Luke 9:37-48 · Bible study
Luke 9:37-48 Commentary: From Glory to Suffering, Discipleship's Hard Lesson
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus descends from the Transfiguration to confront a demon, predict his death, and teach that true greatness is servanthood.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus descends from the Transfiguration to heal a demon-possessed boy, predict his own betrayal, and teach that true greatness comes through humility and receiving the powerless.
- Key words: μονογενής (only child), διαλογισμός (dispute/reasoning), παιδίον (little child), μεγαλειότης (majesty of God).
- Main debate: Whether Jesus’ “faithless and perverse generation” refers primarily to the disciples, the crowd, or the whole nation; also the role of prayer and fasting in exorcism (Luke omits Mark’s explicit mention).
- Theological theme: The way of the Messiah is suffering before glory; authentic discipleship is marked by humility, not ambition.
- Best use: A pastoral text for seasons when success or spiritual highs give way to failure, confusion, and the call to serve the lowly.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
37The next day, when they came down from the mountain, Jesus was met by a large crowd.
38Suddenly a man in the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg You to look at my son, for he is my only child.
39A spirit keeps seizing him, and he screams abruptly. It throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It keeps mauling him and rarely departs from him.
40I begged Your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable.”
41“O unbelieving and perverse generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”
42Even while the boy was approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
43And they were all astonished at the greatness of God. While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus was doing, He said to His disciples,
44“Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.”
45But they did not understand this statement. It was veiled from them so that they could not comprehend it, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.
46Then an argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest.
47But Jesus, knowing the thoughts of their hearts, had a little child stand beside Him.
48And He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. For whoever is the least among all of you, he is the greatest.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
37On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great multitude met him.
38Behold, a man from the crowd called out, saying, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only born child.
39Behold, a spirit takes him, he suddenly cries out, and it convulses him so that he foams; and it hardly departs from him, bruising him severely.
40I begged your disciples to cast it out, and they couldn’t.”
41Jesus answered, “Faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.”
42While he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him violently. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
43They were all astonished at the majesty of God. But while all were marveling at all the things which Jesus did, he said to his disciples,
44“Let these words sink into your ears, for the Son of Man will be delivered up into the hands of men.”
45But they didn’t understand this saying. It was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
46An argument arose among them about which of them was the greatest.
47Jesus, perceiving the reasoning of their hearts, took a little child, and set him by his side,
48and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me. Whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For whoever is least among you all, this one will be great.”
KJV King James Version 1769
37And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him.
38And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child.
39And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him.
40And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not.
41And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither.
42And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.
43And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples,
44Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.
45But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.
46Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest.
47And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,
48And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
37And it came to pass, on the next day, when they were come down from the mountain, a great multitude met him.
38And behold, a man from the multitude cried, saying, Teacher, I beseech thee to look upon my son; for he is mine only child:
39and behold, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth, and it hardly departeth from him, bruising him sorely.
40And I besought thy disciples to cast it out; and they could not.
41And Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and bear with you? bring hither thy son.
42And as he was yet a coming, the demon dashed him down, and tare him grievously. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
43And they were all astonished at the majesty of God. But while all were marvelling at all the things which he did, he said unto his disciples,
44Let these words sink into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered up into the hands of men.
45But they understood not this saying, and it was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
46And there arose a reasoning among them, which of them was the greatest.
47But when Jesus saw the reasoning of their heart, he took a little child, and set him by his side,
48and said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this little child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same is great.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
37And it came to pass on the next day, they having come down from the mount, there met him a great multitude,
38and lo, a man from the multitude cried out, saying, `Teacher, I beseech thee, look upon my son, because he is my only begotten;
39and lo, a spirit doth take him, and suddenly he doth cry out, and it teareth him, with foaming, and it hardly departeth from him, bruising him,
40and I besought thy disciples that they might cast it out, and they were not able.'
41And Jesus answering said, `O generation, unstedfast and perverse, till when shall I be with you, and suffer you? bring near hither thy son;'
42and as he is yet coming near, the demon rent him, and tore him sore, and Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the youth, and gave him back to his father.
43And they were all amazed at the greatness of God, and while all are wondering at all things that Jesus did, he said unto his disciples,
44`Lay ye to your ears these words, for the Son of Man is about to be delivered up to the hands of men.'
45And they were not knowing this saying, and it was veiled from them, that they might not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
46And there entered a reasoning among them, this, Who may be greater of them?
