Teks -- Mark 9:29 (NET)

9:29 He told them, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: Mar 9:29 - Save by prayer

Save by prayer ( ei mē en proseuchēi ).

The addition of "and of fasting"does not appear in the two best Greek manuscripts (Aleph and B). It is clearly a late addition to help explain the failure. But it is needless and also untrue. Prayer is what the nine had failed to use. They were powerless because they were prayerless. Their self-complacency spelled defeat. Mat 17:20 has "because of your little faith"(oligopistian ). That is true also. They had too much faith in themselves, too little in Christ. "They had trusted to the semi-magical power with which they thought themselves invested"(Swete). "Spirits of such malignity were quick to discern the lack of moral power and would yield to no other"( ibid .).

JFB: Mar 9:29 - And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting

That is, as nearly all good interpreters are agreed, "this kind of evil spirits cannot be expelled," or "so desperate a case of demoniacal possession cannot be cured, but by prayer and fasting." But since the Lord Himself says that His disciples could not fast while He was with them, perhaps this was designed, as ALFORD hints, for their after-guidance--unless we take it as but a definite way of expressing the general truth, that great and difficult duties require special preparation and self-denial. But the answer to their question, as given in Mat 17:20-21 is fuller: "And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief. For verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you" (Mat 17:20). See on Mar 11:23. "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting" (Mat 17:21), that is, though nothing is impossible to faith, yet such a height of faith as is requisite for such triumphs is not to be reached either in a moment or without effort--either with God in prayer or with ourselves in self-denying exercises. Luke (Luk 9:43) adds, "And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God"--"at the majesty" or "mightiness of God," in this last miracle, in the Transfiguration, &c.; or, at the divine grandeur of Christ rising upon them daily.

Second Explicit Announcement of His Approaching Death and Resurrection (Mar 9:30-32).

Clarke: Mar 9:29 - Prayer and fasting

Prayer and fasting - See on Mat 17:21 (note)

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.

Defender: Mar 9:29 - prayer and fasting

The words "and fasting" were apparently dropped (or possibly added) from (or to) the original account since a few of the ancient manuscripts do not have them. In any case, the Lord was stressing that this type of continuing demonic possession, combined with actual illness (probably epilepsy, combined with deafness and dumbness), was extremely difficult and required intense prayer. Fasting would almost inevitably accompany such single-minded prayer. Christ Himself, being the unlimited, omnipotent Creator, could respond instantly to the father's earnest faith and sincere desire for stronger faith."

TSK: Mar 9:29 - This // by prayer // fasting

This : Mat 12:45; Luk 11:26

by prayer : 1Ki 17:20-22; 2Ki 4:33, 2Ki 4:34; Mat 17:21; Act 9:40,Act 9:41; 2Co 12:8; Eph 6:18; Jam 5:15

fasting : Dan 9:3; Act 14:23; 1Co 9:27; 2Co 6:5, 2Co 11:27

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Mar 9:17-29 - See Poole on "Mat 17:14"

Ver. 17-29. This famous history is also recorded by two other evangelists, Matthew and Luke; we have opened it in our notes on Mat 17:14-21 ;

( See Poole on "Mat 17:14" , and following verses to Mat 17:21 ) and considered what Mark and Luke have to complete it. For our instruction we may learn several things from the consideration of it:

1. The great goodness of God in preserving us from the power of evil spirits, as also the daily working of his providence for our preservation. What but this kept this man from being destroyed by the fires and the waters into which he had been often thrown by the evil spirit?

2. That the shorter the devil’ s time is, the more he rageth, Mar 9:20 . This is true, both as to the devil himself, and his instruments: Rev 12:12 , The devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. Thus, in the moment of conversion Christians often meet with the strongest conflicts of temptation.

3. The fault is not in Christ, but in ourselves, if we receive not that mercy from him which he hath, and which we stand in need of, and beg from him— If (saith Christ) thou canst believe.

4. God rewardeth weak faith where it is attended with a sincere desire of increase. This poor man showed a very imperfect faith in saying, If thou canst do any thing; but it being in some degree sincere, the Lord rewardeth it, though weak, he desiring an increase of it, and that God would from his goodness supply what was defective in his faith.

5. The great cures both of our bodies and souls in some cases, require more extraordinary and importunate addresses and applications unto God, more especially where evils are more inveterate. For other things relating to this history;

See Poole on "Mat 17:14" , and following verses to Mat 17:21 .

Gill: Mar 9:29 - And he said unto them // this kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting

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; See Gill on Mat 17:21.