Matthew 17:15

Matthew 17:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
• New International Version (NIV)“Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.
• English Standard Version (ESV)said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.

Context of Matthew 17:15

13Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist. 14When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.” 17And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.”

Matthew 17:15 word by word

καὶ λέγων· κύριε, ἐλέησόν μου τὸν υἱόν, ὅτι σεληνιάζεται καὶ κακῶς πάσχει· πολλάκις γὰρ πίπτει εἰς τὸ πῦρ καὶ πολλάκις εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ.Read the interlinear

• Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• haveἐλεέωeleeō · to have mercyG1653
• on my sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
• lunaticσεληνιάζομαιselēniazomai · be epilepticG4583
• and is veryκακῶςkakōs · badlyG2560
• illἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• for he oftenπολλάκιςpollakis · oftenG4178
• fallsπίπτωpiptō petō · to collapseG4098
• into the fireπῦρpur · fireG4442
• into the waterὕδωρhudōr hudatos · waterG5204

Cross-references for Matthew 17:15

• Matthew 15:22And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.”
• Mark 5:22One of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up, and on seeing Him, fell at His feet
• Mark 9:22It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!”
• Luke 9:38And a man from the crowd shouted, saying, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only boy,
• John 4:46Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum.
• Matthew 4:24The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them.
• Mark 9:17And one of the crowd answered Him, “Teacher, I brought You my son, possessed with a spirit which makes him mute;
• Matthew 8:31The demons began to entreat Him, saying, “If You are going to cast us out, send us into the herd of swine.”
• Job 1:10Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
• Job 2:7Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.
• Mark 5:4because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him.

Commentaries on Matthew 17:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15My son - is lunatic - . One who was most affected with this disorder at the change and full of the moon. See on Matthew 4:24; (note). But this lunacy was occasioned by a demon, see Matthew 17:18, and Mark 9:17; Luke 9:38. In this case, the devil intended to hide himself under the appearance of a natural disorder, that no supernatural means might be resorted to for his expulsion. See a remarkable account on Luke 9:39; (note). Falleth ofttimes into the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Lord, have mercy - The word “Lord” here means “Sir,” a title of civility, not implying divinity. My son - This was an only son (Luke). He was possessed with a devil. This calamity was attended with the following symptoms: he was lunatic (see the notes at Matthew 4:24); he was sore vexed; that is, he suffered greatly, or was greatly afflicted; he fell often suddenly, in the manner of persons having epileptic fits; he was dumb - that is, he was mute except…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-21Verses 14-21 The case of afflicted children should be presented to God by faithful and fervent prayer. Christ cured the child. Though the people were perverse, and Christ was provoked, yet care was taken of the child. When all other helps and succours fail, we are welcome to Christ, may trust in him, and in his power and goodness. See here an emblem of Christ's undertaking as our Redeemer. It encourages parents to bring children to Christ, whose souls are…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 17:15

• Demons
• Doubting
• Faith
• Insanity
• Intercession
• Jesus, the Christ
• Miracles

In the dictionaries

• Betray
• Cure
• Tabernacle
• Talking
• Demon; Demoniac; Demonology
• Intercession
• Jesus Christ
• John, the Apostle
• Lunatic(k)
• Mad; Madness

Commentaries on Matthew 17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings