Mark 9:20 (KJV)

Passage

And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

Nearby Context

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.

Mark 9:19 He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

Mark 9:20 And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

Mark 9:21 And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

Mark 9:22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "brought", "straightway", "tare", "fell", "ground", "wallowed", and "foaming". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "brought", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "He answereth him and saith O faithless..." into verse 21's "And he asked his father How long...", so "Spirit" and "brought" 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 "brought" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.