And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The core of this healing isn't just Jesus' command to the demon, but His rebuke as an enemy. This wasn't just removing an ailment; it was a decisive confrontation where Jesus, wielding divine authority, disarmed the spiritual force tormenting the boy, instantly restoring him.
And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse occurs immediately after Jesus had rebuked his disciples for their lack of faith in failing to cast out a demon earlier. It’s part of a larger narrative where a desperate father brought his severely afflicted son to Jesus' disciples, who were unable to heal him, highlighting a moment of both demonic power and human weakness. Jesus’ powerful command and the immediate healing demonstrate his authority over the spiritual realm, restoring what the disciples' faith could not.
When Jesus spoke, the demonic forces didn't stand a chance. Notice the directness of His command and the immediate result.
A Divine Rebuke
The word "rebuked" here isn't just a stern word; it carries the weight of divine authority. Jesus wasn't pleading; He was commanding, reproving the demon for its cruel hold on the boy. It's a demonstration of His sovereign power over the spiritual realm.
The Demon's Demise
The text says the demon "came out of him." This wasn't a gradual fading or a negotiated exit. It was an immediate expulsion, a forceful removal. The spiritual world responds to Jesus' authority in a way the human world often doesn't.
The Result: Instant Healing
The healing wasn't a slow process; it was instant. This highlights that Jesus' power is not limited by the severity or duration of an affliction. When He acts, His power brings immediate and complete restoration.
This wasn't just a medical issue; it was a spiritual battle with devastating effects. See how the demon's power was both invasive and destructive.
A Force of Torment
The commentators highlight that the demon "afflicted" and "tormented" the child. This wasn't a passive presence but an active force causing severe distress. The "rent him sore" and convulsions described in fuller accounts show the violent nature of this possession.
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The Goal: Destruction
This demon, and others like it, sought to destroy. The text mentions the danger of falling into fire or water—clear indicators of the life-threatening impact of the affliction. The demon's aim is always to harm and ultimately to ruin, not just to cause temporary discomfort.
More Than Physical Pain
While the physical symptoms were dramatic (convulsions, foaming), the affliction was deeper. It implies a spiritual oppression that sought to control and devastate the boy's very being. Jesus' healing was a liberation from this all-encompassing darkness.
While Jesus' power is absolute, the disciples' and the father's faith (or lack thereof) played a crucial role in the context of this event. Explore that dynamic.
The Disciples' Failure
This event follows the disciples' inability to cast out the demon. Jesus calls the crowd an "unbelieving and perverse generation," a rebuke that implicitly includes the disciples' present lack of faith. Their failure highlights that even gifted individuals can fall short when faith falters.
The Father's Plea
The father's cry, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" is powerful. It shows a genuine desire to trust, even amidst doubt. This isn't a perfect, unwavering faith, but a desperate, honest plea for help in believing.
God's Grace Beyond Weakness
Commentators note that God often works through even weak faith. Jesus rebuked the spirit, not the father directly for his doubt. He responded to the father's earnest plea, demonstrating that God's power is not solely contingent on perfect human faith, but on His own grace and willingness to act.
Understand the original words
epitimaō · Greek Verb
To exercise authority over evil, commanding it to cease its activity or depart. In the Gospels, it is the authoritative act by which Christ and His followers liberate those oppressed by spiritual forces.
daimonion · Greek Noun
A malevolent spiritual entity that is hostile to God and humanity, acting under the influence of the spiritual kingdom opposed to God. They are subject to the absolute authority of Jesus Christ.
The immediate and complete healing of the boy, directly after Jesus' rebuke of the demon, underscores the divine authority Jesus wields, even in the face of deeply entrenched demonic influence and the surrounding unbelief.
From infancy
Child afflicted by demon
A young boy has been afflicted by a demon from his childhood, causing severe suffering including seizures, foaming, and convulsions.
Unspecified time before Matthew 17:18
Disciples attempt healing
The boy's father brings him to Jesus' disciples, hoping they can cast out the demon, but they are unable to heal him.
