A Dumb Spirit
Can you tell me what a dumb spirit is?
Thank you for your question. Using the Bible’s own built in dictionary is the best method for defining its own terminology. First off, the word dumb in the Scriptures does not mean lacking intelligence but rather the inability to speak. Luke 1:20And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
See All... – “And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed.” Ezekiel 24:27In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb: and thou shalt be a sign unto them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
See All...- “In that day shall thy mouth be opened to him which is escaped, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb.”
Next, if we look at the parallel passages in regard to this event (Matthew 17:14-21 [14] And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
[15] Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
[16] And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
[17] 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.
[18] And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
[19] Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
[20] And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
[21] Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
See All..., Mark 9:17-29 [17] And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;
[18] And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.
[19] He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.
[20] And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.
[21] And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.
[22] And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
[23] Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
[24] And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
[25] When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
[26] And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.
[27] But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.
[28] And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
[29] And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
See All...) we can see that this dumb spirit is also referred to as a deaf spirit, a foul spirit, an unclean spirit and a devil. We know from the Scriptures that there are three basic classes of spiritual beings in direct opposition to God: the devil, fallen angels and devils. Out of these three, only the devils are never described as having a bodily form of their own. Also, it is these disembodied spirits that are the only ones that ever show a desire to inhabit a body. If you would like to learn more about their origin then see the question and answer entitled "Fallen Angels" on our site.
Comparing Scripture to Scripture we can deduce the following traits that marked these devil possessions:
- These unclean spirits have the ability to afflict their host with a vast array of physical abnormalities such as dumbness (Matthew 9:32-33 [32] As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.
[33] And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel.
See All...), blindness (Matthew 12:22Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
See All...), personal injuries (Mark 9:18And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.
See All...), physical defects, deformities (Luke 8:29(For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)
See All...) and impart super human strength (Mark 5:5And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
See All..., Acts 19:16And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
See All...). - The psychological side effects of these possessions ranged from insanity (Luke 8:26-35 [26] And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.
[27] And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.
[28] When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.
[29] (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)
[30] And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.
[31] And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.
[32] And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.
[33] Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.
[34] When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country.
[35] Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
See All...), suicidal mania (Mark 9:22And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
See All...), self-mutilation, nakedness (Mark 5:5And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
See All...) and excessive crying (Luke 8:27And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.
See All...,28, Mark 5:5And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.
See All...). - They have an affinity for warm, wet places (Mark 5:13And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.
See All..., Matthew 17:15Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
See All...). - These devils have knowledge of their future condemnation and judgment (Mark 5:7And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
See All..., Matthew 8:29And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
See All...). - They acknowledge the deity and the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 1:24Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
See All..., James 3:19
See All..., Mark 5:6-7 [6] But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, [7] And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.
See All...). - Once control is obtained over a human body they can come and go at will (Luke 11:24-26 [24] When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.
[25] And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.
[26] Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
See All..., Mark 9:25When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
See All... - Note the Lord’s command here in Mark for the unclean spirit not only to come out but also not to re-enter). - It also is apparent that one or many devils could inhabit a body simultaneously Mark 5:9-13 [9] And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.
[10] And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
[11] Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.
[12] And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
[13] And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.
See All..., Luke 11:24-26 [24] When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. [25] And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. [26] Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
See All... (A Roman legion typically consisted of several thousand soldiers). - They preferred human bodies to inhabit but were also willing to dwell in unclean animals (Mark 5:12And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
See All...).
In closing we have learned this boy was possessed by a devil that caused him to be both deaf and unable to speak (dumb), vexing him with fits of lunacy and self-mutilation. And that none could heal him but “he that hath healing in his wings” and none could deliver him but “he that has all power and authority.” I hope this study will be both a blessing and help in your Christian growth and service.