SEV Biblia, Chapter 9:39
y he aquí un espíritu lo toma, y de repente da voces; y le despedaza y hace echar espuma, y apenas se aparta de l quebrantndole.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Luke 9:39
Verse 39. A spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out] pneuma lambanei auton. This very phrase is used by heathen writers, when they speak of supernatural influence. The following, from Herodotus, will make the matter, I hope, quite plain. Speaking of Scyles, king of the Scythians, who was more fond of Grecian manners and customs than of those of his countrymen, and who desired to be privately initiated into the Bacchic mysteries, he adds: "Now because the Scythians reproach the Greeks with these Bacchanals, and say that to imagine a god driving men into paroxysms of madness is not agreeable to sound reason, a certain Borysthenian, while the king was performing the ceremonies of initiation, went out, and discovered the matter to the Scythian army in these words: 'Ye Scythians ridicule us because we celebrate the Bacchanals, kai hmeav o qeov lambanei, and the GOD POSSESSES US: but now the same demon, outov o daimwn, has TAKEN POSSESSION, lelabhke, of your king, for he celebrates the Bacchanals, and upo tou qeou mainetai, is filled with fury by this god." Herodot. l. iv. p. 250, edit. Gale. This passage is exceedingly remarkable. The very expressions which Luke uses here are made use of by Herodotus. A demon, daimwn, is the agent in the Greek historian, and a demon is the agent in the case mentioned in the text, chap. ix. 42. In both cases it is said the demon possesses the persons, and the very same word, lambanei is used to express this in both historians. Both historians show that the possessions were real, by the effects produced in the persons: the heathen king rages with fury through the influence of the demon called the god Bacchus; the person in the text screams out, (krazei,) is greatly convulsed, and foams at the mouth. Here was a real possession, and such as often took place among those who were worshippers of demons.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 39. And, lo, a spirit taketh him , etc.] An evil spirit, the devil, as in ( Luke 9:42) seizes and possesses him at once, and he suddenly crieth out ; in a most terrible manner, giving dreadful shrieks, as soon as he perceives that he is seized by the demon: and it teareth him, that he foameth again ; throws him into convulsions, so that he foams at the mouth: and so we read of a son of a certain Jew, that a certain spirit passed before him and hurt him, convulsed his mouth, and his eyes, and his hands were convulsed, and he could not speak. And bruising him ; by dashing him against the wall, or throwing him to the ground: hardly departeth from him ; is very loath to leave him, even after he has distressed, convulsed, and bruised him in this dreadful manner, such was his cruelty and malice; (See Gill on Matthew 17:15) (See Gill on Mark 9:18) Ver. 40. And I besought thy disciples , etc.] The nine disciples that were left behind, whilst Christ, and the other three, were gone up to the mountain: to cast him out ; the devil out of his child: and they could not ; (See Gill on Matthew 17:16).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 37-42 - How deplorable the case of this child! He was under the power of a evil spirit. Disease of that nature are more frightful than such a arise merely from natural causes. What mischief Satan does where he gets possession! But happy those that have access to Christ! He can d that for us which his disciples cannot. A word from Christ healed the child; and when our children recover from sickness, it is comfortabl to receive them as healed by the hand of Christ.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ ιδου 2400 5628 V-2AAM-2S πνευμα 4151 N-NSN λαμβανει 2983 5719 V-PAI-3S αυτον 846 P-ASM και 2532 CONJ εξαιφνης 1810 ADV κραζει 2896 5719 V-PAI-3S και 2532 CONJ σπαρασσει 4682 5719 V-PAI-3S αυτον 846 P-ASM μετα 3326 PREP αφρου 876 N-GSM και 2532 CONJ μογις 3425 ADV αποχωρει 672 5719 V-PAI-3S απ 575 PREP αυτου 846 P-GSM συντριβον 4937 5723 V-PAP-NSN αυτον 846 P-ASM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
39. Taketh (lambanei). See on Mark ix. 18.Suddenly (exaifnhv). Used only once outside of the writings of Luke: Mark xiii. 36. Naturally, frequent in medical writers, of sudden attacks of disease. Luke has more medical details in his account than the other evangelists. He mentions the sudden coming on of the fits, and their lasting a long time. Mr. Hobart remarks that Aretaeus, a physician of Luke's time, in treating of epilepsy, admits the possibility of its being produced by demoniacal agency. Epilepsy was called by physicians "the sacred disease."
Bruising (suntribon). See on bruised, ch. iv. 18. The word literally means crushing together. Rev. expresses the sun, together, by sorely. Compare the details in Mark, gnashing the teeth and pining away (ix. 18). The details in Mark ix. 21, 22, we might rather expect to find in Luke; especially Christ's question, how long he had been subject to these attacks. See note on Mark ix. 20.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
9:39 {Suddenly} (exefnes). Old adverb, but in the N.T. only in Luke's writings save #Mr 13:36. Used by medical writers of sudden attacks of disease like epilepsy. {It teareth him that he foameth} (sparassei auton meta afrou). Literally, "It tears him with (accompanied with, meta) foam" (old word, afros, only here in the N.T.). From sparassw, to convulse, a common verb, but in the N.T. only here and #Mr 1:26; 9:26 (and sunsparassw, #Mr 9:20). See #Mr 9:17; Mt 17:15; Lu 9:39 for variations in the symptoms in each Gospel. The use of meta afrou is a medical item. {Hardly} (molis). Late word used in place of mogis, the old Greek term (in some MSS. here) and alone in Luke's writings in the N.T. save #1Pe 4:18; Ro 5:7. {Bruising him sorely} (suntribon auton). Common verb for rubbing together, crushing together like chains (#Mr 5:4) or as a vase (#Mr 14:3). See on Matthew and Mark for discussion of details here.
