Matthew 17:17

THE MESSAGE

Jesus said, "What a generation! No sense of God! No focus to your lives! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring the boy here." He ordered the afflicting demon out—and it was out, gone. From that moment on the boy was well.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.”

King James Version (1611)
Then Iesus answered, and said, O faithlesse and peruerse generation, how long shall I bee with you? howe long shal I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

King James Version
Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

English Standard Version
And Jesus answered, "O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me."

New American Standard Bible
And Jesus answered and said, "You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me."

New Century Version
Jesus answered, "You people have no faith, and your lives are all wrong. How long must I put up with you? How long must I continue to be patient with you? Bring the boy here."

Amplified Bible
And Jesus answered, "You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Iesus answered, and said, O generation faithlesse, and crooked, how long now shall I be with you! howe long nowe shall I suffer you! bring him hither to me.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
And Jesus answered and said, "You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me."

Legacy Standard Bible
And Jesus answered and said, "O you unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me."

Berean Standard Bible
"O unbelieving and perverse generation!" Jesus replied. "How long must I remain with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to Me."

Contemporary English Version
Jesus said, "You people are too stubborn to have any faith! How much longer must I be with you? Why do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy here."

Complete Jewish Bible
Yeshua answered, "Perverted people, without any trust! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me!"

Darby Translation
And Jesus answering said, O unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to me.

Easy-to-Read Version
Jesus answered, "You people today have no faith. Your lives are so wrong! How long must I stay with you? How long must I continue to be patient with you? Bring the boy here."

George Lamsa Translation
Jesus answered and said, O faithless and crooked generation, how long shall I be with you? and how long shall I preach to you? bring him here to me.

Good News Translation
Jesus answered, "How unbelieving and wrong you people are! How long must I stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy here to me!"

Lexham English Bible
And Jesus answered and said, "O unbelieving and perverse generation! How long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me!"

Literal Translation
And answering, Jesus said, O faithless and perverted generation! Until when shall I be with you? Until when shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.

American Standard Version
And Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him hither to me.

Bible in Basic English
And Jesus, answering, said, O false and foolish generation, how long will I be with you? how long will I put up with you? let him come here to me.

Hebrew Names Version
Yeshua answered, "Faithless and perverse generation! How long will I be with you? How long will I bear with you? Bring him here to me."

International Standard Version
Jesus replied, "You unbelieving and perverted generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me!"

Etheridge Translation
Jeshu answered and said, O unbelieving and perverse generation ! how long shall I be with you, how long shall I bear with you? Bring him hither to me.

Murdock Translation
Jesus answered and said: O unbelieving and perverse generation ! How long shall I be with you? and how long bear with you? Bring him here to me.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Iesus aunswered and sayde: O faythlesse and croked nation, howe long shall I be with you? howe long shal I suffer you? bryng hym hyther to me.

English Revised Version
And Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him hither to me.

World English Bible
Jesus answered, "Faithless and perverse generation! How long will I be with you? How long will I bear with you? Bring him here to me."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Then Jesus answering said, O unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you?

Weymouth's New Testament
"O unbelieving and perverse generation!" replied Jesus; "how long shall I be with you? how long shall I endure you? Bring him to me."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Jhesus answeride, and seide, A! thou generacion vnbileueful and weiward; hou long schal Y be with you? hou long schal Y suffre you? Brynge ye hym hider to me.

Update Bible Version
And Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him here to me.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.

New English Translation
Jesus answered, "You unbelieving and perverse generation! How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I endure you? Bring him here to me."

New King James Version
Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me."

New Living Translation
Jesus said, "You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me."

New Life Bible
Then Jesus said, "You people of this day have no faith and you are going the wrong way. How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to Me."

New Revised Standard
Jesus answered, "You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Jesus, answering, said - O faithless and perverted generation! How long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me, here.

Douay-Rheims Bible
(17-16) Then Jesus answered and said: O unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him hither to me.

Revised Standard Version
And Jesus answered, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Iesus answered and sayde: O generacion faythles and croked: how longe shall I be with you? how longe shall I suffre you? bring him hidder to me.

Young's Literal Translation
And Jesus answering said, `O generation, unstedfast and perverse, till when shall I be with you? till when shall I bear you? bring him to me hither;'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Iesus answered, and sayde: O thou faithles and frowarde generacion, how longe shal I be with you? How longe shal I suffre you? Bringe him hither to me.

