9:21a

How long has this been with him?: This is a real question. Jesus asked how many months or years the boy had had this problem. This question does not ask how many seconds or minutes the boy had been convulsing on this occasion.

Here is another way to translate this question:

When did these convulsions begin?

9:21b

From childhood: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as childhood also means “infancy.” It can refer all the way back to the time when a child was a newborn baby.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

Since he was very small/young
-or-
Ever since he was a little child
-or-
Ever since he was born

he said: The BS places the words he said in the middle of the father’s response. In Greek, these words occur at the beginning of 9:21b. Place the words he said where it is natural in your language.

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