Mark 9:21 (KJV)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 20's "And they brought him unto him and..." into verse 22's "And ofttimes it hath cast him into...", so "asked" and "father" 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 "father" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.