Tag Archives: Mark 9:17

A Father’s Plea: Participles and Possession in Mark 9:17

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.”… Learn Koine Greek

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