How do the chapter’s explicit descriptions differ from imported explanations?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The mountain vision, boy’s deliverance, passion prediction and teaching retain sequence, exact conditions and reported human responses without invented motives or generalized mechanisms.

Chapter breakdown

# Mark 9

After six days Jesus takes Peter, James and John to a high mountain apart and is transfigured. His clothes shine white as snow beyond an earthly fuller’s ability. Elias and Moses appear speaking with him. Peter proposes three tabernacles, one each for Jesus, Moses and Elias; he does not know what he says, since they are afraid. A cloud overshadows them and a voice names the most beloved Son and commands hearing him. Then they see only Jesus. The cloud is not called luminous, nor an added purpose of honour assigned to Peter’s offer. Descending, Jesus commands secrecy until resurrection; they keep it while questioning its meaning. Asked why Pharisees and scribes say Elias must come first, he speaks of restoring all things and the Son of man’s written suffering and contempt, and says Elias has come and been treated as they wished. This span does not identify that Elias by another name.

He finds disciples amid a crowd and scribal dispute. People greet him with astonishment and fear. A father describes his son’s dumb spirit, dashing, foaming, teeth gnashing and wasting, and disciples unable to expel it. Jesus addresses the incredulous generation and calls for him. Brought near, the boy rolls foaming under the spirit’s trouble. Asked duration, the father says infancy and recounts repeated casting into fire and waters to destroy him. He requests compassionate help if possible. Jesus answers about belief and possibility; the father cries with tears, “I do believe, Lord. Help my unbelief.” As the crowd converges Jesus commands the deaf and dumb spirit out and not to reenter. Crying and tearing, it leaves; the boy becomes as dead and many say he is dead. Jesus raises him by the hand and he stands. No clinical diagnosis or verified death is added. Asked privately why disciples failed, Jesus says this kind goes out only by prayer and fasting, without supplied intensity or a claim of their presumptuous method.

Through Galilee Jesus seeks privacy and predicts betrayal into human hands, death and third-day rising. Disciples do not understand and fear asking. At Capharnaum he asks about their road discussion; they remain silent, having disputed who would be greatest. He sits, calls the twelve and says one desiring first must be last and everyone’s minister. Embracing a child set among them, he says receiving such a child in his name receives him and the one who sent him. Their silence is not given an additional embarrassment motive.

John reports forbidding a man casting devils in Jesus’ name because he does not follow them. Jesus says not to forbid: one doing a miracle in his name cannot soon speak ill of him, and one not against them is for them. He promises reward for a cup of water in his name because they belong to Christ. This specific case is not turned into an unrestricted doctrine of ecclesiastical toleration.

Scandalizing a little one who believes is compared unfavourably with a millstone and casting into sea. Hand and foot scandal warnings compare maimed or lame entry into life with two limbs in unquenchable hellfire; the eye warning compares one eye in the kingdom with two in hellfire. After each comes the refrain of undying worm and unextinguished fire. These are recorded sayings, not instructions to self-injure or an imported clinical interpretation. He says every one is salted with fire and every victim with salt, asks how unsavoury salt can be seasoned, and commands salt within and mutual peace. No additional symbolic definition of salt is supplied.

The story inside

Six days precede the mountain; descent precedes the boy; Galilee and Capharnaum precede service, exorcist and scandal sayings.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The boy appears as dead, with death claimed by observers.
2
The prayer-and-fasting statement supplies no intensity or description of disciples’ methods.
3
The outsider instruction concerns the reported man, without unrestricted policy expansion.

