Mark 9:16 (ASV)

Passage

And he asked them, What question ye with them?

Nearby Context

Mark 9:14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great multitude about them, and scribes questioning with them.

Mark 9:15 And straightway all the multitude, when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.

Mark 9:16 And he asked them, What question ye with them?

Mark 9:17 And one of the multitude answered him, Teacher, I brought unto thee my son, who hath a dumb spirit;

Mark 9:18 and wheresoever it taketh him, it dasheth him down: and he foameth, and grindeth his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast it out; and they were not able.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "asked" and "question". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "asked" and "question", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "And straightway all the multitude when they..." into verse 17's "And one of the multitude answered him...", so "asked" and "question" belong inside that flow. In Mark context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "asked" and "question" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.