After our Lord's prediction of His sufferings and hint of His glory (chap. Matthew 16:21-28), three chosen disciples receive a supernatural testimony and pledge of that glory. But the primary purpose probably was to give to our Lord, at this crisis, consolation from His Father, who by an attesting v... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:1. AFTER SIX DAYS, Luke: ‘about an eight days,' _i.e.,_ ‘about a week.' PETER AND JAMES AND JOHN HIS BROTHER. His companions in Gethsemane (chap. Matthew 26:35; Mark 14:37), Peter the leader, James the first to suffer martyrdom, and John the beloved disciple who lingered longest on eart... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:2. AND HE WAS TRANSFIGURED BEFORE THEM, as witnesses. Peter afterwards mentions it (1 Peter 1:16-18) and John alludes to it (John 1:14). The change in His appearance took place while He was praying (Luke 9:29). HIS FACE DID SHINE AS THE SNOW, AND HIS GARMENTS BECAME WHITE AS THE LIGHT. M... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:3. AND BEHOLD. The second stage of the miraculous occurrence. THERE APPEARED UNTO THEM. These persons were really present. It was not a vision, as is plain from the account of Luke. MOSES AND ELIJAH. The two chief representatives of the Old Testament (the law and the prophets). Both w... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:4. LORD, IT IS GOOD FOR US TO BE HERE, etc. Luke, ‘not knowing what he saith,' to which Mark adds: ‘for they became sore afraid' He wished to remain there, and perhaps to detain Moses and Elijah, since they were about to depart (Luke 9:33). The glory was so dazzling, the privilege seemed... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:5. BEHOLD, A BRIGHT CLOUD. ‘A sign from heaven ‘granted to the Apostles, though refused to the Jewish leaders. A luminous cloud, not dark like that on Sinai. It was analogous to the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night in the wilderness and to the Shekinah of the Old Testament; a _sym... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:6. AND WHEN THE DISCIPLES HEARD IT, etc. Matthew 17:6-7, peculiar to Matthew. The fear began when the cloud overshadowed the Lord and the two Old Testament saints (comp. Luke 9:34), but culminated at this visible and audible manifestation of the Father's presence.... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:7. CAME AND TOUCHED THEM. Comp, similar occurrences, Isaiah 6:5-7; Daniel 10:9-10; Revelation 1:17.... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:8. SAVE JESUS ONLY. Without Moses and Elijah. The hour of glory was over, and the Lord now in His usual lowliness, resumed His intercourse with them, and returned to the labors of His ministry, which were awaiting Him at the foot of the mount. The sufficiency of His authority is implied,... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:9. AS THEY WERE COMING DOWN. This would require some time. COMMANDED THEM. A special prohibition. TELL THE VISION TO NO ONE. ‘Vision ‘does not imply that the occurrence was a kind of dream, or like the visions seen by the prophets. The narrative itself forbids this; the other accounts... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:10. WHY THEN? The connection with what precedes is, according to Alford: ‘If this was not the coming of Elijah, _was he yet to come?_ If it was, how was it so _secret_ and so _short?_ '... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:11. ELIJAH INDEED COMETH. Our Lord confirms the view, that Elijah should come (Malachi 4:5). SHALL RESTORE or ‘establish anew,' ALL THINGS. Comp. Malachi 4:6. The actual work of restoration was however the work of the Messiah, for which Elijah should prepare the way (comp. Luke 3:4; Act... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:12. ELIJAH IS COME ALREADY. Comp, chap Matthew 11:14. The prophecy of Malachi had been fulfilled in John the Baptist, so far as the first coming of the Messiah was concerned. THEY KNEW HIM NOT. They recognized, neither John the forerunner of the Messiah, nor the Messiah himself. Like pe... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:13. HE SPAKE UNTO THEM OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. Our Lord referred to John, but this does not exhaust the meaning of the prophecy in Malachi. The passages bearing on the subject indicate strongly another appearance of Elijah (whether the same person or not is of course unknown to us) before th... [ Continue Reading ]
