Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς εἷς ἐκ τοῦ ὄχλου εἶπε· διδάσκαλε, ἤνεγκα τὸν υἱόν μου πρὸς σέ, ἔχοντα πνεῦμα ἄλαλον. (Mark 9:17)
This verse introduces one of the most poignant encounters in the Gospels – the desperate father bringing his son to Jesus for healing. The grammar carries both urgency and pathos. Through participial structures, vocatives, and accusatives of specification, Mark’s narrative highlights both the father’s cry and the boy’s affliction. To avoid superficial treatment, we will explore how grammar and theology intertwine to dramatize the moment.
Opening the Dialogue: καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς… εἶπε
The aorist passive participle ἀποκριθείς (from ἀποκρίνομαι, “to answer”) sets the stage: “and answering, one from the crowd said.” The construction is formulaic in narrative Greek – an answering participle followed by the main verb of speaking. The aorist captures the completeness of the act, while the participle gives background to the finite verb εἶπε (“he said”).
The Speaker Identified: εἷς ἐκ τοῦ ὄχλου
The subject is εἷς (“one”), qualified by the partitive expression ἐκ τοῦ ὄχλου (“from the crowd”). This highlights the individual voice breaking out of the anonymous mass. Grammar shifts focus: from the collective ὄχλος to the solitary father stepping forward.
Respectful Address: διδάσκαλε
The vocative διδάσκαλε (“Teacher”) conveys respect and acknowledgment of authority. The direct form of address introduces the plea with humility, setting the emotional tone of dependence on Jesus’ intervention.
Urgent Confession: ἤνεγκα τὸν υἱόν μου πρὸς σέ
The verb ἤνεγκα (aorist active indicative of φέρω, “to bring”) communicates completed action: “I brought.” The direct object τὸν υἱόν μου emphasizes the father’s personal stake – his own son. The prepositional phrase πρὸς σέ marks direction toward Jesus, underscoring the father’s belief that only Jesus could help.
The Boy’s Condition: ἔχοντα πνεῦμα ἄλαλον
The participle ἔχοντα (present active participle of ἔχω) modifies τὸν υἱόν: “having a spirit.” The accusative agreement shows that the participle qualifies the son, not the father. The adjective ἄλαλον (“speechless, mute”) describes the spirit, indicating its oppressive effect. This construction provides a vivid medical-spiritual diagnosis in participial form—he is possessed, constrained, and silenced.
Syntax Table: The Father’s Cry in Grammar
| Greek Phrase | Grammar Role | Interpretive Insight |
|---|---|---|
| ἀποκριθεὶς… εἶπε | Aorist participle + main verb | Narrative formula introducing dialogue |
| εἷς ἐκ τοῦ ὄχλου | Partitive genitive construction | Shifts focus from crowd to individual |
| διδάσκαλε | Vocative noun | Respectful, urgent address to Jesus |
| ἤνεγκα τὸν υἱόν μου | Aorist indicative with direct object | Expresses completed action of bringing |
| ἔχοντα πνεῦμα ἄλαλον | Accusative participle phrase | Describes the son’s condition: oppressed by a mute spirit |
Grammar as a Window into Desperation
Mark 9:17 is far more than narrative detail – it is grammar infused with human desperation. The participle ἔχοντα compresses suffering into a single modifier, the vocative διδάσκαλε conveys reverence and urgency, and the aorist ἤνεγκα bears the weight of the father’s decisive action. The syntax allows us to hear the tremor in his voice and see the boy’s silent suffering. In the grammar of this plea, faith and desperation converge, and the story begins to unfold toward deliverance.
