Matthew 17 15

Matthew 17:15 kjv

Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.

Matthew 17:15 nkjv

"Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.

Matthew 17:15 niv

"Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.

Matthew 17:15 esv

said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water.

Matthew 17:15 nlt

"Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.

Matthew 17 verses

Matthew 17 15 Meaning

Matthew 17:15 records a father's urgent plea to Jesus for his suffering son. The father describes his son's affliction as being "lunatick" (epileptic-like fits) and "sore vexed," enduring frequent and dangerous falls into both fire and water. This verse serves as the immediate precursor to Jesus's miraculous healing and His subsequent teaching on the power of faith and the challenges of unbelief among His disciples. It is a desperate cry for divine intervention in the face of human helplessness and severe suffering.

Matthew 17 15 Context

This verse is situated immediately after the dramatic Transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain, where His divine glory was revealed to Peter, James, and John. Following this revelation of Christ's unparalleled authority, Jesus descends the mountain to find the remaining disciples struggling to cast out a demon from a boy. The father's desperate cry in Matthew 17:15 is the catalyst for this direct encounter with suffering and spiritual power. It contrasts sharply with the glorious display on the mountain, bringing Jesus back to the realities of human pain and the disciples' current spiritual limitations. The historical context reflects a world where many ailments were attributed to spiritual forces or astrological influences (like the "moon-struck" idea), and Jesus's ministry frequently challenged such simplistic or superstitious explanations by directly confronting the demonic root when present, as implied here and explicitly stated in the parallel accounts. This sets up a profound lesson about the nature of faith, the reality of spiritual warfare, and the supreme power of Christ.

Matthew 17 15 Word analysis

• Lord: (Greek: Kyrie, Κύριε). More than a polite address, it implies reverence, acknowledging Jesus's authority, mastery, and possibly even divine status. This aligns with the father's implicit hope that Jesus has the power that others lack. It is a title often used to appeal to God directly.
• have mercy: (Greek: eleēson, ἐλέησον). A verb in the aorist imperative, meaning a direct and urgent command or plea for compassionate action. It's a call for pity that moves one to help. This word embodies the core of many prayers in the Bible when approaching God for help in distress.
• on my son: Direct and personal. The plea is for the son, not for the father's own comfort, emphasizing sacrificial parental love and anguish.
• for he is lunatick: (Greek: selēniazetai, σεληνιάζεται). Literally "moon-struck." This term was used in antiquity to describe those suffering from conditions exhibiting seizures, convulsions, or mental derangement, which were superstitiously believed to be influenced by the moon's phases. While Matthew uses this descriptive term from common understanding, the subsequent verses and parallel accounts in Mark and Luke clarify that Jesus deals with this as a case of demonic possession (Mk 9:17, Lk 9:39), implying that the underlying cause for these "lunatic" symptoms was indeed a malevolent spirit, thereby correcting the popular understanding.
• and sore vexed: (Greek: kakōs echei, κακῶς ἔχει). This phrase literally means "he is in a bad state" or "he has it badly." It describes severe suffering, intense torment, or great affliction beyond just the physical symptoms of the "lunatick" condition. It conveys the degree of distress and ongoing suffering experienced by the boy.
• for ofttimes he falleth: (Greek: pollakis...piptei, πολλάκις...πίπτει). "Ofttimes" (frequently, many times) highlights the chronic and relentless nature of the suffering. "Falleth" (falls) points to the sudden and uncontrollable nature of the fits, a common symptom of epileptic seizures or convulsive demon-possession.
• into the fire, and oft into the water: These are life-threatening circumstances resulting from the falls. They underscore the extreme danger the boy faces due to his condition. "Fire" suggests burns, and "water" implies drowning. These perils vividly paint the picture of his constant peril and the sheer helplessness of his father.

Words-group analysis:

• "Lord, have mercy on my son": This phrase encapsulates a parent's deepest despair and their sole hope being placed in Jesus's compassionate power. It reflects the fundamental posture of one in need approaching the divine, acknowledging inability to help oneself and recognizing Jesus's authority and ability.
• "for he is lunatick, and sore vexed": This pairing vividly portrays the internal agony and external manifestation of the boy's illness. "Lunatick" provides a popular diagnostic term of the time, while "sore vexed" emphasizes the deep torment beyond a simple medical condition, subtly hinting at an oppressive spiritual force behind it, a revelation to come in later verses.
• "for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water": This phrase underlines the immediate, severe, and recurrent physical danger the boy endures. It shows the devastating, life-threatening impact of his affliction, compelling the father's desperate plea. It is not just suffering, but life-threatening suffering, which compels urgent intervention.

Matthew 17 15 Bonus section

The term "lunatick" (selēniazetai) used by Matthew is a cultural and medical descriptor of the time, which Jesus then, by His action, redefines in terms of spiritual warfare. This highlights an important theological nuance: while symptoms might present in what seems like a physical or neurological way (e.g., epilepsy), their underlying cause, in some cases, can be spiritual or demonic oppression. Jesus doesn't debate the "lunatick" label but directly casts out a demon (as seen in Mk 9 and Lk 9), thereby offering a deeper truth about the source of such suffering in certain instances. This serves as a subtle polemic against merely naturalistic or superstitious explanations for profound human suffering, pointing instead to the pervasive reality of evil forces that oppose humanity and God. It reminds believers that discernment of true causation is crucial, and that Jesus’s power extends over all forms of illness, whether "natural" or spiritually instigated.

Matthew 17 15 Commentary

Matthew 17:15 serves as a profound cry of human helplessness laid before divine power. The father's initial address, "Lord," is significant; it’s not merely a respectful salutation but a recognition of Jesus's preeminent authority, echoing a theme reinforced by the preceding Transfiguration. His plea, "have mercy," is the standard human petition for God's compassionate intervention. The detailed description of the son’s plight – "lunatick" (epileptic fits), "sore vexed" (severely tormented), and frequently endangered by falling into fire and water – paints a stark picture of the boy's suffering and the father's agonizing witness. This passage is a poignant illustration of faith born from desperation, where a father, having exhausted all other avenues (as implied by the disciples' failure to heal the boy in subsequent verses), brings his profound anguish and his son’s extreme physical danger directly to the feet of Christ. It establishes the gravity of the situation and sets the stage for Jesus to not only heal the boy but also to impart critical lessons to His disciples about the necessity of profound faith.