Mark 9:16

16 Jesus asked, "What are you arguing about?"

Mark 9:16 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 9:16

And he asked the Scribes
The Vulgate Latin renders it, "he asked them"; and the Ethiopic version, he said unto them; meaning either that he asked the disciples when he came to them, or else the people that ran to salute him; but the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions read, "the Scribes"; seeing them about his disciples, in close debate with them, and running hard upon them, he asks them,

what question ye with them?
what is it ye seek and require of them? what is your dispute with them? what is your debate about? The Vulgate Latin version reads, "what question ye among you?" among themselves, and one another; and so Beza's most ancient copy.

Mark 9:16 In-Context

14 When Jesus, Peter, James, and John came back to the other followers, they saw a great crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them.

15 But as soon as the crowd saw Jesus, the people were surprised and ran to welcome him.

16 Jesus asked, "What are you arguing about?"

17 A man answered, "Teacher, I brought my son to you. He has an evil spirit in him that stops him from talking.

18 When the spirit attacks him, it throws him on the ground. Then my son foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes very stiff. I asked your followers to force the evil spirit out, but they couldn't."