John Gill Commentary Luke 9:39

"and behold, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth, and it hardly departeth from him, bruising him sorely." — Luke 9:39 (ASV)

And, lo, a spirit taketh him
An evil spirit, the devil, as in (Luke 9:42) seizes and possesses him at once,

and he suddenly crieth out ;
in a most terrible manner, giving dreadful shrieks, as soon as he perceives that he is seized by the demon:

and it teareth him, that he foameth again ;
throws him into convulsions, so that he foams at the mouth: and so we read ^F20 of a son of a certain Jew, that

``a certain spirit passed before him and hurt him, convulsed his mouth, and his eyes, and his hands were convulsed, and he could not speak.''

And bruising him ;
by dashing him against the wall, or throwing him to the ground:

hardly departeth from him ;
is very loath to leave him, even after he has distressed, convulsed, and bruised him in this dreadful manner, such was his cruelty and malice; (See Gill on Matthew 17:15) (See Gill on Mark 9:18)

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FOOTNOTES:

• F20: Zohar in Lev. fol. 21. 4.