Mace New Testament (1729)
upon which Jesus answered, incredulous and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you?

Simplified Cowboy Version
Jesus said, "Good grief! Where is all of y'alls faith? How long am I gonna have to stick around and hold y'alls hands? I don't know how much more I can put up with. Bring that boy over here."

Contextual Overview

¹⁴At the bottom of the mountain, they were met by a crowd of waiting people. As they approached, a man came out of the crowd and fell to his knees begging, "Master, have mercy on my son. He goes out of his mind and suffers terribly, falling into seizures. Frequently he is pitched into the fire, other times into the river. I brought him to your disciples, but they could do nothing for him." ¹⁷Jesus said, "What a generation! No sense of God! No focus to your lives! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring the boy here." He ordered the afflicting demon out—and it was out, gone. From that moment on the boy was well. ¹⁹ When the disciples had Jesus off to themselves, they asked, "Why couldn't we throw it out?" ²⁰ "Because you're not yet taking God seriously," said Jesus. "The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, ‘Move!' and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn't be able to tackle." As they were regrouping in Galilee, Jesus told them, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed to some people who want nothing to do with God. They will murder him—and three days later he will be raised alive." The disciples felt terrible. When they arrived at Capernaum, the tax men came to Peter and asked, "Does your teacher pay taxes?" Peter said, "Of course." But as soon as they were in the house, Jesus confronted him. "Simon, what do you think? When a king levies taxes, who pays—his children or his subjects?" He answered, "His subjects." Jesus said, "Then the children get off free, right? But so we don't upset them needlessly, go down to the lake, cast a hook, and pull in the first fish that bites. Open its mouth and you'll find a coin. Take it and give it to the tax men. It will be enough for both of us." ²¹Sunlight Poured from His Face Six days later, three of them saw that glory. Jesus took Peter and the brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. Sunlight poured from his face. His clothes were filled with light. Then they realized that Moses and Elijah were also there in deep conversation with him. Peter broke in, "Master, this is a great moment! What would you think if I built three memorials here on the mountain—one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah?" While he was going on like this, babbling, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and sounding from deep in the cloud a voice: "This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of my delight. Listen to him." When the disciples heard it, they fell flat on their faces, scared to death. But Jesus came over and touched them. "Don't be afraid." When they opened their eyes and looked around all they saw was Jesus, only Jesus. Coming down the mountain, Jesus swore them to secrecy. "Don't breathe a word of what you've seen. After the Son of Man is raised from the dead, you are free to talk." The disciples, meanwhile, were asking questions. "Why do the religion scholars say that Elijah has to come first?" Jesus answered, "Elijah does come and get everything ready. I'm telling you, Elijah has already come but they didn't know him when they saw him. They treated him like dirt, the same way they are about to treat the Son of Man." That's when the disciples realized that all along he had been talking about John the Baptizer. At the bottom of the mountain, they were met by a crowd of waiting people. As they approached, a man came out of the crowd and fell to his knees begging, "Master, have mercy on my son. He goes out of his mind and suffers terribly, falling into seizures. Frequently he is pitched into the fire, other times into the river. I brought him to your disciples, but they could do nothing for him." Jesus said, "What a generation! No sense of God! No focus to your lives! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring the boy here." He ordered the afflicting demon out—and it was out, gone. From that moment on the boy was well. When the disciples had Jesus off to themselves, they asked, "Why couldn't we throw it out?" "Because you're not yet taking God seriously," said Jesus. "The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, ‘Move!' and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn't be able to tackle."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

O faithless: Matthew 6:30, Matthew 8:26, Matthew 13:58, Matthew 16:8, Mark 9:19, Mark 16:14, Luke 9:41, Luke 24:25, John 20:27, Hebrews 3:16-19

how long shall I be: Exodus 10:3, Exodus 16:28, Numbers 14:11, Numbers 14:27, Psalms 95:10, Proverbs 1:22, Proverbs 6:9, Jeremiah 4:14, Acts 13:18

