Mark 9:29

29 Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer. ”

Mark 9:29 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 9:29

And he said unto them
Matthew, besides the following reason, assigns another, as given by our Lord, why they could not cast out the foul spirit, which was their unbelief; of which they were guilty in some sort, as well as the Jews, and the father of the child; but Mark omits it, and only relates this as the reason;

this kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting;
which they had not observed; (See Gill on Matthew 17:21).

Mark 9:29 In-Context

27 But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.

28 Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?”

29 Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer. ”

30 Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know he was there,

31 for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.”

Footnotes

• [a]. Some manuscripts read by prayer and fasting.