Luke 9:40

I begged Your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable.”

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The father of the demon-possessed boy speaks to Jesus, reporting his prior request for help. He states that he asked Jesus’ disciples to cast out the spirit, but they could not do it.

The words — ἐδεήθην (edeēthēn) means "I begged," and ἐκβάλωσιν (ekbalōsin) means "they may cast out." These verbs mark the father's urgent plea and the disciples' inability to fulfill it.

The thread — The failure of human religious action parallels 2 Kings 4:31, where Gehazi’s staff produces no response. It contrasts with the delegated authority Jesus gave the Twelve in Luke 9:1 and illustrates the futility of unauthorized exorcism recorded in Acts 19:13.

Why it lands — The text reports a concrete limitation of the disciples to highlight the necessity of Christ's direct intervention. It requires the reader to acknowledge that spiritual authority cannot be manufactured or assumed by human effort.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

καὶkaiAnd ἐδεήθηνedeēthēnI begged τῶνtōnthe μαθητῶνmathētōndisciples σουsouof You ἵναinathat ἐκβάλωσινekbalōsinthey may cast out αὐτό,autoit,καὶkaiand οὐκouknot ἠδυνήθησαν.¶ēdunēthēsanthey were able.

King James Version

And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.

Cross-references

Luke 9:1 Then Jesus called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and power to cure diseases.
Acts 19:13 Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I command you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.”
2 Kings 4:31 Gehazi went on ahead of them and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So he went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.”
Matthew 17:20 “Because you have so little faith,” He answered. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Luke 10:17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.”