Mark 9 · Verse 21

Mark 9:21

And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.
Mark 9:21, King James Version

Mark 9:21 in other translations

BSBJesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has this been with him?” “From childhood,” he said.
WEBHe asked his father, “How long has it been since this has been happening to him?” He said, “From childhood.
ASVAnd he asked his father, How long time is it since this hath come unto him? And he said, From a child.
YLTAnd he questioned his father, ‘How long time is it since this came to him?' and he said, ‘From childhood,
DARBYAnd he asked his father, How long a time is it that it has been like this with him? And he said, From childhood;
BBEAnd Jesus questioning the father said, How long has he been like this? And he said, From a child.
WebsterAnd he asked his father, How long is it since this came to him? and he said, From a child.

What does Mark 9:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
21. And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child, &c.--Having told briefly the affecting features of the case, the poor father, half dispirited by the failure of the disciples and the aggravated virulence of the malady itself in presence of their Master, yet encouraged too by what he had heard of Christ, by the severe rebuke He had given to His disciples for not having faith enough to cure the boy, and by the dignity with which He had ordered him to be brought to Him--in this mixed state of mind, he closes his description of the case with these touching words:

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 21.

(e) "of a child" Job 5:7, Ps 51:5

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 9:21 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
ἐπηρώτησενepērōtēsenHe askedG1905
τὸνtontheG3588
πατέραpaterafatherG3962
αὐτοῦ·autouof him;G846
πόσοςpososHow longG4214
χρόνοςchronosa timeG5550
ἐστὶνestinis itG1510
ὡςhōsthatG5613
τοῦτοtoutothisG3778
γέγονενgegonenhas beenG1096
αὐτῷ;autōwith him?G846
ὁho<the>G3588
δὲdeAndG1161
εἶπεν·eipenhe said;G2036
παιδιόθεν.paidiothenchildhood.G3812

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

Cross references for Mark 9:21

  • John 9:20-21

    His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind: But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.

  • Acts 9:33

    And there he found a certain man named Eneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.

  • John 5:5-6

    And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

  • Mark 5:25

    And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

  • Luke 8:43

    And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,

  • Acts 3:2

    And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;

  • Job 14:1

    Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.

  • Luke 13:16

    And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?

  • Job 5:7

    Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

  • John 9:1

    And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

  • Acts 14:8

    And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked:

  • Acts 4:22

    For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
How.
5:25; Job 5:7; 14:1; Ps 51:5; Lu 8:43; 13:16; Joh 5:5,6; 9:1,20,21
Ac 3:2; 4:22; 9:33; 14:8

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Mark 9:21

    And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

  • Mark 9:22

    And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

Read all of Mark 9

Mark 9:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y Jesús preguntó á su padre: ¿Cuánto tiempo há que le aconteció esto? Y él dijo: Desde niño:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Jésus demanda au père de l’enfant: Combien y a-t-il de temps que ceci lui est arrivé? Et il dit: Dès son enfance;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und er fragte seinen Vater: Wie lange Zeit ist es, daß ihm dies geschehen ist? Er aber sprach: Von Kindheit an;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		et frequenter eum in ignem, et in aquas misit ut eum perderet: sed si quid potes, adjuva nos, misertus nostri.