All three Evangelists place this miracle immediately after the transfiguration (Luke: ‘the next day'). This ‘may be regarded as one of the evidences of the genuineness and authenticity of the narrative, and against the mythical hypothesis.' Meyer. Lesson: On earth we may not rest on the mount of spi... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:14. KNEELING TO HIM. An act of homage, not necessarily of worship. The scribes were questioning with the disciples; the multitude were amazed and ran to Him (Mark 9:14-17). The failure of the disciples (Matthew 17:16) had probably occasioned a denial of Christ's authority on the part of t... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:15. FOR HE IS LUNATIC, or ‘epileptic.' The former phrase is more correct etymologically, the latter best defines the disease in this case, since all the symptoms are those of epilepsy. In chap. Matthew 4:24, ‘lunatics' are distinguished from those ‘possessed.' Many of those possessed had... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:16. THY DISCIPLES. Including the nine Apostles.... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:17. UNBELIEVING AND PERVERSE GENERATION. The failure to cure, the catechizing of the scribes, and the effect produced on the people, proved that all present were unbelieving and liable to be led astray. But the term ‘generation' requires a still wider reference to the race and generation,... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:18. AND THE DEMON WENT OUT FROM HIM. Mark describes the process. The lad lay as is usual after a very severe epileptic fit. But an entire cure followed. The multitude marvelled (Luke 9:43), but probably did not believe.... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:19. TO JESUS APART. In a ‘house' (Mark 9:28).... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:20. BECAUSE OF YOUR LITTLE FAITH. A general answer, the specific one is recorded by Mark (and in Matthew 17:21, which is to be omitted). The attempt showed some faith, the failure ‘little faith.' The revelation of our Lord's death may have caused despondency and doubt. AS A GRAIN OF MUS... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:21. The two oldest manuscripts, the best of the later ones (cursives), some very ancient versions, omit this verse, and there are other reasons for doubting its genuineness. If retained: ‘Howbeit' should be changed to ‘but _.'_ See notes on Mark 9:29, where the passage is to be retained.... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:22. THEY WERE ABIDING IN GALILEE. The first prophecy did not take place in Galilee (chap. Matthew 16:13; Matthew 16:21). DELIVERED UP, etc. The Son of God would be left to the power of men; a new feature in the prediction.... [ Continue Reading ]
The definite details as to time and place show that our Lord repeated His prediction of His sufferings (chap. Matthew 16:21-23). Our Lord now left the foot of the mount and passed through Galilee (Mark 9:30); the prediction was made while the people were still wondering (Luke 9:43). We infer that th... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:23. THEY WERE EXCEEDING SORRY. No remonstrance now, but sorrow, partly from natural affection, partly from the dashing of their false hopes. The strife as to who should be greatest, which followed (chap. Matthew 18:1), shows that their views were still incorrect; Mark and Luke speak of th... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:24. CAPERNAUM. His usual residence, hence the place where the temple tax would be collected from Him. THEY THAT RECEIVED THE HALF-SHEKEL, which every male Jew above twenty of age paid (in addition to the tithes) for the support of the temple. Not a Roman tax, although changed into this... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:25. JESUS SPAKE FIRST TO HIM, anticipated his statement by superhuman knowledge of what had occurred. TOLL OR TRIBUTE. Duties or taxes. From their sons, or from strangers, _i.e.,_ those not of their household.... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:26. SURELY THEN THE SONS ARE FREE. Peter had lately confessed that Jesus was ‘the Son of the living God;' and yet now so readily admits the obligation to pay the temple-tax. The real Temple need not pay tribute to that which foreshadowed it. The saying does not refer to taxes to the State... [ Continue Reading ]
Matthew 17:27. BUT LEST WE SHOULD CAUSE THEM to stumble. Some ‘little ones' might thus be made to stumble (see chap. Matthew 18:6 ff.); the time was not ripe for asserting this freedom; our Lord was still ‘under the law' for us. THOU SHALT FIND A SHEKEL (a ‘stater' = to four drachmas, the exact amo... [ Continue Reading ]