47and Jesus having seen the reasoning of their heart, having taken hold of a child, set him beside himself,
48and said to them, `Whoever may receive this child in my name, doth receive me, and whoever may receive me, doth receive Him who sent me, for he who is least among you all--he shall be great.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
37And it came to pass on the following day, when they came down from the mountain, a great crowd met him.
38And lo, a man from the crowd cried out saying, Teacher, I beseech thee look upon my son, for he is mine only child:
39and behold, a spirit takes him, and suddenly he cries out, and it tears him with foaming, and with difficulty departs from him after crushing him.
40And I besought thy disciples that they might cast him out, and they could not.
41And Jesus answering said, O unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you and suffer you? Bring hither thy son.
42But as he was yet coming, the demon tore him and dragged him all together. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child and gave him back to his father.
43And all were astonished at the glorious greatness of God. And as all wondered at all the things which [Jesus] did, he said to his disciples,
44Do ye let these words sink into your ears. For the Son of man is about to be delivered into men's hands.
45But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them that they should not perceive it. And they feared to ask him concerning this saying.
46And a reasoning came in amongst them, who should be [the] greatest of them.
47And Jesus, seeing the reasoning of their heart, having taken a little child set it by him,
48and said to them, Whosoever shall receive this little child in my name receives me, and whosoever shall receive me receives him that sent me. For he who is the least among you all, he is great.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
37And it came to pass the day following, when they came down from the mountain, there met him a great multitude.
38And behold a man among the crowd cried out, saying: Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son, because he is my only one.
39And lo, a spirit seizeth him, and he suddenly crieth out, and he throweth him down and teareth him, so that he foameth; and bruising him, he hardly departeth from him.
40And I desired thy disciples to cast him out: and they could not.
41And Jesus, answering:, said: O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and suffer you? Bring hither thy son.
42And as he was coming to him, the devil threw him down and tore him.
43And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and cured the boy and restored him to his father.
44And all were astonished at the mighty power of God. But while all wondered at all the things he did, he said to his disciples: Lay you up in your hearts these words, for it shall come to pass that the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.
45But they understood not this word: and it was hid from them, so that they perceived it not. And they were afraid to ask him concerning this word.
46And there entered a thought into them, which of them should be greater.
47But Jesus seeing the thoughts of their hearts, took a child and set him by him,
48And said to them: Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me; and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me. For he that is the lesser among you all, he is the greater.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 9:37
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this passage deliberately places the mountain glory of the Transfiguration in sharp contrast with the valley of human need. The Cambridge Bible notes that Luke’s phrase “on the next day” indicates the Transfiguration took place at night, as Jesus and his disciples descended into a crowd and a desperate father. The healing of the demon-possessed boy shows Jesus’ absolute authority over evil, Vincent observes that Luke, a physician, includes medical details such as “suddenly” (ἐξαίφνης) and “convulses” (σπαράσσει), terms found in medical writers for sudden seizures.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown stresses that just as the crowds marvel at Jesus’ power, he immediately warns his disciples not to be swept up by his grandeur: “Let these words sink into your ears, for the Son of Man will be delivered up into the hands of men.” The prediction of betrayal is the passage’s axis. The disciples’ failure to understand (ἠγνόουν, an imperfect of ongoing ignorance) and their argument about greatness expose the gap between human ambition and the way of the cross. Jesus’ response, placing a child by his side, teaches that true greatness consists in receiving the lowly in his name, which is itself receiving God.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Jesus alone has authority over evil; he is heading toward betrayal and death; true greatness is found in humble service, not in rank.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Timing of the Transfiguration | Luke’s “on the next day” (τῇ ἑξῆς ἡμέρᾳ) connects this scene directly to the Transfiguration, which therefore occurred at night. | Some commentators (e.g., Cambridge Bible) treat this as straightforward chronology; others (e.g., Lange) note that it simply means the following day without emphasis on the time of night. |
| Meaning of “faithless and perverse generation” | The phrase expresses Jesus’ frustration with a lack of trust in God’s power. | Some read it as directed primarily at the disciples (their failure to cast out the demon), while others see it as including the entire crowd and religious leaders, echoing Old Testament rebukes of Israel. |
| The disciples’ failure to cast out the demon | The failure was due to deficient faith, as Matthew 17:20 makes explicit. | Luke does not mention prayer and fasting (cf. Mark 9:29), leading some to argue that the omission suggests prayer itself is the expression of faith, while others see Luke focusing on Jesus’ authority rather than the disciples’ method. |
| Greatness in the kingdom | Jesus redefines greatness as humility and service, symbolized by receiving a child. | Some traditions emphasize a literal child as an object lesson; others interpret “child” as a metaphor for all who are lowly or powerless, extending the command to broader acts of welcome. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Luke’s narrative structure is careful about time. The phrase “the next day” (τῇ ἑξῆς ἡμέρᾳ) connects this scene directly to the Transfiguration, which the Cambridge Bible concludes happened at night. Mountains in Jewish tradition were places of divine revelation (Sinai, Zion), but the descent brings Jesus back into the mess of everyday life, a crowd, a desperate father, a convulsing boy.