Reciprocal: Numbers 20:12 - Because ye believed Deuteronomy 32:5 - a perverse Deuteronomy 32:20 - children Joshua 7:7 - to deliver Psalms 62:3 - How Psalms 82:2 - How Isaiah 49:4 - I have laboured Matthew 12:41 - this Matthew 17:20 - Because Matthew 17:26 - General Luke 12:28 - O ye Acts 2:40 - untoward Acts 9:39 - while Philippians 2:15 - a crooked 2 Thessalonians 3:2 - for Hebrews 5:12 - for the

Cross-References

Genesis 17:3
Overwhelmed, Abram fell flat on his face. Then God said to him, "This is my covenant with you: You'll be the father of many nations. Your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham, meaning that ‘I'm making you the father of many nations.' I'll make you a father of fathers—I'll make nations from you, kings will issue from you. I'm establishing my covenant between me and you, a covenant that includes your descendants, a covenant that goes on and on and on, a covenant that commits me to be your God and the God of your descendants. And I'm giving you and your descendants this land where you're now just camping, this whole country of Canaan, to own forever. And I'll be their God."

Genesis 17:19
But God said, "That's not what I mean. Your wife, Sarah, will have a baby, a son. Name him Isaac (Laughter). I'll establish my covenant with him and his descendants, a covenant that lasts forever.

Genesis 17:20
"And Ishmael? Yes, I heard your prayer for him. I'll also bless him; I'll make sure he has plenty of children—a huge family. He'll father twelve princes; I'll make him a great nation. But I'll establish my covenant with Isaac whom Sarah will give you about this time next year."

Numbers 14:5
Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in front of the entire community, gathered in emergency session.

Numbers 16:22
They threw themselves on their faces and said, "O God, God of everything living, when one man sins are you going to take it out on the whole community?"

Deuteronomy 9:18
Then I prostrated myself before God , just as I had at the beginning of the forty days and nights. I ate no food; I drank no water. I did this because of you, all your sins, sinning against God , doing what is evil in God 's eyes and making him angry. I was terrified of God 's furious anger, his blazing anger. I was sure he would destroy you. But once again God listened to me. And Aaron! How furious he was with Aaron—ready to destroy him. But I prayed also for Aaron at that same time.

Deuteronomy 9:25
When I was on my face, prostrate before God those forty days and nights after God said he would destroy you, I prayed to God for you, "My Master, God , don't destroy your people, your inheritance whom, in your immense generosity, you redeemed, using your enormous strength to get them out of Egypt.

Joshua 5:14
He said, "Neither. I'm commander of God 's army. I've just arrived." Joshua fell, face to the ground, and worshiped. He asked, "What orders does my Master have for his servant?"

Joshua 7:6
Joshua ripped his clothes and fell on his face to the ground before the Chest of God , he and the leaders throwing dirt on their heads, prostrate until evening.

1 Chronicles 21:16
David, Satan, and Araunah Now Satan entered the scene and seduced David into taking a census of Israel. David gave orders to Joab and the army officers under him, "Canvass all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and get a count of the population. I want to know the number." Joab resisted: "May God multiply his people by hundreds! Don't they all belong to my master the king? But why on earth would you do a thing like this—why risk getting Israel into trouble with God?" But David wouldn't take no for an answer, so Joab went off and did it—canvassed the country and then came back to Jerusalem and reported the results of the census: There were 1,100,000 fighting men; of that total, Judah accounted for 470,000. Joab, disgusted by the command—it, in fact, turned his stomach!—protested by leaving Levi and Benjamin out of the census-taking. And God, offended by the whole thing, punished Israel. Then David prayed, "I have sinned badly in what I have just done, substituting statistics for trust; forgive my sin—I've been really stupid." God answered by speaking to Gad, David's pastor: "Go and give David this message: ‘ God 's word: You have your choice of three punishments; choose one and I'll do the rest.'" Gad delivered the message to David: "Do you want three years of famine, three months of running from your enemies while they chase you down, or three days of the sword of God —an epidemic unleashed on the country by an angel of God ? Think it over and make up your mind. What shall I tell the One who sent me?" David told Gad, "They're all terrible! But I'd rather be punished by God whose mercy is great, than fall into human hands." So God unleashed an epidemic in Israel—seventy thousand Israelites died. God then sent the angel to Jerusalem but when he saw the destruction about to begin, he compassionately changed his mind and ordered the death angel, "Enough's enough! Pull back!" The angel of God had just reached the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. David looked up and saw the angel hovering between earth and sky, sword drawn and about to strike Jerusalem. David and the elders bowed in prayer and covered themselves with rough burlap.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then Jesus answered and said,.... Not to the disciples, but to the father of the child; see Mark 9:19 and those that were with him, and the Scribes that were present, disputing with the disciples, upbraiding them with their weakness, and triumphing over them: "O faithless and perverse generation"; a way of speaking, which is never used of the disciples, and indeed could not be properly said of them; for though they often appeared to be men of little faith, yet not faithless; nor were they so rebellious, stubborn, and perverse, as here represented, though there was a great deal of perverseness in them: but the characters better suit the body of the Jewish nation, who, on account of the incredulity of this man, and those that were present, being of the same temper with them, are exclaimed against in words, which were long ago spoken of their ancestors, Deuteronomy 32:5 and from whence they seem to be taken.

