Bible Strands
Matthew 17:19
Afterward the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The disciples approach Jesus privately immediately after He heals a demon-possessed boy. They ask Him why they failed to cast out the spirit.
The words — προσελθόντες (proselthontes) means "having come" and ἰδίαν (idian) means "private." These terms emphasize the disciples' deliberate, secluded approach to Jesus after the public miracle.
The thread — This private inquiry pattern appears in Mark 9:28, where the disciples ask Jesus the same question after entering a house. Similar one-on-one teaching moments occur in Mark 4:10.
Why it lands — The text records a direct question about failed spiritual authority, which Jesus answers by identifying insufficient faith as the cause. It requires a reader to examine the source of their own spiritual effectiveness and align it with dependence on God rather than personal capability.
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
King James Version
Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?