Mark 9:21 (WEB)

Passage

He asked his father, “How long has it been since this has come to him?” He said, “From childhood.

Nearby Context

Mark 9:19 He answered him, “Unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me.”

Mark 9:20 They brought him to him, and when he saw him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground, wallowing and foaming at the mouth.

Mark 9:21 He asked his father, “How long has it been since this has come to him?” He said, “From childhood.

Mark 9:22 Often it has cast him both into the fire and into the water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.”

Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "asked", "father", "long", "been", "since", "come", "said", and "childhood". 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 "They brought him to him and when..." into verse 22's "Often it has cast him both 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.