Unspecified time before Matthew 17:18
Scribes taunt disciples
The scribes, seeing the disciples' failure, mock them and potentially Jesus, using the situation to challenge Jesus' authority.
Unspecified time before Matthew 17:18
Jesus confronts 'faithless and perverse generation'
Jesus, upon returning and seeing the situation and the scribes' reaction, rebukes the surrounding crowd or the scribes as a 'faithless and perverse generation' due to their persistent unbelief.
Unspecified time before Matthew 17:18
Father's plea and confession
The boy's father desperately pleads with Jesus, saying, 'If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.' Jesus responds by highlighting the power of belief, leading the father to exclaim, 'I believe; help my unbelief!'
Unspecified time before Matthew 17:18— this verse
Jesus rebukes the demon
Jesus directly commands the demon afflicting the boy to come out and not return.
From that very hour
Boy is instantly healed
The demon immediately leaves the boy, and he is completely healed from that moment onward.
This passage from Mark provides a more detailed account of Jesus' interaction with the demon, including His specific words of command, illustrating the direct and authoritative nature of Jesus' rebuke in Matthew 17:18.
Luke 9:42Luke's Gospel also recounts this event, emphasizing the immediate and complete healing of the boy, highlighting the instant power of Jesus' word just as Matthew does.
Matthew 17:14-16The verses immediately preceding this one show the disciples' failure to heal the boy, underscoring the unique and divine power Jesus possesses to overcome what human efforts cannot, as demonstrated in verse 18.
Acts 10:38This verse, spoken by Peter, summarizes Jesus' ministry as 'healing all who were oppressed by the devil,' which directly aligns with the exorcism and healing described in Matthew 17:18, showing it as a characteristic act of Jesus' mission.
Philippians 2:9-11While not a narrative account, this passage speaks to the supreme authority and power given to Jesus, which is visibly displayed in His ability to rebuke demons and instantly heal, as seen in Matthew 17:18.
barnesMatthew 17:18: "And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour."
And Jesus rebuked the devil - The word "rebuke" has the combined force of reproving and commanding. He reproved him for having afflicted the child, and he commanded him to come out of him. Mark Mar 9:25 has recorded the words which he used words implying reproof and command: "Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee come out of him, and enter no more into him." And the spirit c…
clarkeMatthew 17:18: "And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour."
Jesus rebuked the devil - Deprived him of all power to torment the child; and obliged him to abandon his present usurped habitation. There are some souls whose cure God reserves to himself alone, and to whom all the applications of his ministers appear to be utterly ineffectual. He sometimes does all without them, that they may know they can never do any good without him. Quesn…
The core of this healing isn't just Jesus' command to the demon, but His rebuke as an enemy. This wasn't just removing an ailment; it was a decisive confrontation where Jesus, wielding divine authority, disarmed the spiritual force tormenting the boy, instantly restoring him.
This verse occurs immediately after Jesus had rebuked his disciples for their lack of faith in failing to cast out a demon earlier. It’s part of a larger narrative where a desperate father brought his severely afflicted son to Jesus' disciples, who were unable to heal him, highlighting a moment of both demonic power and human weakness. Jesus’ powerful command and the immediate healing demonstrate his authority over the spiritual realm, restoring what the disciples' faith could not.
This verse occurs immediately after Jesus had rebuked his disciples for their lack of faith in failing to cast out a demon earlier. It’s part of a larger narrative where a desperate father brought his severely afflicted son to Jesus' disciples, who were unable to heal him, highlighting a moment of both demonic power and human weakness. Jesus’ powerful command and the immediate healing demonstrate his authority over the spiritual realm, restoring what the disciples' faith could not.
"And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly." — The core of this healing isn't just Jesus' command to the demon, but His rebuke as an enemy. This wasn't just removing an ailment; it was a decisive confrontation where Jesus, wielding divine autho…
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Last reviewed October 2026