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.”

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Jesus commands the deaf and mute spirit to leave the boy, and the spirit responds with a final violent convulsion before departing. The boy collapses so completely that the surrounding crowd assumes he has died.

The words — κράξας (kraxas) denotes a loud shriek, while σπαράξας (sparaxas) describes a violent shaking or convulsion. ἐξῆλθεν (exēlthen) records the spirit's departure after this final, visible struggle.

The thread — This pattern of a spirit shrieking and convulsing before leaving appears in Mark 1:26 and mirrors the initial seizure described in Mark 9:20 when the boy first encounters Jesus.

Why it lands — The text states the boy's corpse-like state before Jesus intervenes, highlighting the severity of the oppression and the necessity of His physical restoration. It asks the reader to observe that deliverance often follows a final, visible struggle before restoration occurs.

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 κράξαςkraxashaving cried out καὶkaiand πολλὰpollamuch σπαράξαςsparaxasthrowing into convulsions αὐτόνautonhim ἐξῆλθεν,exēlthenit came out,καὶkaiand ἐγένετοegenetohe became ὡσεὶhōseias if νεκρὸςnekrosdead ὥστεhōstein order for τοὺςtous<the>πολλοὺςpollousmany λέγεινlegeinto say ὅτιhotithat ἀπέθανεν.apethanenhe was dead.

King James Version

And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.

Cross-references

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.
Mark 1:26 At this, the unclean spirit threw the man into convulsions and came out with a loud shriek.
Exodus 5:23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and You have not delivered Your people in any way.”
Mark 9:18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked Your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable.”
Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea; with great fury the devil has come down to you, knowing he has only a short time.”