Mark 1:26

At this, the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and came out with a loud shriek.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Jesus has just commanded the unclean spirit to be silent and depart from a man in the synagogue. The spirit reacts violently to the command before obeying.

The words — The text uses σπαράξαν (sparaxan), meaning "having thrown into convulsions," and ἀκάθαρτον (akatharton), meaning "unclean," to describe the spirit’s final resistance before departure.

The thread — Similar violent reactions to demonic presence appear in Mark 9:20 and Luke 9:39, where convulsions and screaming occur during the seizure rather than at expulsion, while Mark 9:26 records the same convulsions and shriek upon the spirit’s departure.

Why it lands — The account forces a reader to observe that Jesus’ command compels even a resistant spirit to obey, confirming His authority over the unclean. This authority demands recognition of His word as decisive and final.

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 σπαράξανsparaxanhaving thrown into convulsions αὐτὸνautonhim τὸtothe πνεῦμαpneumaspirit τὸto<the>ἀκάθαρτονakathartonunclean καὶkaiand φωνῆσανphōnēsanhaving shouted φωνῇphōnēain a voice μεγάλῃmegalēloud ἐξῆλθενexēlthenit came forth ἐξexout of αὐτοῦ.autouhim.

King James Version

And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.

Cross-references

Mark 9:26 After shrieking and convulsing him violently, the spirit came out. The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, “He is dead.”
Mark 9:20 So they brought him, and seeing Jesus, the spirit immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
Luke 9:39 A spirit keeps seizing him, and he screams abruptly. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It keeps mauling him and rarely departs from him.
Luke 9:42 Even while the boy was approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
Luke 11:22 But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted, and then he divides up his plunder.