Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Wheresoever it taketh him (opou ean auton katalabh). Seizes him down. Our word catalepsy is this same word. The word is used by Galen and Hippocrates for fits. The word is very common in the papyri in various senses as in the older Greek. Each of the verbs here in Mark is a graphic picture.
Dashes down (rhssei). Also rhgnumi, mi form. Convulses, rends, tears asunder. Old and common word.
Foameth (afrizei). Here only in the N.T. Poetic and late word.
Grindeth (trizei). Another hapax legomenon in the N.T. Old word for making a shrill cry or squeak.
Pineth away (chrainetai). Old word for drying or withering as of grass in James 1:11.
And they were not able (kai ouk isxusan). They did not have the strength (isxuv) to handle this case. See Matthew 17:16; Luke 9:40 (kai ouk hdunhqhsan, first aorist passive). It was a tragedy.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Mark 9:18:
Mark 9:14
Mark 9:20
John 8:3
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