Mark 9:16 (KJV)

Passage

And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?

Nearby Context

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

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

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

Mark 9:17 And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

Mark 9:18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "asked", "scribes", and "question". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "asked" and "scribes", 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 people when they..." into verse 17's "And one of the multitude answered and...", so "asked" and "scribes" 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 "scribes" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.