Mark 9:22 (KJV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

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.

Mark 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "ofttimes", "hath", "cast", "fire", "waters", "destroy", "thou", and "canst". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "ofttimes" and "hath", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 21's "And he asked his father How long..." into verse 23's "Jesus said unto him If thou canst...", so "ofttimes" and "hath" 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 "ofttimes" and "hath" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.