Mark 9:21 (YLT)

Passage

And he questioned his father, `How long time is it since this came to him?' and he said, `From childhood,

Nearby Context

Mark 9:19 And he answering him, said, `O generation unbelieving, till when shall I be with you? till when shall I suffer you? bring him unto me;'

Mark 9:20 and they brought him unto him, and he having seen him, immediately the spirit tare him, and he, having fallen upon the earth, was wallowing--foaming.

Mark 9:21 And he questioned his father, `How long time is it since this came to him?' and he said, `From childhood,

Mark 9:22 and many times also it cast him into fire, and into water, that it might destroy him; but if thou art able to do anything, help us, having compassion on us.'

Mark 9:23 And Jesus said to him, `If thou art able to believe! all things are possible to the one that is believing;'

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "questioned", "father", "long", "time", "since", "came", "said", and "childhood". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "questioned" 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 many times also it cast him...", so "questioned" 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 "questioned" and "father" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.