Luke 9:39 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The father describes the affliction: a spirit seizes the boy, makes him cry out, convulses him until he foams, and bruises him as it reluctantly leaves.
What Does Luke 9:39 Mean?
The father describes what he has watched, perhaps for years: a spirit seizes the boy without warning, he suddenly cries out, it convulses him until he foams, and it bruises him as it grudgingly withdraws. The description is precise and heartbroken at once, the memorized vocabulary of a parent who has witnessed every episode.
Scripture does not look away from the cruelty of evil, especially evil that torments the young. The work of this spirit is the signature of the destroyer: seizing, tearing, crushing what God made. Against it the chapter sets the signature of Christ, who heals the child and gives him back to his father. Where darkness bruises, the Lord restores; no affliction is too violent or too long-standing for him.
Luke 9:39 in the Original Language
sparasso (σπαράσσω), 'teareth' -- to convulse violently.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luke 9:39
What does Luke 9:39 mean?
The father describes the affliction: a spirit seizes the boy, makes him cry out, convulses him until he foams, and bruises him as it reluctantly leaves.