Mark 9 · Verse 38

Mark 9:38

And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.
Mark 9:38, King James Version

Mark 9:38 in other translations

BSBJohn said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone else driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.”
WEBJohn said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone who doesn’t follow us casting out demons in your name; and we forbade him, because he doesn’t follow us.”
ASVJohn said unto him, Teacher, we saw one casting out demons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followed not us.
YLTAnd John did answer him, saying, ‘Teacher, we saw a certain one in thy name casting out demons, who doth not follow us, and we forbade him, because he doth not follow us.'
DARBYAnd John answered him saying, Teacher, we saw some one casting out demons in thy name, who does not follow us, and we forbad him, because he does not follow us.
BBEJohn said to him, Master, we saw one driving out evil spirits in your name: and we said that he might not, because he is not one of us.
WebsterAnd John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out demons in thy name, and he followeth not us; and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.

What does Mark 9:38 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
38. And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbade him, because he followeth not us--The link of connection here with the foregoing context lies, we apprehend, in the emphatic words which our Lord had just uttered, "in My name." "Oh," interposes John--young, warm, but not sufficiently apprehending Christ's teaching in these matters--"that reminds me of something that we have just done, and we should like to know if we did right. We saw one casting out devils "in Thy name," and we forbade him, because he followeth not us. Were we right, or were we wrong?" Answer--"Ye were wrong." "But we did it because he followeth not us." "No matter."

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 38. We saw one, etc. There is no improbability in supposing that this might have been one of the disciples of John, or one of the seventy whom Jesus had sent out, and who, though he did not personally attend on Jesus, yet had the power of working miracles. There is no evidence that he was merely an exorcist, or that he used the name of Jesus merely as a pretence.

(r) "we saw one" Nu 11:26-28

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 38 We saw one casting out devils in thy name - It can scarcely be supposed that a man who knew nothing of Christ, or who was only a common exorcist, could be able to work a miracle in Christ's name; we may therefore safely imagine that this was either one of John the Baptist's disciples, who, at his master's command, had believed in Jesus, or one of the seventy, whom Christ had sent out, Luk 10:1-7, who, after he had fulfilled his commission, had retired from accompanying the other disciples; but as he still held fast his faith in Christ, and walked in good conscience, the influence of his Master still continued with him, so that he could cast out demons as well as the other disciples. He followeth not us - This first clause is omitted by BCL, three others, Syriac, Armenian, Persic, Coptic, and one of the Itala. Some of the MSS. and versions leave out the first; some the second clause: only one of them is necessary. Griesbach leaves out the first. We forbade him - I do not see that we have any right to attribute any other motive to John than that which he himself owns - because he followed not us - because he did not attach himself constantly to thee, as we do, we thought he could not be in a proper spirit.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Mark 9:30-40

The time of Christ's suffering drew nigh. Had he been delivered into the hands of devils, and they had done this, it had not been so strange; but that men should thus shamefully treat the Son of man, who came to redeem and save them, is wonderful. Still observe that when Christ spake of his death, he always spake of his resurrection, which took the reproach of it from himself, and should have taken the grief of it…

Read the full comment on Mark 9:30-40 →

Mark 9:38 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.

ἜφηEphēwas speakingG5346
αὐτῷautōto HimG846
ὁho<the>G3588
Ἰωάννης·IōannēsJohn;G2491
διδάσκαλε,didaskaleTeacher,G1320
εἴδομένeidomenwe sawG1492
τιναtinasomeoneG5100
τῷtōtheG3588
ὀνόματίonomatinameG3686
σουsouof YouG4771
ἐκβάλλονταekballontacasting outG1544
δαιμόνιαdaimoniademonsG1140
ὃςhoswhoG3739
οὐκouknotG3756
ἀκολουθεῖakoloutheifollowsG190
ἡμῖνhēminto usG3165
καὶkaiandG2532
ἐκωλύομενekōluomenwe were forbiddingG2967
αὐτὸνautonhimG846
ὅτιhotibecauseG3754
οὐκouknotG3756
ἠκολούθειēkoloutheihe was followingG190
ἡμῖν.¶hēminus.G3165

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

Cross references for Mark 9:38

  • Luke 9:49-50

    And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.

  • Numbers 11:26-29

    But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp. And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!

  • Luke 11:19

    And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Master.
Nu 11:26-29; Lu 9:49,50; 11:19

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

Context

  • Mark 9:37

    Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

  • Mark 9:38

    And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.

  • Mark 9:39

    But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.

Read all of Mark 9

Mark 9:38 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y respondióle Juan, diciendo: Maestro, hemos visto á uno que en tu nombre echaba fuera los demonios, el cual no nos sigue; y se lo prohibimos, porque no nos sigue.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Jean lui répondit, disant: Maître, nous avons vu quelqu’un qui chassait des démons en ton nom, qui ne nous suit pas; et nous le lui avons défendu, parce qu’il ne nous suit pas.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Johannes aber antwortete ihm und sprach: Lehrer, wir sahen jemanden, Dämonen austreiben in deinem Namen, der uns nicht nachfolgt; und wir wehrten ihm, weil er uns nicht nachfolgt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Jesus autem ait: Nolite prohibere eum: nemo est enim qui faciat virtutem in nomine meo, et possit cito male loqui de me: