Matthew 17:15

Sickness and healing Parents and children Mercy and compassion Prayer

¹³ Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

¹⁴ And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,

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.

¹⁶ And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.

¹⁷ Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.
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.
WEB: “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is epileptic and suffers grievously; for he often falls into the fire, and often into the water.
ASV: Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is epileptic, and suffereth grievously; for oft-times he falleth into the fire, and off-times into the water.
DARBY: Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is lunatic, and suffers sorely; for often he falls into the fire and often into the water.
BLB: and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is epileptic and suffers miserably; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water.

ÅB: «Herre, se i nåde til min sønn! Han er månesyk og har store lidelser. Han faller ofte i ilden og ofte i vannet.
OTB: “Herre, ha barmhjertighet med min sønn,” sa han. “Han har anfall og lider fryktelig; han faller ofte i ilden eller i vannet.
B1930: Herre! miskunn dig over min sønn! Han er månesyk og Iider storlig; ofte faller han i ilden og ofte i vannet.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Matthew 4:24
And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.
Read in context
Matthew 15:22
And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
Read in context
Mark 5:22–23
And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,
Read in context
Job 2:7
So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
Read in context
Luke 9:38–42
And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.
Read in context
Matthew 8:31–32
So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.
Read in context
Mark 9:17–18
And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;
Read in context
Job 1:10–19
Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Read in context