Mark 9 19

Mark 9:19 kjv

He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

Mark 9:19 nkjv

He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me."

Mark 9:19 niv

"You unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."

Mark 9:19 esv

And he answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me."

Mark 9:19 nlt

Jesus said to them, "You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."

Mark 9 verses

Mark 9 19 Meaning

Mark 9:19 captures Jesus' profound exasperation and lament over the spiritual inadequacy of the people, including His own disciples, in the face of demonic power. It signifies a collective spiritual blindness and a pervasive lack of active faith ("faithless generation") that hindered the outworking of God's power. His questions convey a divine weariness with their slowness to believe and comprehend, coupled with the urgent truth of His temporary earthly presence. The final command, "Bring him to me," decisively asserts His ultimate authority and the sole source of effective power against the forces of darkness, contrasting sharply with the impotence of others.

Mark 9 19 Context

Mark 9:19 is immediately preceded by the narrative of the Transfiguration (Mk 9:2-8), where Peter, James, and John witness Jesus' divine glory. While Jesus and the three disciples are on the mountain, the remaining disciples attempt to heal a demon-possessed boy below, but fail (Mk 9:14-18). Upon descending, Jesus finds a large crowd, scribes disputing with the disciples, and the helpless father of the afflicted boy. The father's lament and the disciples' inability highlight the stark contrast between the divine power revealed on the mountain and the spiritual impotence prevalent on the plain. Jesus' utterance in verse 19 is a direct response to this situation—a public demonstration of the limitations of human faith and the widespread spiritual dullness that permeated that "generation," encompassing the scribes, the crowd, and even His own apprentices. It sets the stage for His subsequent miraculous healing, reinforcing His supreme authority over spiritual forces and His disciples' critical need for deeper faith and dependence on Him.

Mark 9 19 Word analysis

• He answered them: (Greek: apokritheis, ἀποκριθεὶς). More than a simple reply, it signifies a decisive response, often implying a definitive statement or judgment. Jesus' answer comes from a position of authority and divine understanding of their spiritual state and the deeper issue at hand, rather than just a physical response to a question.
• O faithless generation: (Greek: Ō genea apistos, ὦ γενεὰ ἄπιστος).
  • O (Ō): An interjection expressing strong emotion—often lament, sorrow, frustration, or dismay. It emphasizes the depth of Jesus' feeling.
  • faithless (apistos, ἄπιστος): Signifies a lack of faith, unbelieving, incredulous, unfaithful. This is not merely an absence of faith, but an active or chosen spiritual state of unbelief and untrustworthiness, or a profound deficiency in believing God despite evidence. It's a powerful indictment. This state is presented as widespread among the people, including, crucially, the disciples in this instance.
  • generation (genea, γενεά): Refers not just to the specific group of people physically present, but the people of that particular era, characterized by their pervasive spiritual unbelief and rejection of God's direct revelation in Christ. It defines a moral and spiritual epoch, much like the "wilderness generation" in Old Testament history.
• how long am I to be with you?: (Greek: heōs pote pros hymas esomai, ἕως πότε πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἔσομαι).
  • how long (heōs pote): A rhetorical question conveying impatience, weariness, or lament. It highlights Jesus' enduring their spiritual immaturity and persistent unbelief. It also subtly emphasizes the temporary nature of His physical presence among them, prompting a sense of urgency for their transformation.
  • to be with you: Refers to His earthly, physical presence and ministry—teaching, healing, and demonstrating the Kingdom of God. This indicates a period of grace and instruction that is finite.
• How long am I to bear with you?: (Greek: heōs pote anexomai hymōn, ἕως πότε ἀνέξομαι ὑμῶν).
  • to bear with (anexomai, ἀνέξομαι): To endure, to put up with, to suffer patiently. It denotes a heavy burden carried or prolonged tolerance despite exasperation. This word underscores Jesus' profound burden in ministering to a generation characterized by spiritual blindness and recalcitrance.
  • you (hymōn): This "you" is collective. While directed immediately at the disciples who failed and the father and the crowd who questioned, it applies to the characteristic unbelief of that broader "generation" that struggled to receive the Kingdom of God.
• Bring him to me: (Greek: Pherete auton pros me, Φέρετε αὐτὸν πρός με).
  • Bring (Pherete): An imperative verb, a direct command. It demands immediate, obedient action.
  • to me: A decisive declaration of His singular authority and ability. When human efforts, even those of trained disciples, fall short, the ultimate recourse is directly to Christ. It signifies that true power flows only from Him.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "O faithless generation": This opening exclamation is a profound lament and condemnation, highlighting the root spiritual issue—a collective and persistent lack of genuine faith among the people of that era. It acts as a divine diagnostic of humanity's resistance to God's manifested power and presence.
• "How long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you?": These two rhetorical questions powerfully convey Jesus' divine exasperation, bordering on sorrow, at the spiritual dullness and unbelief He constantly encounters. They underline the burden of His earthly ministry among an unresponsive people. Moreover, they imply a sense of limited time for His physical presence, underscoring the urgency for them to respond with genuine faith and trust in His power before His passion and ascension.
• "Bring him to me": This imperative sentence sharply contrasts with the prior lament. It shifts from sorrow and weariness to immediate, authoritative action. It underscores Jesus' ultimate authority and capability as the singular solution. It teaches that when all human strength and efforts (even those granted by Christ but not rightly exercised through faith) fail, the answer always lies in bringing the need directly to Jesus, for only He has the unfailing power to redeem and restore.

Mark 9 19 Bonus section

The lament of Jesus in Mark 9:19 can be understood as a profound expression of His burden in reconciling human spiritual recalcitrance with the imminent arrival of God's Kingdom. This "faithless generation" serves as a collective example of humanity's constant struggle to align itself with divine will. It illustrates that spiritual authority, even when granted (as it was to the disciples), requires a vital, active faith to be effective. Their failure, leading to Jesus' public frustration, ultimately serves to magnify Christ's unparalleled divine power and unique role as the sole mediator and source of true spiritual authority. This incident thus powerfully illustrates the absolute necessity of dependence on Christ's power rather than relying on one's own capabilities, even when attempting to do God's work.

Mark 9 19 Commentary

Mark 9:19 presents a moment of profound spiritual confrontation where Jesus laments the pervasive unbelief hindering God's redemptive power. His rebuke, "O faithless generation," encapsulates a weariness with humanity's chronic inability or refusal to fully trust and receive God's presence and works. This indictment applies not only to the general populace and critical scribes but also, significantly, to His disciples who, despite being granted authority, failed due to their insufficient faith. The rhetorical questions, "How long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you?" underscore Jesus' divine patience stretched to its limit, while also hinting at the brevity of His earthly ministry, emphasizing the urgency for active, transformative faith. This lament over a resistant generation echoes Old Testament narratives of Israel's persistent unbelief. However, Jesus quickly shifts from lament to action with the direct command, "Bring him to me." This powerfully reasserts His unique and ultimate authority, demonstrating that only in direct relationship and surrender to Christ does true power and deliverance reside. The verse challenges believers today to examine their own faith when facing spiritual impossibilities, urging them to prioritize a robust, Christ-centered faith that empowers God's will on earth, rather than resorting to ineffective human effort or spiritual apathy. For practical usage:

• When faced with overwhelming spiritual obstacles, question your own level of faith first, rather than blaming the circumstances.
• Understand that Christ's presence, though now spiritual, still requires a desperate bringing of burdens to Him for healing and deliverance.
• Acknowledge that deep-seated unbelief, even among the religious, can severely impede the manifestation of God's power.