Mark 9:22

Mar 9:22. Τὸ πῦρ) This noun is without a plural: otherwise, as ὕδατα, so πῦρα might have been said in this passage: but the place of the plural is supplied by the article.—ἵνα ἀπολέσῃ, that it might destroy) either because it was promising itself power even over the dead body of the possessed, or else lest it should be cast out by Jesus: for otherwise it would gladly have remained in a human body. It had not the power of itself to destroy a man without water or fire.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mar 9:22 . εἴ τι δύνῃ , if Thou canst do anything (A. and R. Vv.), or better, if anyhow Thou canst help. The father speaks under the impression that the case, as he has just described it, is one of peculiar difficulty; therefore while the leper said “if Thou wilt ,” he says “if Thou canst ”. With reference to the form δύνῃ , Phryn. says that it is right after ἐὰν , but that at the beginning of a sentence δύνασαι must be used (p. 359).

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 22. If THOU canst DO any thing] I have already tried thy disciples, and find they can do nothing in this case; but if thou hast any power, in mercy use it in our behalf.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(22) If thou canst do any thing.—The words are spoken almost in the accents of despair. Could He, the Master, prevail where the disciples had failed?

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

22. if thou canst] More literally, if at all Thou canst. This is a strong expression of an infirm faith, which at the beginning had been too weak, but had become more and more weak owing to the failure of the disciples to aid him.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire,.... When he has been near it; so that one part or other of his body has been scorched, or burnt, and his life in danger:

and into the waters to destroy him: when he has been near any brook, or river, it has thrown him into it, in order to drown him, as into the fire to burn him. The Ethiopic version before fire and water reads, "into the deep"; meaning either the sea or some deep pit, or off a precipice. All this is said to aggravate the case, and show the miserable condition the child was in, from the frequency of the fits, and the danger he was exposed to:

but if thou canst do any thing. This man's faith was very weak, and perhaps weaker than when he first came from home with his child. He had brought him to the disciples of Christ, and they could not cure him; the evil spirit was as strong, or stronger in him than ever; he now lay in a violent fit, and in a most miserable condition; so that he was almost ready to despair of healing: some small hopes he had that Christ might be able to relieve in this case; but he puts an if upon his power, and earnestly entreats him, if he had any, he would put it forth:

have compassion on us, and help us; his child that lay in such a deplorable condition, rolling on the ground at his feet; and himself, who was greatly afflicted for him: he tries, in very moving language, both the power and pity of Christ; and begs that if he had either, he would exert them on this occasion.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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.

Ver. 22. It hath cast him into the fire, &c.] So doth blind zeal deal by them in whom it is.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The answer of our Lord is adapted to the petition of the child’s father. He had said: If thou canst do any thing, have mercy on us: and Christ answered: If thou canst believe, &c. Thus when the leper said: If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean, he answered: I will, be thou made clean. (Ven Bede) --- [1]All things are possible to him that believeth. The sense is not, as if he that believeth could do all things; but that any thing might be done by the divine power and goodness, in favour of him that had a firm and lively faith. (Witham)

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Omnia possibilia sunt credenti, Greek: dunata to pisteuont.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

22. If thou canst do — The father has hopes, but not strong faith. He knows this to be a most inveterate case. He has heard the revilings of the scribes, and is still watched by their sharp, sarcastic faces. He has heard of Jesus’s power — he has perhaps seen it displayed; but that it can reach this case, after the plain failure of his disciples, is hard, and perhaps too good to believe.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

If thou canst do any thing - In so desperate a case: Have compassion on us - Me as well as him.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

22. ὕδατα. The plur. may mean pools and streams. We are not to think of suicidal mania; a convulsion near fire or water often nearly proved fatal. To understand this of feverish alternations of heat and shivering is unnatural.

εἴ τι δύνῃ. When he left home, the father was confident that Jesus could heal his son; but the disciples’ failure has weakened his trust in the Master’s power. Syr-Sin. has “as much as thou canst do.”

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

22.] See Matt. ver. 15.

εἴ τι δύνῃ] This bespeaks, if any faith, at most but a very ignorant and weak one.

ἡμᾶς] The wretched father counts his child’s misery his own: thus the Syrophœnician woman, Mat 15:25, βοήθει μοι.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

22. καὶ εἰς πῦρ … κ. εἰς ὕδατα—both into fire and into waters. The plur. = bodies of water. εἴ τι δύνῃ—if you are at all able. There is no inf. implied here, the pronoun being construed with the verb immediately according to the Greek idiom.3

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Us. Very touching. The father identifies himself with the son's misery. Compare the Syro - Phoenician, who makes her daughter 's case entirely her own : "Have mercy on me" (Mt 14:22).

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.