What Does Mark 9:22 Mean in the King James?
And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The father asks for compassion that feels the suffering from within and becomes help.
THE MEANING
The verse names the harm plainly: the child is repeatedly thrown into fire and water with destruction as its aim. The father joins his own plea to the child’s danger, “have compassion on us”, and asks for compassion that moves into help. Suffering reaches beyond the body it strikes.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that another person’s suffering belongs only to them: the father says “us,” naming the wound as shared.
THE ROOT
σπλαγχνισθείς
splagchnistheis
GROWS FROM
σπλαγχν-
The Greek word family of σπλάγχνα (splanchna), the inward parts; the verb means to be moved with compassion.
This verb pictures compassion as an inward movement, not a detached judgment. The father asks for help arising from felt nearness to the child’s suffering.
ALSO GROWS
splanchna: inward parts
σπλάγχνα
The noun behind the verb gives compassion an embodied, inward depth.
eusplagchnos: tenderhearted, compassionate
εὔσπλαγχνος
This related word shows the same inward quality expressed as tenderness.
ἀπολέσῃ
apolese
GROWS FROM
ἀπολλυ-
To destroy, ruin, perish, or be lost.
“destroy” in this verse is apolese. The threat is explicit: the repeated attacks aim at the child’s ruin. This word family also speaks of perishing and loss, giving destruction the force of being lost, not merely facing danger.
ALSO GROWS
apollymi: destroy, perish, lose
ἀπόλλυμι
This is the verb’s lexical form and carries the range of ruin and loss.
apolōlōs: lost, perished
ἀπολωλώς
This related form shows the state of loss the verb threatens.
βοήθησον
boēthēson
GROWS FROM
βοηθ-
To come to someone’s aid; to help.
The request is for aid in the face of actual danger. Joined to compassion, help is inwardly moved concern reaching outward as intervention.
ALSO GROWS
boēthos: helper
βοηθός
The related noun names one who comes to another’s aid.
boētheia: help, assistance
βοήθεια
This noun makes the requested aid explicit as practical support.
THE PATTERN
Suffering is met by attention that hears the cry, knows the pain, and moves toward aid.
And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.THE THREAD
And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.“Moved with compassion” uses the same Greek verb as the father’s plea here. In this verse, that inward movement reaches the afflicted body as touch, showing the kind of help the father asks for.
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