giving to the Twelve, and the unsophisticated footing He was on with them? Bring him unto me--The order to bring the patient to Him was instantly obeyed; when, lo! as if conscious of the presence of his Divine Tormentor, and expecting to be made to quit, the foul spirit rages and is furious, determined to die hard, doing all the mischief he can to this poor child while yet within his grasp.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 19.

(d) "faithless" De 32:20, Ps 78:8, Heb 3:10

Albert Barnes, 1834 · 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 9:19 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.

ὉHo<the>G3588
δὲdeAndG1161
ἀποκριθεὶςapokritheisansweringG611
αὐτοῖςautoisto themG846
λέγει·legeiHe says;G3004
ὦōOG5599
γενεὰgeneagenerationG1074
ἄπιστος,apistosunbelieving!G571
ἕωςhe'ōsUntilG2193
πότεpotewhenG4219
πρὸςproswithG4314
ὑμᾶςhumasyouG4771
ἔσομαι,esomaiwill I be?G1510
ἕωςhe'ōsUntilG2193
πότεpotewhenG4219
ἀνέξομαιanexomaiwill I bear withG430
ὑμῶν;humōnyou?G4771
φέρετεpheretedo bringG5342
αὐτὸνautonhimG846
πρόςprostoG4314
με.meMe.G3165

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

Cross references for Mark 9:19

  • Numbers 14:11

    And the Lord said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?

  • Luke 9:41

    And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.

  • Psalms 106:21-25

    They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt; Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red sea. Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them. Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: …

  • Numbers 14:27

    How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.

  • Matthew 17:17

    Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

  • Mark 16:14

    Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.

  • John 20:27

    Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

  • Hebrews 3:10-12

    Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

  • Luke 24:25

    Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

  • Psalms 78:6-8

    That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

  • Psalms 78:22

    Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:

  • Deuteronomy 32:20

    And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
O faithless.
16:14; Nu 14:11,22,27; 32:13,14; De 32:20; Ps 78:6-8,22; 106:21-25
Mt 17:17; Lu 9:41; 24:25; Joh 12:27; 20:27; Heb 3:10-12

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Mark 9:19

    He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

  • Mark 9:20

    And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

Read all of Mark 9

Mark 9:19 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y respondiendo él, les dijo: ¡Oh generación infiel! ¿hasta cuándo estaré con vosotros? ¿hasta cuándo os tengo de sufrir? Traédmele.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et lui, leur répondant, dit: Ô génération incrédule, jusques à quand serai-je avec vous? jusques à quand vous supporterai-je? Amenez-le -moi.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Er aber antwortet ihnen und spricht: O ungläubiges Geschlecht! Bis wann soll ich bei euch sein? Bis wann soll ich euch ertragen? Bringet ihn zu mir.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et attulerunt eum. Et cum vidisset eum, statim spiritus conturbavit illum: et elisus in terram, volutabatur spumans.