Mark 9:29

Simplified Cowboy Version

Jesus said, "Prayer is the only thing that will whip those kind."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
And he told them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer.”

King James Version (1611)
And hee said vnto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer, and fasting.

King James Version
And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

English Standard Version
And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer."

New American Standard Bible
And He said to them, "This kind cannot come out by anything except prayer."

New Century Version
Jesus answered, "That kind of spirit can only be forced out by prayer."

Amplified Bible
He replied to them, "This kind [of unclean spirit] cannot come out by anything but prayer [to the Father]."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
And He said to them, "This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer."

Legacy Standard Bible
And He said to them, "This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer."

Berean Standard Bible
Jesus answered, "This kind cannot come out, except by prayer."

Contemporary English Version
Jesus answered, "Only prayer can force out that kind of demon."

Complete Jewish Bible
He said to them "This is the kind of spirit that can be driven out only by prayer."

Darby Translation
And he said to them, This kind can go out by nothing but by prayer and fasting.

Easy-to-Read Version
Jesus answered, "That kind of spirit can be forced out only with prayer."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And he saide vnto them, This kinde can by no other meanes come foorth, but by prayer and fasting.

George Lamsa Translation
He said to them, This kind cannot be cast out by anything, except by fasting and prayer.

Good News Translation
"Only prayer can drive this kind out," answered Jesus; "nothing else can."

Lexham English Bible
And he said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing except by prayer."

Literal Translation
And He said to them, This kind can go out by nothing except by prayer and fasting.

American Standard Version
And he said unto them, This kind can come out by nothing, save by prayer.

Bible in Basic English
And he said to them, Nothing will make this sort come out but prayer.

Hebrew Names Version
He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing, except by prayer and fasting."

International Standard Version
He told them, "This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting."and fasting">[fn]

Etheridge Translation
Jeshu said to them, This kind with nothing can be cast out, but by fasting and prayer.

Murdock Translation
He saith to them: This kind can come out, by nothing but fasting and prayer.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he saide vnto them: This kynde can come foorth by nothing, but by prayer and fastyng.

English Revised Version
And he said unto them, This kind can come out by nothing, save by prayer.

World English Bible
He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing, except by prayer and fasting."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And he said to them, This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting.

Weymouth's New Testament
"An evil spirit of this kind," He answered, "can only be driven out by prayer."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he seide to hem, This kynde in no thing may go out, but in preier and fastyng.

Update Bible Version
And he said to them, This kind can come out by nothing, save by prayer.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he said to them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

New English Translation
He told them, "This kind can come out only by prayer."

New King James Version
So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting." [fn]

New Living Translation
Jesus replied, "This kind can be cast out only by prayer."

New Life Bible
He said to them, "The only way this kind of demon is put out is by prayer and by going without food so you can pray better."

New Revised Standard
He said to them, "This kind can come out only through prayer."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he said unto them - This kind, by nothing, can come out, save, by prayer.

Douay-Rheims Bible
(9-28) And he said to them: This kind can go out by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

Revised Standard Version
And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And he sayde vnto them: this kynde can by no nother meanes come forth but by prayer and fastynge.

Young's Literal Translation
And he said to them, `This kind is able to come forth with nothing except with prayer and fasting.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he sayde: This kynde ca go out by no meanes, but by prayer and fastynge.

Mace New Testament (1729)
Jesus answered, such a miracle is not effected but by prayer and fasting.

THE MESSAGE
He answered, "There is no way to get rid of this kind of demon except by prayer."

Contextual Overview

¹⁴When they rounded a small hill and trotted up to where the rest of cowboys were, they heard a bunch of people squabblin'. ¹⁵As soon as they spotted Jesus, they ran to say hello to him. ¹⁶"What's all the bickerin' about?" Jesus asked while he swung off his horse. ¹⁷One of the men from the crowd spoke up quickly. "Jesus, I brought my son to be healed by you. He is possessed by an evil spirit that keeps him from talking and every once in a while, ¹⁸it throws my boy to the ground. It scares the tar out of me because he starts a foamin' at the mouth while gnashing his teeth like a wild hog. He then becomes as rigid as a felled lodgepole pine. I asked your cowboys for help, but they was useless." ¹⁹Jesus told all of them, "Do I have to do everything myself? What're y'all gonna do when I'm gone? Bring the boy over here." ²⁰They brought the boy over and when the devil inside him saw Jesus, it threw the boy on the ground in a violent seizure. The boy was foaming and frothing at the mouth like a rabid coyote. ²¹"How long has this been going on?" Jesus asked. The father replied, ²²"Since he was just knee-high, this devil has been throwing my poor son in the water and even in the branding fire a time or two trying to kill him. I can't let him out of my sight and I'm wore plumb out, sir. Will you help us if you can?" ²³"What do you mean, 'If I can'?" Jesus raised an eyebrow and asked. "Ain't nothin' impossible for a man who believes."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