How long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? Upbraiding them with the length of time he had been with them, in which so many wonderful works had been done among them, and yet they remained unbelieving and incorrigible; and intimating, that his patience and longsuffering would not always continue; and that in a short time, he should be gone from them, and they should no longer enjoy the benefit of his ministry and miracles, but wrath should come upon them to the uttermost: but however, whilst he was with them, notwithstanding all their unbelief and obstinacy, he should go on to do good; and therefore says,

bring him hither to me, meaning the lunatic child. These words also are directed, not unto the disciples, but to the father of the child; for so it is said in Luke 9:41 "bring thy son hither"; and so the Syriac renders it here אתיהו, "bring thou him"; though, as expressed in the plural number, may very well be thought to intend him, and his friends.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation! - Perverse means that which is twisted or turned from the proper direction; and is often used of the eyes, when one or both are turned from their natural position. Applied to a generation or race of people, it means that they hold opinions turned or perverted from the truth, and that they were wicked in their conduct. Jesus applied this, probably, to the Jews, and not to his real disciples.

How long shall I suffer you? - That is, how long shall I bear with you? How long is it necessary to show such patience and forbearance with your unbelief and perversity? This was not so much an expression of impatience or complaint as a reproof for their being so slow to believe that he was the Messiah, notwithstanding his miracles.

Mark adds Mark 9:20-22 that when he that was possessed was brought, the spirit, by a last desperate struggle, threw him down and tore him, and left him apparently dead. He adds further, that the case had existed during the whole life of his son, from a child. This was a case of uncommon obstinacy. The affliction was fixed and lasting. The disciples, seeing the obstinacy of the case - seeing that he was a deaf-mute, wasted away, torn, and foaming - despaired of being able to cure him. They lacked the faith which was necessary; doubted whether they could cure him, and therefore could not.

The father of the child said Mark 9:22, “If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us and help us;” an expression implying a weak faith, a lingering doubt whether he could restore him. Jesus replied to this, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth” Mark 9:23; implying that the difficulty in the case was not that he could not heal him, but that he had not the proper kind and degree of faith with which to come to him. That is, this cure shall be effected if you have faith. Not that his faith would give Jesus the power to heal him, but it would render it proper that he should exert that power in his favor. In this way, and in this only, are all things possible to believers.

The man had faith, Mark 9:24. The father came, as a father should do, weeping, and praying that his faith might be increased, so as to make it proper that Jesus should interpose in his behalf, and save his child.

Help my unbelief, Mark 9:24. This was an expression of humility. If my faith is defective, supply what is lacking. Help me to overcome my unbelief. Let not the defect of my faith be in the way of this blessing.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 17:17. O faithless and perverse generation! — These and the following words may be considered as spoken:

1. To the disciples, because of their unbelief, Matthew 17:20.

2. To the father of the possessed, who should have brought his son to Christ.

3. To the whole multitude, who were slow of heart to believe in him as the Messiah, notwithstanding the miracles which he wrought.

See KYPKE.

Perverse, διεστραμμενη, signifies -

1. Such as are influenced by perverse opinions, which hinder them from receiving the truth: and,

2. Such as are profligate in their manners. KYPKE.

This last expression could not have been addressed to the disciples, who were certainly saved from the corruption of the world, and whose minds had been lately divinely illuminated by what passed at and after the transfiguration: but at all times the expression was applicable to the Jewish people.