The father calls his son “only born child” (μονογενής), a term that echoes Luke’s earlier account of the widow’s son at Nain (Luke 7:12) and the Old Testament’s language of an only child (Zechariah 12:10; Genesis 44:20). It intensifies the pathos. Luke’s description of the demon’s action, taking the boy, sudden crying, convulsions, foaming, bruising, is clinically precise. Vincent notes that ἐξαίφνης (suddenly) is used only once outside Luke, and μόγις (hardly) suggests the spirit’s tenacity. This reflects Luke’s medical background and his interest in the physical reality of suffering.
First-century Jewish expectation of the Messiah as a conquering king made the disciples unable to process Jesus’ talk of betrayal. They feared to ask (ἐφοβοῦντο ἐρωτῆσαι) because the idea of a suffering Messiah shattered their categories. The dispute about greatness (dialogismos) likely arose from the mistaken notion that Jesus’ kingdom would be a political hierarchy, a view that lingered even after the resurrection (Acts 1:6). Jesus’ object lesson with a child (paidion) subverts all such ambition: in a culture where children had no status, to “receive” a child in Jesus’ name is to welcome the powerless and thus welcome God.
Textual Notes
In verse 43, some manuscripts omit “Jesus” after “all the things which he did” (Lange notes this as a variant, marked V.O. 9). The reading is well supported either way and does not affect meaning. No other significant variants are reported in the consulted sources. The text is stable across traditions.
Reception History
This passage has been used across church history to teach the connection between Christ’s glory and his suffering. Early preachers drew on the father’s desperate cry to illustrate faith mixed with doubt. In the medieval period, the demon-possessed boy was often allegorized as humanity enslaved by sin, from which only Christ could free. Reformation commentators such as Calvin and Luther emphasized the disciples’ failure as a warning against relying on human strength apart from prayer. In modern pastoral practice, the narrative speaks powerfully to parents of children with severe illness, to anyone who feels their prayers have gone unanswered, and to congregations tempted to measure status by position rather than by service to the vulnerable.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Contrast of Glory and Need (vv. 37-43). Jesus descends from the mountain of transfiguration to a valley of desperation. The father’s cry for his only son, the demon’s violence, and the disciples’ failure all set the stage for Jesus’ authority alone.
- The Call to Embrace the Cross (vv. 44-45). In the middle of wonder at Jesus’ power, he speaks of his betrayal. The disciples do not understand, the cross was hidden from them (παρακεκαλυμμένον). Suffering is not an interruption of glory but its path.
- The Reversal of Greatness (vv. 46-48). While the disciples argue about rank, Jesus places a child beside himself. True greatness is not climbing a ladder but receiving the lowly in his name. “Whoever is least among you all, this one will be great.”
Five-point outline
- Descent from the mountain: transition from glory to daily struggle (v. 37)
- The father’s plea: desperation and the uniqueness of his son (vv. 38-39)
- Disciples’ failure: inadequate faith leaves a need unmet (v. 40)
- Jesus’ rebuke and rescue: “Faithless generation” and the power of his word (vv. 41-42)
- The paradox of greatness: receiving a child = receiving Jesus = receiving the Father (vv. 46-48)
Illustration hooks
- The parent who has tried everything. Medical diagnoses, therapy, even help from the church, nothing works. The father in the crowd represents every caregiver who has reached the end of their resources.
- The team that fails at the critical moment. The disciples had cast out demons before (Luke 9:1-6). This time, they couldn’t. Sometimes seasons of spiritual success give way to humbling failure, calling for deeper dependence.
