Mark 9:24

24 And at once [And anon] the father of the child cried with tears, and said, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Mark 9:24 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 9:24

And straightway the father of the child cried out
As soon as ever he found it was put upon his faith, and that the issue of things would be according to that, he expressed himself with much vehemency, being in great distress; partly with indignation at his unbelief, and partly through fear of missing a cure, by reason of it:

and said with tears;
repenting of his unbelief, and grieved at the present weakness of his faith; which he very ingenuously confesses, saying,

Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief;
not forward, but out of the way: he found in himself some small degree of faith in the power of Christ, but it was mixed with much unbelief, through the greatness of the child's disorder; and therefore desires it might be removed from him, and he might be helped against it: he saw it was not in his own power to believe; nor had he strength of himself to oppose his unbelief; but that both faith must be given him, and power against unbelief. The Syriac version renders it, "help", (ytwnmyh twryoxl) , "the defect of my faith": till up that which is lacking in it, it is very deficient, Lord, increase it; and the Arabic and Ethiopic translate thus, "help the weakness of my faith". He found his faith very weak, he desires it might be strengthened, that he might be strong in faith, and give glory to God; and in this way belief is helped, or men helped against it: every believer, more or less, at one time or another, finds himself in this man's case; and also that it is necessary to make use of the same petition; for faith is but imperfect in this life, and often very weak and defective in its exercise.

Mark 9:24 In-Context

22 and oft he hath put him into the fire, and into water, to destroy him [+and oft he hath sent him into the fire and into waters, that he should lose him]; but if thou mayest any thing, help us, and have mercy on us.

23 And Jesus said to him, If thou mayest believe, all things be possible to a man that believeth.

24 And at once [And anon] the father of the child cried with tears, and said, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

25 And when Jesus had seen the people running together, he menaced the unclean spirit, and said to him [saying to him], Thou deaf and dumb spirit, I command thee, go out from him, and enter no more into him.

26 And he crying, and much wrenching him, went out from him; and he was made as dead, so that many said, that he was dead.