Matthew 17

Translator Notes

1. The 'six days' may echo Exodus 24:16, where the cloud covered Mount Sinai for six days before God spoke to Moses on the seventh. Peter, James, and John form an inner circle who witness events hidden from the other disciples (cf. the raising of Jairus's daughter, Mark 5:37, and the agony in Gethsemane, 26:37). The phrase kat' idian ('by themselves, privately') emphasizes the exclusive, revelatory nature of the experience.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Exodus 24:16. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The verb metemorphothe ('was transfigured, was transformed') describes a change of form (morphe), not merely appearance. The passive voice implies divine agency — God transforms Jesus. The shining face echoes Moses descending from Sinai with radiant skin (Exodus 34:29-35), but here the glory is Jesus's own, not reflected. The similes — face like the sun, clothes like light — push human language to its limits describing divine splendor.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Exodus 34:29-35. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.

Translator Notes

1. Moses represents the Torah (the Law) and Elijah represents the Prophets — together they embody the entirety of Old Testament revelation. Both experienced theophanies on mountains (Sinai/Horeb). Both had unusual departures from earthly life (Moses's hidden burial, Deuteronomy 34:5-6; Elijah's ascent in a chariot of fire, 2 Kings 2:11). The verb syllalountes ('conversing with') indicates an active exchange, not mere presence. Luke 9:31 specifies they discussed Jesus's 'departure' (exodus) in Jerusalem.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Deuteronomy 34:5-6 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] References 2 Kings 2:11 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.

Translator Notes

1. The word skenas ('tents, shelters, tabernacles') evokes the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), when Israel dwelt in temporary shelters commemorating the wilderness wandering and God's presence among them. Peter's instinct to build three shelters may reflect a desire to prolong the moment of divine encounter, or an attempt to honor all three figures equally — a misunderstanding the divine voice will correct. Matthew's 'if you wish' (ei theleis) is more deferential than Mark's account, which notes Peter did not know what to say (Mark 9:6).

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The bright cloud (nephele photeina) is the shekinah — the visible manifestation of God's presence that led Israel through the wilderness (Exodus 13:21-22) and filled the tabernacle and temple (Exodus 40:34-35, 1 Kings 8:10-11). The verb epeskiasen ('overshadowed') is the same word used of the Spirit overshadowing Mary in Luke 1:35. The divine voice repeats the baptismal declaration (3:17) with the crucial addition akouete autou ('listen to him'), echoing Deuteronomy 18:15 — the promise that God would raise up a prophet like Moses whom the people must heed. This command elevates Jesus above Moses and Elijah.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Exodus 13:21-22 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Exodus 40:34-35 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.
4. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes 1 Kings 8:10-11 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.
5. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Deuteronomy 18:15 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.

Translator Notes

1. Falling facedown (epesan epi prosopon auton) is the standard Old Testament response to a theophany — encountering the unmediated presence of God (cf. Genesis 17:3, Ezekiel 1:28, Daniel 8:17). The adverb sphodra ('extremely, greatly') intensifies their fear. This is not reverent awe but overwhelming terror in the presence of the divine.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Genesis 17:3. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Ezekiel 1:28. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.
4. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Daniel 8:17. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.

Translator Notes

1. The physical touch (hapsamenos auton) bridges the gap between divine encounter and human comfort. The command 'do not be afraid' (me phobeisthe) echoes the angelic reassurance given throughout Scripture when humans encounter the divine (Genesis 15:1, Daniel 10:12, Luke 1:30). Jesus mediates between the overwhelming divine presence and his terrified friends.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Genesis 15:1. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Daniel 10:12. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase 'Jesus himself, alone' (auton Iesoun monon) is theologically precise — Moses and Elijah have departed, and only Jesus remains. The Law and the Prophets have borne their witness and yielded the stage to the one they pointed toward. The disciples' gaze is redirected to Jesus alone, fulfilling the command 'Listen to him.'

Translator Notes

1. The word horama ('vision') is Matthew's term for what they witnessed — it classifies the Transfiguration as a revelatory experience. The command to silence is tied to the resurrection: only after the cross and empty tomb will the Transfiguration be properly understood. Before the resurrection, glory without suffering would feed exactly the wrong kind of messianic expectation.

Translator Notes

1. The disciples' question arises naturally from what they have just seen: if Elijah has appeared on the mountain, what about the scribal teaching (based on Malachi 4:5) that Elijah must return before the messianic age? The word proton ('first') reflects the expectation that Elijah's return would precede and prepare for the Messiah's arrival.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Malachi 4:5 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus affirms the scribal expectation: Elijah will come and 'restore all things' (apokatastisei panta). The verb apokathistemi ('to restore, to reestablish') implies returning something to its original state. In the Malachi context, Elijah's mission is to turn the hearts of fathers to children and children to fathers before the great day of the LORD.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus identifies John the Baptist as the Elijah who was to come — a typological, not literal, fulfillment. The phrase 'they did not recognize him' (ouk epegnosan auton) parallels Israel's historic failure to recognize its prophets. The ominous parallel 'in the same way the Son of Man is also going to suffer' links John's fate (beheading by Herod, 14:1-12) to Jesus's approaching passion. The pattern is clear: Israel rejects its prophets, and it will reject its Messiah.

Translator Notes

1. Matthew, characteristically, resolves the disciples' confusion (cf. 16:12). The verb synekan ('they understood') indicates genuine comprehension. The identification of John with Elijah is not reincarnation but prophetic typology — John came 'in the spirit and power of Elijah' (Luke 1:17).

