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. AND THEY BROUGHT HIM UNTO HIM: AND WHEN HE SAW HIM, STRAIGHTWAY THE SPIRIT TARE HIM. Just as the man with the legion of demons, "when he saw Jesus, ran and worshipped Him" (), so this demon, when he saw Him, immediately "tare him." The feeling of terror and rage was the same in both cases. AND HE FELL ON THE GROUND, AND WALLOWED FOAMING. Still Jesus does nothing, but keeps conversing with the father about the case-partly to have its desperate features told out by him who knew them best, in the hearing of the spectators; partly to let its virulence have time to show itself; and partly to deepen the exercise of the father's soul, to draw out his faith, and thus to prepare both him and the bystanders for...

Mark 9:20._And as soon as he saw him. _That the devil should rage with more than ordinary cruelty against the man, when he is brought to Christ, ought not to excite surprise; for in proportion as the grace of Christ is seen to be nearer at hand, and acts more powerfully, the fury of Satan is the more highly excited. The presence of Christ awakens him like the sound of a trumpet. He raises as violent a storm as he can, and contends with all his might. We ought to be prepared beforehand with such meditations, that our faith may not be disturbed, when the approach of the grace of Christ is met by more than ordinary violence on the part of our enemy. Nor ought we to lose sight of another point, that the true commencement of our cure is, when our affliction is so heavy that we are almost at the point of death. It must also be taken into account that, by means of the furious attack of Satan

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 up to Christ for grace to help them against it, and his grace will be sufficient for them. Whom Christ cures, he cures effectually. But Satan is unwilling to be driven from those that have been long his slaves, and, when he cannot deceive or destroy the sinner, he will cause him all the terror that he can. The disciples must not think to do their work always with the same ease; some services call for more than ordinary pains....

Verse 20. _WHEN HE SAW HIM THE SPIRIT TARE HIM; AND HE FELL ON_ _THE GROUND_, C.] When this demon saw Jesus, he had great rage, knowing that his time was short and hence the extraordinary convulsions mentioned above....

See this passage explained in the notes at Matthew 17:14. Mark 9:14 QUESTIONING WITH THEM - Debating with the disciples, and attempting to confound them. This he saw as he came down from the mount. In his absence they had taken occasion to attempt to perplex and confound his followers. Mark 9:15 WERE GREATLY AMAZED - Were astonished and surprised at his sudden appearance among them. SALUTED HIM - Received him with the customary marks of affection and respect. It is probable that this was not by any “formal” manner of salutation, but by the “rush” of the multitude, a

EXPOSITION MARK 9:1 TILL THEY SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD COME WITH POWER. In St. Matthew 16:28 the words run thus: "Till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." In St. Luke 9:27, "Till they see the kingdom of God." All these evangelists connect their record of the Transfiguration with these predictive words—a circumstance which must not be lost sight of in their interpretation. The question, therefore, is whether or how far the Transfiguration is to be regarded as a fulfillment of these words. One thing seems plain, that the Transfiguration, if a fulfillment at all, was not an exhaustive fulfillment of the words. The solemnity of their introduction forbids us to limit them to a

AND THEY BROUGHT HIM UNTO HIM,.... The father of the child, and those that were with him, brought the child to Jesus, into his presence, before him: AND WHEN HE SAW HIM, that is, either when Jesus saw the child, or the child saw Jesus; or the evil spirit in him, and by him which were all at once: STRAIGHTWAY THE SPIRIT TARE HIM; threw him into a violent fit, shook him, and convulsed him in a dreadful manner; knowing his time was short, and being filled with indignation and rage, that he should be obliged, as he knew he must, to leave the child very speedily; and was therefore resolved to do all the mischief, and put him to all the pain he could: AND HE FELL ON THE GROUND; at the feet of Jesus, not being able to stand, through the violent motions and convulsions he threw him into: AND WALLOWED, FOAMING; rolled about from side to side, foaming at the mouth, and in the most exquisite ra...

Mark 9:2. _And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid. And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him._ You and I have sometimes wished that we could see Christ in his earthly glory. We need not however wish it; for, if such a sight were permitted to us, in all probability we should be more full of f...

CHAPTER 9 _ 1. The Glory to Come foreshadowed in the Transfiguration. (Mark 9:1 .Matthew 17:1; Luke 9:28 .)_ 2. The helpless disciples and the secret of failure. (Mark 9:14. Matthew 17:14; Luke 9:37) 3. The second announcement of His death. (Mark 9:30 .Matthew 17:22;...

THE HEALING OF THE DEMONIAC BOY. This story is told in greater detail by Mk. than by Mt. or Lk., who omit the conversation between Jesus and the boy's father (Mark 9:20). Perhaps they wished to avoid representing Jesus as asking a question for information (Mark 9:21). In any case, they lose genuine and valuable material (especially Mark 9:23 f.). Possibly AV is right in giving us the singular, he came, in Mark 9:14, instead of RV, they came. If so, the story may not originally have followed the Transfiguration, and Mk. may have designed the contrast which is reproduced in Raphael's picture. The references to the scribes and their discussion with the disciples in