Vincent's NT Word Studies
18. It taketh him (katalabh). Lit., seizeth hold of him. Our word catalepsy is derived from this.Teareth (rhssei). Rev., dasheth down, with rendeth in margin. The verb is a form of rJhgnumi, to break. The form rJhssw is used in classical Greek of dancers beating the ground, and of beating drums. Later, in the form rJassein, a term of fighters: to fell, or knock down, which is the sense adopted by Rev.
Gnasheth with his teeth. Rev., grindeth. This and the pining away are peculiar to Mark.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
9:18 {Wheresoever it taketh him} (hopou ean auton katalabei). 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} (ressei). Also regnumi, 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} (xerainetai). Old word for drying or withering as of grass in #Jas 1:11. {And they were not able} (kai ouk iscusan). They did not have the strength (iscus) to handle this case. See #Mt 17:16; Lu 9:40 (kai ouk eduneqesan, first aorist passive). It was a tragedy.
