Luke 9:39
in Luke 9A spirit keeps seizing him, and he screams abruptly. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It keeps mauling him and rarely departs from him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and behold, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth, and it hardly departeth from him, bruising him sorely.
KJV
And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.
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This verse in Luke 9
Commentary
11 notes on this verseAnd behold, a spirit seizes him, and suddenly he cries out, and it convulses him and scatters him with foam, and scarcely departs tearing him. This demoniac, whom the Lord healed descending from the mountain, Matthew describes as lunatic, Mark as deaf and mute. They …
This site's exposition
when they came down from the mountain
on Luke 9:37-40
Coming down from the mountain, Jesus meets a father's cry for his only child, glory giving way at once to suffering. The nine left below could not drive the spirit out, failing where the three on the mountain had just seen glory.
This site's exposition
A spirit keeps seizing him
Bonaventure notes that the attacks came suddenly and without warning. The father describes screaming, convulsions and foaming, and the spirit seldom leaves. Verse 42 shows one more attack as the boy is brought.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(non occ.) It seems indeed to me that this was a wise man. For he said not to the Saviour, "Do this or that," but, Look on my son, for this suffices for His salvation; as the prophet said, Look on me, and have mercy on me; and he says, on my son, to show that his was a reasonable forwardness in crying out aloud among the multitude. He adds, for he is mine only child. As if to say, There is none other I can expect to be the consolation of my old age. He next enters into the sufferings, that he may move his Hearer to compassion, saying, And, lo, the spirit taketh him.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Now this demoniac Matthew calls a lunatic; Mark, deaf and dumb. (Matt. 17:15, Mark 9:25.) Matthew signifies those who change as the moon, increasing and decreasing through different vices, Mark those who are dumb in not confessing the faith, deaf in not hearing the very word of faith.
Thirdly, he adds the violence of the besieging demon, when he adds: And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out: from which it appears that the demon was afflicting him with a sudden affliction; whence in Matthew seventeen it is said of …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But happy they that have access to Christ! How defective the disciples were in their faith. Though Christ had given them power over unclean spirits, yet they could not cast out this evil spirit,
And, lo, a spirit taketh him,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out - Πνευμα λαμβανει αυτον. This very phrase is used by heathen writers, when they speak of supernatural influence. The following, from Herodotus, will make the matter, I hope, quite plain.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
The event described in these verses took place immediately after the transfiguration. The Lord Jesus, we should remark, did not tarry long on the Mount of Olives. His communion with Moses and Elijah was very short. He soon returned to His usual work of doing good to a sin-stricken world . In His life on earth, to receive honor and have visions of glory — was the exception. To minister to others, to heal all who were oppressed by the devil, to do acts of mercy to sinners — was the rule.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
The event described in these verses took place immediately after the transfiguration. The Lord Jesus, we should remark, did not tarry long on the Mount of Olives. His communion with Moses and Elijah was very short. He soon returned to His usual work of doing good to a sin-stricken world . In His life on earth, to receive honor and have visions of glory — was the exception. To minister to others, to heal all who were oppressed by the devil, to do acts of mercy to sinners — was the rule. Happy are those Christians who have learned of Jesus, to live for others more than for themselves; and who understand that it is "more blessed to give, than to receive." (Acts 20:35.) We have first, in these verses — an example of what a parent should do when he is troubled about his children. We are told of a man in severe distress about his only son. This son was possessed by an evil spirit, and grievously tormented by him, both in body and soul. In his distress, the father makes application to our Lord Jesus Christ for relief. "Master," he says, "I beseech You, look upon my son — for he is my only child." There are many Christian fathers and mothers at this day who are just as miserable about their children as the man of whom we are reading. The son who was once the "desire of their eyes," and in whom their lives were bound up — turns out to be a thief, a profligate, and a companion of sinners. The daughter who was once the flower of the family, and of whom they said, "This girl shall be the comfort of our old age!" — becomes self-willed, worldly minded, and a lover of pleasure more than a lover of God. Their hearts are well near broken. The iron seems to enter into their souls. The devil appears to triumph over them, and rob them of their choicest jewels. They are ready to cry, "I shall go sorrowing to the grave. What good shall my life do to me?"
The words behind it
20 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἰδοὺ | idou | behold | G2400 → | 200 times |
| πνεῦμα | pneuma | a spirit | G4151 → | 378 times |
| λαμβάνει | lambanei | takes | G2983 → | 257 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐξαίφνης | exaiphnes | suddenly | G1810 → | |
| κράζει | krazei | he cries out | G2896 → | 55 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| σπαράσσει | sparassei | it throws into convulsions | G4682 → | |
| αὐτὸν | auton | him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| μετὰ | meta | with | G3326 → | 461 times |
| ἀφροῦ | aphrou | foaming | G876 → | |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| μόγις | mogis | with difficulty | G3425 → | |
| ἀποχωρεῖ | apochorei | it departs | G672 → | |
| ἀπ᾽ | ap᾽ | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| συντρῖβον | suntribon | bruising | G4937 → | |
| αὐτόν. | auton | him. | G846 → | 5565 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἰδοὺbehold
idouG2400 →200 times
πνεῦμαa spirit
pneumaG4151 →378 times
λαμβάνειtakes
lambaneiG2983 →257 times
αὐτὸνhim
autonG846 →5565 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐξαίφνηςsuddenly
exaiphnesG1810 →
κράζειhe cries out
krazeiG2896 →55 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
σπαράσσειit throws into convulsions
sparasseiG4682 →
αὐτὸνhim
autonG846 →5565 times
μετὰwith
metaG3326 →461 times
ἀφροῦfoaming
aphrouG876 →
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
μόγιςwith difficulty
mogisG3425 →
ἀποχωρεῖit departs
apochoreiG672 →
ἀπ᾽from
ap᾽G575 →640 times
αὐτοῦhim
autouG846 →5565 times
συντρῖβονbruising
suntribonG4937 →
αὐτόν.him.
autonG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Mark 9:20So they brought him, and seeing Jesus, the spirit immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
it leads to
- Mark 1:26
At this, the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and came out with a loud shriek.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Mark 9:18
Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked Your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 4:35
But Jesus rebuked the demon. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!” At this, the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without harming him.
- Luke 9:42
Even while the boy was approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
- 1 Peter 5:8
Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
- Mark 1:26
Through
Luke 4:35But Jesus rebuked the demon. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!” At this, the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without harming him.
it leads to
Through
Mark 9:26After shrieking and convulsing him violently, the spirit came out. The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, “He is dead.”
it leads to
- Mark 9:20
So they brought him, and seeing Jesus, the spirit immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
- Mark 9:20
Where this verse is studied
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About Luke
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, On the Gospel of Luke; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 9; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Titus of Bostra, Catena Aurea by Aquinas.