CHAPTER XVII. _The transfiguration of Christ_, 1-8. _Christ's discourse with his disciples on the subject_, 9-13. _He heals a lunatic_, 14-18. _His discourse with his disciples on this subject also_, 19-21. _He foretells his own sufferings and death_, 22, 23. _He is required to pay tribute at... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:2. _WAS TRANSFIGURED_] That fulness of the Godhead, which dwelt bodily in Christ, now shone forth through the human nature, and manifested to his disciples not only that _Divinity_ which Peter had before confessed, Matthew 16:16, but also the glorious resurrection body, in which the... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:3. _MOSES AND ELIAS_] Elijah came from heaven in the same body which he had upon earth, for he was _translated_, and did not see death, 2 Kings 2:11. And the body of Moses was probably raised again, as a pledge of the _resurrection_; and as Christ is to come to judge the _quick_ an... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:4. _PETER SAID - LET US MAKE_, c.] That is, when he saw Moses and Elijah ready to depart from the mount, Luke 9:33, he wished to detain them, that he might always enjoy their company with that of his Lord and Master, still supposing that Christ would set up a temporal kingdom upon e... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:5. _A BRIGHT CLOUD OVERSHADOWED THEM_] Or as six MSS. and _Ephraim_ read it, _a cloud of light_, νεφεληφωτος; which reading GRIESBACH has admitted into the text. As a _bright_ cloud, or a cloud of _light_ could not _overshadow_, or cast any kind of _shade_, the word επεσκιασεν shou... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:6. _FELL ON THEIR FACE_] Dismayed by the _voice_, and dazzled by the glory of the _cloud_. So _Daniel_, Daniel 8:17, and _Saul of Tarsus_, Acts 9:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:7. _JESUS CAME AND TOUCHED THEM_] Exactly parallel to this account is Daniel 8:18, _I was in a deep sleep_, i, e. (a trance) _on my face towards the_ _ground; but he_ TOUCHED _me, and set me upright_. From Jesus alone are we to expect Divine communications, and by his _power_ only... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:9. _TELL THE VISION TO NO MAN_] See the note on Matthew 16:20; and farther observe, that as this transfiguration was intended to show forth the final abolition of the whole ceremonial law, it was necessary that a matter which could not fail to irritate the Jewish rulers and people s... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:10. _HIS DISCIPLES_] instead of HIS disciples, some MSS., with the _Coptic, Armenian, Vulgate_, all the _Itala_ except two, and _Origen_, read simply, οι μαθηται, THE _disciples_, i.e. those only who had been with him on the mount, _Peter, James_, and _John_. _WHY THEN SAY THE SCR... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:11. _ELIAS - SHALL FIRST COME, AND RESTORE ALL THINGS._] Or _will reform_, αποκαταστησει; this word our Lord quotes from the Septuagint; who render the Hebrew והשוב לב אבות על בנים _vehesheb_ _leb aboth al banim, he will cause the heart of the fathers to turn_ _to the children_, by... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:12. _KNEW HIM NOT_] Or, ουκ επιγνωσαν αυτον, _They have not_ _acknowledged him_. That is, the _Jewish rulers_ have not acknowledged him, did not receive him as the forerunner of the Messiah. But it appears that all the rest acknowledged him as _such_; and some, from the power and de... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:13. _THEN THE DISCIPLES UNDERSTOOD_] When he spoke of the sufferings of this prophetic Elijah, and also of his _own_, which had been the subject of the conversation on the mount, during the transfiguration, they clearly apprehended that he spoke of John the Baptist.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:14. _WHEN THEY WERE COME TO THE MULTITUDE_] It appears that a congregation had been collected during our Lord's stay on the mount: how great must have been the desire of these people to hear the words of Christ! The assembly is _self-collected_, and no delay on the preacher's side d... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:15. _MY SON - IS LUNATIC_] σεληνιαζεται. One who was most affected with this disorder at the _change_ and _full_ of the moon. Matthew 4:24. But this lunacy was occasioned by a demon, see Matthew 17:18, and Mark 9:17; Luke 9:38. In this case, the devil intended to _hide_ himself unde... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:16. _THY DISCIPLES COULD NOT CURE HIM._] No wonder, when the cure must be effected by supernatural agency, and they had not faith enough to interest the power of God in their behalf, Matthew 17:20. A spiritual disorder must have a spiritual remedy: natural means, in such cases, sign... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:17. _O FAITHLESS AND PERVERSE GENERATION!_] These and the following words may be considered as spoken: 1. To the disciples, because of their unbelief, Matthew 17:20. 2. To the father of the possessed, who should have brought his son to Christ. 3. To the whole multitude, who were... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:18. _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 ineffectua... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:19. _WHY COULD NOT WE CAST HIM OUT?_] They were confounded at their want of success-but not at their want of faith, which was the cause of their miscarriage! When the ministers of the Gospel find their endeavours, with respect to some places or persons, ineffectual, they should come... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:20. _BECAUSE OF YOUR UNBELIEF_] Are we preachers of the Gospel? Do the things of God rest upon our minds with a deep and steady conviction? Can we expect that a doctrine which we do not, from conviction, credit ourselves, can be instrumental in our hands of begetting faith in others... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:21. _THIS KIND GOETH NOT OUT BUT BY PRAYER_, c.] τουτο το γενος, _this kind_, some apply to the _faith_ which should be exercised on the occasion, which goeth not out, _doth not exert_ _itself_, but by prayer and fasting but this interpretation is, in my opinion, far from _solid_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:22. _THEY ABODE IN GALILEE_] Lower _Galilee_, where the city of _Capernaum_ was. _THE SON OF MAN SHALL BE BETRAYED INTO THE HANDS OF MEN_] Μελλει - παραδιδοσθαι εις χειρας - _The Son of man is about to be_ _delivered into the hands_, c. I am fully of the mind of two eminent critic... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:23. _THEY WERE EXCEEDING SORRY_] Since the conversation on the mount, with Moses and Elijah; Peter, James, and John could have no doubt that their Lord and Master must suffer, and that it was for this end he came into the world; but, while they submitted to the counsel of God, their... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:24. _THEY THAT RECEIVED TRIBUTE_] This was not a tax to be paid to the _Roman government_; but a tax for the support of the _temple_. The law, Exodus 30:13, obliged every male among the Jews to pay half a shekel yearly; for the support of the temple; and this was continued by them... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:25. _HE SAITH, YES._] From this reply of Peter, it is evident that our Lord customarily paid all taxes, tributes, c., which were common among the people wherever he came. The children of God are subject to all civil laws in the places where they live - and should pay the taxes levie... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:26. _THEN ARE THE CHILDREN FREE_] As this money is levied for the support of that temple of which I am the Lord, then I am not obliged to pay the tax; and my disciples, like the priests that minister, should be exempted from the necessity of paying.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Matthew 17:27. _LEST WE - OFFEND THEM_] Be a stumbling-block to the priests, or rulers of the Jews, I will pay the tribute - _go thou to_ _the sea - cast a hook, and take the first fish - thou shalt find a_ _piece of money_, στατηρα, _a stater_. This piece of money was equal in value to four... [ Continue Reading ]