This: Matthew 12:45, Luke 11:26

by prayer: 1 Kings 17:20-22, 2 Kings 4:33, 2 Kings 4:34, Matthew 17:21, Acts 9:40, Acts 9:41, 2 Corinthians 12:8, Ephesians 6:18, James 5:15

fasting: Daniel 9:3, Acts 14:23, 1 Corinthians 9:27, 2 Corinthians 6:5, 2 Corinthians 11:27

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 20:10 - General Mark 9:18 - and they

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said unto them,.... Matthew, besides the following reason, assigns another, as given by our Lord, why they could not cast out the foul spirit, which was their unbelief; of which they were guilty in some sort, as well as the Jews, and the father of the child; but Mark omits it, and only relates this as the reason;

this kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting; which they had not observed; :-.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this passage explained in the notes at Matthew 17:14-21.

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, and by hailing him as the Messiah.

Mark 9:16

What question ye? - What is the subject of your inquiry or debate with the disciples?

Mark 9:17

A dumb spirit - A spirit which deprived his son of the power of speaking.

Mark 9:18

And wheresoever - In whatever place - at home or abroad, alone or in public.

He teareth him - He rends, distracts, or throws him into convulsions.

He foameth - At the mouth, like a mad animal. Among us these would all be considered as marks of violent derangement or madness.

And pineth away - Becomes thin, haggard, and emaciated. This was the effect of the violence of his struggles, and perhaps of the want of food.

Mark 9:22

If thou canst do any thing - I have brought him to the disciples, and they could not help him. If thou canst do anything, have compassion.

Mark 9:23

If thou canst believe - This was an answer to the request, and there was a reference in the answer to the “doubt” in the man’s mind about the power of Jesus. “I” can help him. If thou” canst believe,” it shall be done. Jesus here demanded “faith” or confidence in his power of healing. His design here is to show the man that the difficulty in the case was not in the want of “power” on his part, but in the want of “faith” in the man; in other words, to rebuke him for having “doubted” at all whether he “could” heal him. So he demands faith of every sinner that comes to him, and none that come without “confidence” in him can obtain the blessing.

All things are possible to him that believeth - All things can be effected or accomplished - to wit, by God - in favor of him that believes, and if thou canst believe, this will be done. God will do nothing in our favor without faith. It is right that we should have confidence in him; and if we “have” confidence, it is easy for him to help us, and he willingly does it. In our weakness, then, we should go to God our Saviour; and though we have no strength, yet “he” can aid us, and he will make all things easy for us.

Mark 9:24

Said with tears - The man felt the implied rebuke in the Saviour’s language; and feeling grieved that he should be thought to be destitute of faith, and feeling deeply for the welfare of his afflicted son, he wept. Nothing can be more touching or natural than this. An anxious father, distressed at the condition of his son, having applied to the disciples in vain, now coming to the Saviour; and not having full confidence that he had the proper qualification to be aided, he wept. Any man would have wept in his condition, nor would the Saviour turn the weeping suppliant away.

I believe - I have faith. I do put confidence in thee, though I know that my faith is not as strong as it should be.

Lord - This word here signifies merely “master,” or “sir,” as it does often in the New Testament. We have no evidence that he had any knowledge of the divine nature of the Saviour, and he applied the word, probably, as he would have done to any other teacher or worker of miracles.

Help thou mine unbelief - Supply thou the defects of my faith. Give me strength and grace to put “entire” confidence in thee. Everyone who comes to the Saviour for help has need of offering this prayer. In our unbelief and our doubts we need his aid, nor shall we ever put sufficient reliance on him without his gracious help.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 29. Prayer and fasting. — Matthew 17:21; Matthew 17:21.

This demon may be considered as an emblem of deeply rooted vices, and inveterate habits, over which the conquest is not generally obtained, but through extraordinary humiliations.

This case is related by both Matthew and Luke, but it is greatly amplified in Mark's account, and many new circumstances related. Another proof that Mark did not abridge Matthew.