Test your recall

Six days; three tabernacles; cloud; infancy; help my unbelief; prayer and fasting; servant; cup; salt and peace.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 115401–115488
9:1. And after six days, Jesus taketh with him Peter and James and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves, and was transfigured before them. 9:2. And his garments became shining and exceeding white as snow, so as no fuller upon earth can make white. 9:3. And there appeared to them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus. 9:4. And Peter answering, said to Jesus: Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. And let us make three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 9:5. For he knew not what he said: for they were struck with fear. 9:6. And there was a cloud overshadowing them. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying: This is my most beloved Son. Hear ye him. 9:7. And immediately looking about, they saw no man any more, but Jesus only with them. 9:8. And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them not to tell any man what things they had seen, till the Son of man shall be risen again from the dead. 9:9. And they kept the word to themselves; questioning together what that should mean, when he shall be risen from the dead. 9:10. And they asked him, saying: Why then do the Pharisees and scribes say that Elias must come first? 9:11. Who answering, said to them: Elias, when he shall come first, shall restore all things; and as it is written of the Son of man that he must suffer many things and be despised. 9:12. But I say to you that Elias also is come (and they have done to him whatsoever they would), as it is written of him. 9:13. And coming to his disciples he saw a great multitude about them and the scribes disputing with them. 9:14. And presently all the people, seeing Jesus, were astonished and struck with fear: and running to him, they saluted him. 9:15. And he asked them: What do you question about among you? 9:16. And one of the multitude, answering, said: Master, I have brought my son to thee, having a dumb spirit. 9:17. Who, wheresoever he taketh him, dasheth him: and he foameth and gnasheth with the teeth and pineth away. And I spoke to thy disciples to cast him out: and they could not. 9:18. Who answering them, said: O incredulous generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto me. 9:19. And they brought him. And when he had seen him, immediately the spirit troubled him and being thrown down upon the ground, he rolled about foaming. 9:20. And he asked his father: How long time is it since this hath happened unto him? But he said: From his infancy. 9:21. And oftentimes hath he cast him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him. But if thou canst do any thing, help us, having compassion on us. 9:22. And Jesus saith to him: If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 9:23. And immediately the father of the boy crying out, with tears said: I do believe, Lord. Help my unbelief. 9:24. And when Jesus saw the multitude running together, he threatened the unclean spirit, saying to him: Deaf and dumb spirit, I command thee, go out of him and enter not any more into him. 9:25. And crying out and greatly tearing him, he went our of him. And he became as dead, so that many said: He is dead. 9:26. But Jesus taking him by the hand, lifted him up. And he arose. 9:27. And when he was come into the house, his disciples secretly asked him: Why could not we cast him out? 9:28. And he said to them: This kind can go out by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
Lines 115490–115555
9:29. And departing from thence, they passed through Galilee: and he would not that any man should know it. 9:30. And he taught his disciples and said to them: The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise again the third day. 9:31. But they understood not the word: and they were afraid to ask him. 9:32. And they came to Capharnaum. And when they were in the house, he asked them: What did you treat of in the way? 9:33. But they held their peace, for in the way they had disputed among themselves, which of them should be the greatest. 9:34. And sitting down, he called the twelve and saith to them: If any man desire to be first, he shall be the last of all and be minister of all. 9:35. And taking a child, he set him in the midst of them. Whom when he had embraced, he saith to them: 9:36. Whosoever shall receive one such child as this in my name receiveth me. And whosoever shall receive me receiveth not me but him that sent me. 9:37. John answered him, saying: Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, who followeth not us: and we forbade him. 9:38. But Jesus said: Do not forbid him. For there is no man that doth a miracle in my name and can soon speak ill of me. 9:39. For he that is not against you is for you. 9:40. For whosoever shall give you to drink a cup of water in my name, because you belong to Christ: amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward. 9:41. And whosoever shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me: it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the sea. 9:42. And if thy hand scandalize thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life, maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into unquenchable fire: 9:43. Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished. 9:44. And if thy foot scandalize thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter lame into life everlasting than having two feet to be cast into the hell of unquenchable fire: 9:45. Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished. 9:46. And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee with one eye to enter into the kingdom of God than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire: 9:47. Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished. 9:48. For every one shall be salted with fire: and every victim shall be salted with salt. 9:49. Salt is good. But if the salt become unsavoury, wherewith will you season it? Have salt in you: and have peace among you.