- The argument about who is most important. In any group, family, workplace, church, people compare status. Jesus’ answer is not to abolish leadership but to redefine it as receiving the powerless.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why did the disciples fail to cast out the demon? Was it a lack of faith, or something else?
- If Jesus called his disciples “faithless,” does that mean they were not really believers? What does “faithless” mean here?
- What does it actually look like to receive a child in Jesus’ name? Does that apply only to children, or to all who are vulnerable?
Leading a Discussion
This passage moves from the heights of revelation to the mess of real life. The disciples have just seen Jesus glorified on the mountain; now they cannot even help one suffering boy. Their failure, their misunderstanding, and their petty argument about greatness all point to one lesson: following Jesus means learning a whole new definition of greatness, one that walks toward suffering and embraces the lowly.
Discussion questions
- Read verses 37-39. What details does Luke include that make this father’s situation feel urgent and desperate? How does knowing the boy is an “only child” affect your reading?
- Why do you think the disciples could not cast out the demon (v. 40)? Jesus does not explain here, but Matthew 17:20 points to small faith. What might that mean for your own prayer life?
- Jesus calls the crowd a “faithless and perverse generation” (v. 41). Who is he addressing, the disciples, the father, or everyone? What does his frustration reveal about his heart for people?
- After the healing, while everyone marvels, Jesus tells his disciples to focus on his coming betrayal (v. 44). Why does he interrupt their wonder with this news? What does that suggest about the relationship between glory and suffering?
- The disciples “did not understand” and were “afraid to ask” (v. 45). When have you been hesitant to bring a hard question to Jesus? What keeps you from asking?
- How does arguing about who is greatest (v. 46) connect to not understanding the cross? What kind of kingdom were they expecting?
- Jesus uses a child to teach about greatness (vv. 47-48). What does receiving a child in Jesus’ name look like in your life, at home, in your church, in your neighbourhood?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Matthew 17:14 | When they came to the multitude, a man came to him, kneeling down to him and saying, |
| Matthew 17:20 | He said to them, “Because of your unbelief. For most certainly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. |
| Mark 9:14 | Coming to the disciples, he saw a great multitude around them, and scribes questioning them. |
| Mark 9:29 | He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but by prayer and fasting.” |
| Genesis 44:20 | We said to my lord, ‘We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother; and his father loves him.’ |
| Zechariah 12:10 | I will pour on David’s house and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication. They will look to me whom they have pierced; and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for his only son, and will grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for his firstborn. |
| Matthew 15:22 | Behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders and cried, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, you son of David! My daughter is severely possessed by a demon!” |
| Luke 7:12 | Now when he came near to the gate of the city, behold, one who was dead was carried out, the only born son of his mother, and she was a widow. Many people of the city were with her. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke points out that the Greek phrase used in this account of demonic possession is identical to one in Herodotus, where a pagan king is said to be seized by a god. This parallel, he argues, confirms that the New Testament describes genuine supernatural possession, not a natural illness or metaphor. The language itself testifies to the reality of the event.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that the disciples could not understand Jesus' prediction of his death because their own false expectations of a conquering Messiah blocked their vision, not because God hid it from them. He draws the lesson that Scripture's plainest truths remain unintelligible to anyone unwilling to set aside prior opinions and submit entirely to God.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB emphasizes the sharp contrast between Christ's divine grandeur, seen in the transfiguration, and His repeated prediction of suffering. The disciples are warned not to be swept away by His majesty, for the same Son of man will soon be handed over to men. Their cherished hopes were so shattered that they feared to ask any questions.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes the psychological shock Jesus felt descending from the Transfiguration to the unbelief below. His lament calls the crowd an unbelieving generation, revealing a deep homesickness and sorrow after the glory on the mount. This contrast, Lange argues, serves as indirect proof that the Transfiguration was a real event.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry notes that the healing took place the day after the transfig
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent draws attention to the medical vocabulary Luke uses in this healing account, noting words like "bruising" (crushing together) and "tare" (convulse) that appear in contemporary physicians' descriptions of epilepsy. He observes that Luke includes more clinical details than the other Gospel writers, consistent with his profession as a doctor.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that the disciples always argued about who was greatest at the most inappropriate moments, particularly after Jesus had just spoken of his own suffering. His point is that true greatness does not come from status but from humbling oneself to serve the lowliest.