Mark 9:16 (DRB)

Passage

And one of the multitude, answering, said: Master, I have brought my son to thee, having a dumb spirit.

Nearby Context

Mark 9:14 And presently all the people, seeing Jesus, were astonished and struck with fear: and running to him, they saluted him.

Mark 9:15 And he asked them: What do you question about among you?

Mark 9:16 And one of the multitude, answering, said: Master, I have brought my son to thee, having a dumb spirit.

Mark 9:17 Who, wheresoever he taketh him, dasheth him: and he foameth and gnasheth with the teeth and pineth away. And I spoke to thy disciples to cast him out: and they could not.

Mark 9:18 Who answering them, said: O incredulous generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto me.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "multitude", "answering", "said", "master", "brought", "thee", and "having". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "multitude", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "And he asked them What do you..." into verse 17's "Who wheresoever he taketh him dasheth him...", so "Spirit" and "multitude" 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 "Spirit" and "multitude" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.