9:22a

It often throws him: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as It…throws him here means that the spirit had forcefully caused the boy to fall. It does not mean that the spirit threw the boy in the way in which a person throws a stone. It might be more natural in your language to use the word “fall” here. For example:

It has often caused him to fall

into the fire or into the water: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as into the fire or into the water are literally “both into fire and into water.” The Greek grammar emphasizes both fire and water. For example:

both into the fire and into the water (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
not only into the fire, but into the water as well

9:22b

But: The word But indicates the contrast between 9:22a and 9:22b. There is a contrast between what the demon was doing to the boy and what the father hoped. He hoped that Jesus could force the demon to leave.

In some languages it is not natural to contrast a statement with a request. If that is true in your language, you may leave this contrast implicit. For example, the Contemporary English Version says:

Please have pity and help us if you can!

Indicate this contrast in a way that is natural in your language.

if You can do anything: The phrase if You can do anything indicates that the father was not sure that Jesus could help the boy. He asked for any kind of help for the boy, even if it only helped him a little.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

if you are able to do anything (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
If you can do anything for him (New Century Version)

9:22c

have compassion on us: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as have compassion means “to have pity.”

Here are some other ways to translate this:

Have mercy on us (New Living Translation)
-or-
have compassion on us (NET Bible)
-or-
feel sorry for us

us: The pronoun us probably refers to the man and his son. But it may refer to the man’s entire family.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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