Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 9:39

And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.

39 . a spirit taketh him ] This was the supernatural aspect of his deafness, epilepsy, and madness. St Matthew gives the natural aspect when he says, “he is a lunatic, and sore vexed, &c.,” Luk 17:15.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Verse 39. A spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out] . This very phrase is used by heathen writers, when they speak of supernatural influence. The following, from Herodotus, will make the matter, I hope, quite plain. Speaking of Scyles, king of the Scythians, who was more fond of Grecian manners and customs than of those of his countrymen, and who desired to be privately initiated into the Bacchic mysteries, he adds: “Now because the Scythians reproach the Greeks with these Bacchanals, and say that to imagine a god driving men into paroxysms of madness is not agreeable to sound reason, a certain Borysthenian, while the king was performing the ceremonies of initiation, went out, and discovered the matter to the Scythian army in these words: ‘Ye Scythians ridicule us because we celebrate the Bacchanals, , and the GOD POSSESSES US: but now the same demon, , has TAKEN POSSESSION, , of your king, for he celebrates the Bacchanals, and , is filled with fury by this god.” Herodot. l. iv. p. 250, edit. Gale.

This passage is exceedingly remarkable. The very expressions which Luke uses here are made use of by Herodotus. A demon, , is the agent in the Greek historian, and a demon is the agent in the case mentioned in the text, Lu 9:42. In both cases it is said the demon possesses the persons, and the very same word, is used to express this in both historians. Both historians show that the possessions were real, by the effects produced in the persons: the heathen king rages with fury through the influence of the demon called the god Bacchus; the person in the text screams out, (), is greatly convulsed, and foams at the mouth. Here was a real possession, and such as often took place among those who were worshippers of demons.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

And, lo, a spirit taketh him,…. An evil spirit, the devil, as in Lu 9:42 seizes and possesses him at once,

and he suddenly crieth out; in a most terrible manner, giving dreadful shrieks, as soon as he perceives that he is seized by the demon:

and it teareth him, that he foameth again; throws him into convulsions, so that he foams at the mouth: and so we read t of a son of a certain Jew, that

“a certain spirit passed before him and hurt him, convulsed his mouth, and his eyes, and his hands were convulsed, and he could not speak.”

And bruising him; by dashing him against the wall, or throwing him to the ground:

hardly departeth from him; is very loath to leave him, even after he has distressed, convulsed, and bruised him in this dreadful manner, such was his cruelty and malice; [See comments on Mt 17:15] [See comments on Mr 9:18]

t Zohar in Lev. fol. 21. 4.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Suddenly (). Old adverb, but in the N.T. only in Luke’s writings save Mr 13:36. Used by medical writers of sudden attacks of disease like epilepsy.

It teareth him that he foameth ( ). Literally, “It tears him with (accompanied with, ) foam” (old word, , only here in the N.T.). From , to convulse, a common verb, but in the N.T. only here and Mark 1:26; Mark 9:26 (and , Mr 9:20). See Mark 9:17; Matt 17:15; Luke 9:39 for variations in the symptoms in each Gospel. The use of is a medical item.

Hardly (). Late word used in place of , the old Greek term (in some MSS. here) and alone in Luke’s writings in the N.T. save 1Pet 4:18; Rom 5:7.

Bruising him sorely ( ). Common verb for rubbing together, crushing together like chains (Mr 5:4) or as a vase (Mr 14:3). See on Matthew and Mark for discussion of details here.

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

Taketh [] . See on Mr 9:18.

Suddenly [] . Used only once outside of the writings of Luke : Mr 13:36. Naturally, frequent in medical writers, of sudden attacks of disease. Luke has more medical details in his account than the other evangelists. He mentions the sudden coming on of the fits, and their lasting a long time. Mr. Hobart remarks that Aretaeus, a physician of Luke’s time, in treating of epilepsy, admits the possibility of its being produced by demoniacal agency. Epilepsy was called by physicians “the sacred disease.”

Bruising [] . See on bruised, ch. 4 18. The word literally means crushing together. Rev. expresses the sun, together, by sorely. Compare the details in Mark, gnashing the teeth and pining away (ix. 18). The details in Mr 9:21, 22, we might rather expect to find in Luke; especially Christ ‘s question, how long he had been subject to these attacks. See note on Mr 9:20.

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

1) “And, lo, a spirit taketh him,” (kai ediou pneuma lambanei auton) “And behold, a spirit takes him,” takes control of him, seizes, obsesses, or vexes him as a lunatic, Mat 17:5. Mar 9:17 describes the cause as a “dumb spirit,” literally a demon.

2) “And he suddenly cries out,” (Kai eksaiphnes krazi) “And suddenly he cries out,” the boy screams aloud inarticulately, as the scream of a lunatic, with sudden deranged mental and emotional seizures, Mat 17:15; Symptoms are those of epilepsy.

3) “And it teareth him that he foameth again,” (kai spatassei auton meta aphrou) “And it throws him into the fire while under the seizures, as well as often he falls into the water.” He was torn, as with convulsions, chewing his tongue.

4) “And bruising him hardly departeth from him,” (kai molis apochorei ap autou suntribon auton) “And bruising him it scarcely departs from him,” from continual obsession over him, Mar 9:18. With difficulty he recovered from the attacks or seizures at all.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

Luk 9:39. And it teareth him Throws him into convulsions. And so Luk 9:42.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

38 And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.

39 And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.

Ver. 39. And bruising him ] As in the falling sickness, it happens.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

39. ] i.e. the child there is a rapid change of subject, see ch. Luk 17:2 ; Luk 19:4 alli [75] . and Winer, 67. 1. c, edn. 6.

[75] alli= some cursive mss.

is perhaps literal bruising him.

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament