The Meaning of Mark 9:20 Explained

Mark 9:20

KJV: 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.

YLT: and they brought him unto him, and he having seen him, immediately the spirit tare him, and he, having fallen upon the earth, was wallowing -- foaming.

Darby: And they brought him to him. And seeing him the spirit immediately tore him; and falling upon the earth he rolled foaming.

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Mark 9:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Mark 9:2-29 - Rapture And Service
The Apostles had been gladdened by the promise of the coming Kingdom. The transfiguring light that shone from our Lord's face differed from the shining of Moses' face. With Moses the light was from without, and faded; but with Christ the light shone from within. Surely at that moment He might have stepped back into heaven by the open door, through which the representatives of the Law and the prophets had come; but He turned His back on the joy of the Father's home, and set His face to endure the cross, that He might become, not the example only, but the Redeemer of men. What a contrast between that scene on Hermon's slopes, where the glory of Jesus was brighter than the glistening snows about Him, and that below, where the demoniac child writhed in pain! Raphael does well to group these two incidents in one picture, for we are shown here that the duty of the Church is not to build tabernacles on the mount of vision, but to take her way into the haunts of crime and misery and cope with the power of Satan. Faith is the channel through which the divine power passes. Its quantity is of less importance than its quality. It may be minute as a mustard seed, but, like it, must contain the principle of life. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 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

Greek Commentary for Mark 9:20

Tare him grievously [sunesparaxen auton)]
Luke 9:42 has both errēxen (dashed down, like Mark 9:18, rēssei) and sunesparaxen (convulsed). This compound with suṅ (together with), strengthens the force of the verb as in sunpnigō (Mark 4:7) and suntēreō (Mark 6:20). The only other instance of this compound verb known is in Maximus Tyrius (second century b.c.). [source]
Wallowed [ekulieto)]
Imperfect passive, was rolled. A pitiful sight. Late form of the old kulindō f0). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 9:20

Mark 9:26 Having torn much [sparaxas)]
The uncompounded verb used in Mark 9:20. [source]
Luke 9:39 It teareth him that he foameth [σπαρασσει αυτον μετα απρου]
Literally, “It tears him with (accompanied with, μετα — meta) foam” (old word, απρος — aphros only here in the N.T.). From σπαρασσω — sparassō to convulse, a common verb, but in the N.T. only here and Mark 1:26; Mark 9:26 (and συνσπαρασσω — sunsparassō Mark 9:20). See Mark 9:17; and note on Matthew 17:15 for variations in the symptoms in each Gospel. The use of μετα απρου — meta aphrou is a medical item.Hardly (μολις — molis). Late word used in place of μογις — mogis the old Greek term (in some MSS. here) and alone in Luke‘s writings in the N.T. save 1 Peter 4:18; Romans 5:7.Bruising him sorely Common verb for rubbing together, crushing together like chains (Mark 5:4) or as a vase (Mark 14:3). See notes on Matthew 17:15 and notes on Mark 9:17 for discussion of details here. [source]
Luke 9:42 Dashed him [ερρηχεν αυτον]
First aorist active indicative of ρηγνυμι — rēgnumi or ρησσω — rēssō to rend or convulse, a common verb, used sometimes of boxers giving knockout blows.Tare grievously (συνεσπαραχεν — sunesparaxen). Rare word as only here and Mark 9:20 in the N.T., which see note.Gave him back to his father Tender touch alone in Luke as in Luke 7:15. [source]
Luke 9:42 Tare grievously [συνεσπαραχεν]
Rare word as only here and Mark 9:20 in the N.T., which see note. [source]
2 Peter 2:22 According to the true proverb [το της αλητους παροιμιας]
“The word The first proverb here given comes from Proverbs 26:11. Εχεραμα — Exerama is a late and rare word (here only in N.T., in Diosc. and Eustath.) from εχεραω — exeraō to vomit.The sow that had washed (ς λουσαμενη — hūs lousamenē). ς — Hūs old word for hog, here only in N.T. Participle first aorist direct middle of λουω — louō shows that it is feminine (anarthrous). This second proverb does not occur in the O.T., probably from a Gentile source because about the habit of hogs. Epictetus and other writers moralize on the habit of hogs, having once bathed in a filthy mud-hole, to delight in it.To wallowing “To rolling.” Late and rare word (from κυλιω — kuliō Mark 9:20), here only in N.T.In the mire (βορβορου — borborou). Objective genitive, old word for dung, mire, here only in N.T. J. Rendel Harris (Story of Ahikar, p. LXVII) tells of a story about a hog that went to the bath with people of quality, but on coming out saw a stinking drain and went and rolled himself in it. [source]
2 Peter 2:22 To wallowing [εις κυλισμον]
“To rolling.” Late and rare word (from κυλιω — kuliō Mark 9:20), here only in N.T.In the mire (βορβορου — borborou). Objective genitive, old word for dung, mire, here only in N.T. J. Rendel Harris (Story of Ahikar, p. LXVII) tells of a story about a hog that went to the bath with people of quality, but on coming out saw a stinking drain and went and rolled himself in it. [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 9:20 mean?

And they brought him to Him having seen the spirit immediately threw into convulsions having fallen upon the ground he began rolling around foaming
Καὶ ἤνεγκαν αὐτὸν πρὸς αὐτόν ἰδὼν τὸ πνεῦμα εὐθὺς συνεσπάραξεν πεσὼν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐκυλίετο ἀφρίζων

ἤνεγκαν  they  brought 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: φέρω  
Sense: to carry.
ἰδὼν  having  seen 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: εἶδον 
Sense: to see with the eyes.
πνεῦμα  spirit 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: πνεῦμα  
Sense: a movement of air (a gentle blast.
εὐθὺς  immediately 
Parse: Adverb
Root: εὐθέως  
Sense: straightway, immediately, forthwith.
συνεσπάραξεν  threw  into  convulsions 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: συνταράσσω 
Sense: to convulse completely.
πεσὼν  having  fallen 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: πίπτω 
Sense: to descend from a higher place to a lower.
ἐπὶ  upon 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐπί  
Sense: upon, on, at, by, before.
γῆς  ground 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: γῆ  
Sense: arable land.
ἐκυλίετο  he  began  rolling  around 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κυλίω  
Sense: a rolling, wallowing.
ἀφρίζων  foaming 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀφρίζω  
Sense: to foam.