Translator Notes

1. The descent from the mountain to the crowd creates a sharp narrative contrast — from divine glory to human suffering. The participle gonypeton ('kneeling') indicates a posture of urgent supplication. The scene parallels the descent of Moses from Sinai to find Israel's failure below (Exodus 32).
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Exodus 32. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Translator Notes

1. The verb seleniazetai (literally 'is moon-struck') was associated with epileptic-like seizures, believed in the ancient world to be influenced by the moon. We render it 'has seizures' since modern English 'lunatic' carries different connotations. Matthew retains both the medical description (seizures) and the spiritual diagnosis (demon-possession, v. 18), without reducing one to the other. The dangerous symptoms — falling into fire and water — indicate the severity and life-threatening nature of the condition.

Translator Notes

1. The disciples' failure is significant because Jesus had explicitly given them authority over unclean spirits (10:1). The verb edyneethesan ('they were able') with the negation ouk indicates inability, not unwillingness. The father's turning from the disciples to Jesus underscores the gap between delegated authority and its source.

Translator Notes

1. The exclamation echoes Moses's frustration with Israel in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 32:5, 20). The adjective diestrammene ('twisted, perverted, distorted') describes a generation that has bent away from its proper orientation toward God. The double 'how long' (heos pote) expresses both exhaustion and anticipation of departure. The rebuke is directed broadly — at the disciples, the crowd, the entire generation — not just the father.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Deuteronomy 32:5. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.

Translator Notes

1. The verb epetimesen ('rebuked') is a word of authoritative command, the same term used for rebuking the wind and sea (8:26). The healing is instantaneous — 'from that very hour' (apo tes horas ekeines) — and requires no ritual, no incantation, only Jesus's word of command. The contrast with the disciples' failure is total.

Translator Notes

1. The private setting (kat' idian) suggests the disciples are embarrassed by their public failure. Their question is honest: they had been given authority (10:1) and had exercised it successfully (cf. Luke 10:17), so what went wrong? The answer in the next verse will locate the problem in their faith, not their authority.

Translator Notes

1. The word oligopistian ('littleness of faith') is the noun form of the adjective oligopistos used throughout Matthew. The mustard seed was proverbially the smallest seed in Palestinian agriculture. The paradox is deliberate: their faith does not need to be large — even the smallest genuine faith can accomplish the impossible. 'This mountain' (to orei touto) may gesture toward the mountain they have just descended, or may simply be a proverbial expression for any insurmountable obstacle.

Translator Notes

1. Verse 21 is absent from the earliest and most reliable Greek manuscripts, including Sinaiticus and Vaticanus, and is not included in the SBLGNT critical text. It appears to have been added from Mark 9:29 in later manuscripts. The KJV includes it because it follows the Textus Receptus tradition. We omit it following the SBLGNT.

Translator Notes

1. The verb systrefomenon ('gathering, assembling') suggests the disciples came together, possibly after dispersal. The verb paradidosthai ('to be delivered, to be handed over, to be betrayed') is a key passion term — the same word used for Judas's betrayal (26:15-16) and for God 'handing over' Jesus (Romans 8:32). The wordplay between 'Son of Man' (huios tou anthropou) and 'hands of people' (cheiras anthropon) creates a bitter irony: the quintessential human will be killed by humans.

Translator Notes

1. This second passion prediction (cf. 16:21) is briefer and more blunt than the first — no specification of who will kill him, just the stark 'they will kill him.' The passive 'will be raised' (egertheesetai) again implies God as agent. The disciples' response — deep grief (elypeethesan sphodra) rather than Peter's rebuke of 16:22 — suggests they are beginning to accept what Jesus is saying, even if they do not fully understand it.

Translator Notes

1. The didrachma was a two-drachma coin equivalent to the half-shekel temple tax required annually of every Jewish male aged twenty and above (Exodus 30:11-16). The tax supported the daily operations of the Jerusalem temple. The collectors' question implies uncertainty about whether Jesus would comply — his stance toward the temple was already controversial.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Exodus 30:11-16. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Translator Notes

1. Peter answers affirmatively without consulting Jesus. The verb proephthasen ('anticipated, spoke first') indicates Jesus raised the topic before Peter could report the conversation, displaying supernatural awareness. The analogy is straightforward: kings tax their subjects, not their own family. The implication — that Jesus as God's Son is exempt from a tax paid to God's temple — is a subtle Christological claim.

Translator Notes

1. The conclusion is logical: if kings tax outsiders, not their children, then the Son of God is exempt from the tax levied for God's house. The adjective eleutheroi ('free, exempt') carries both legal (exempt from tax) and theological (free as sons) force. This is one of the subtlest Christological declarations in Matthew — Jesus claims the status of God's Son through an analogy rather than a direct statement.

Translator Notes

1. Despite being exempt, Jesus pays the tax 'so that we do not cause them to stumble' (hina me skandalisomen autous) — the same concern for others' conscience that Paul will later develop (Romans 14, 1 Corinthians 8). The stater (stateera) was a four-drachma coin — exactly enough for two persons' temple tax. The miraculous provision of the coin in the fish's mouth is unique to Matthew and has no parallel elsewhere in the Gospels. Notably, Matthew does not narrate the execution of the miracle — only the instruction. Peter's inclusion ('for me and for you') underscores his special role as Jesus's representative.