Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 17:23
And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.
Verse 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 affection for him caused them to feel exquisite distress.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And they shall kill him,…. Put him to death, with the death of the cross; for the angels in rehearsing these words, affirm, that Christ told his disciples at this time, and in this place, whilst they were in Galilee, that he should be crucified,
Lu 24:7.
And the third day he shall be raised again: this he said for their comfort; and it is observable, that when Christ speaks of his rising again, he makes mention of the exact time, the third day, on which he should rise, according to the types and prophecies of the Old Testament:
and they were exceeding sorry: that he should be betrayed into the hands of the Gentiles, fearing that another nation would come, and take away, and possess the worldly kingdom and grandeur they were dreaming of; and that he should die at all; and much more that he should die such a cruel and ignominious death, as that of the cross. They seem to have overlooked, and to have taken no notice of his rising again from the dead; which might have administered comfort to them, and have relieved them under their melancholy apprehensions of things; but this they understood not, nor indeed truly any part of what he had said; so Mark and Luke intimate: but then it may be said, how came they to be so very sorrowful, if they did not know what was said? To which may be replied, that this might be the reason of their sorrow, because they did not understand what he said, and they were afraid to ask; they could not tell how to reconcile the betraying of him into the hands of men, and his sufferings and death, with their notions, that the Messiah should abide for ever, and should set up a temporal kingdom, in great splendour and magnificence; and what he meant by rising again from the dead, they could not devise; they could not tell whether all this was to be understood in a literal, or mystical sense.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
And they were exceeding sorry ( ). So they at last understood that he was talking about his death and resurrection.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
(23) They were exceeding sorry.St. Mark (Mar. 9:32) and St. Luke (Luk. 9:45) add that they understood not the saying; it was hid from them, that they should not perceive it; and that they were afraid to ask Him. Their sorrow was vague and dim, and they shrank from that which might make it more definite.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
“And they will kill him, and the third day he will be raised up.” And they were very upset.’
And He then makes clear what will follow. ‘They will kill Him.’ He is in no doubt about what His fate will be. Man is to be allowed to do His worst. But the last word will be with His Father. On the third day He will be raised up. Jesus has total faith in His Father. For the rising up on the third day see on Mat 16:21. ‘The third day’ might simply signify ‘within a short time of less than a week’, being in contrast with ‘seven days’ (compare the use of ‘three days’ and ‘seven days’ in Genesis).
The concentration of the disciples, in so far as they understand it at all, is on His words about death, and they are therefore very upset at this talk of death. They still cannot really bring themselves to believe it.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
23 And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.
Ver. 23. And they were exceeding sorry ] Out of love to their Lord, saith Jerome; out of ignorance and stupidity, saith St Mark Mar 9:32 and St Luke: Luk 9:45 so they grieve where no cause was, as we do often upon like grounds and causes. How well might our Saviour have said to them, as afterwards he did to the women, “Grieve not for me, but grieve for yourselves.” They knew well that if Christ suffered, they should not escape scot free, Hinc illae laehrymae. We shrink in the shoulder when called to carry the cross, and pretend this and that for excuse, as Moses did the conscience of his own insufficiency, Exo 4:10 , when the very truth was, he feared Pharaoh, lest he would have revenged the Egyptian’s quarrel against him, whom he had slain, and hid in the sand: and as Peter pretended his dear love to his Master, Mat 16:22 , when it appears, Mat 17:26 , he aimed indeed at the safeguard of his own life more than his Master’s safety. Let care be taken that (whatever we make believe) we be not self-lovers (which begins that black bead-roll, (list D) 2Ti 3:2 ), and “lovers of pleasures,” profits, preferments, “more than lovers of God” (which ends it).
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Mat 17:23 . , they were all greatly distressed; but no one this time ventured to remonstrate or even to ask a question (Mar 9:32 ). The prediction of resurrection seems to have counted for nothing.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
shall = will.
the third day. See note on Mat 16:21; and App-148.
be raised again = be raised up. Not the same word as in Mat 17:9, but the same as in Mat 16:21.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
they shall: Psa 22:15, Psa 22:22-31, Isa 53:7, Isa 53:10-12, Dan 9:26, Zec 13:7
the third: Psa 16:10, Joh 2:19, Act 2:23-31, 1Co 15:3, 1Co 15:4
And they were: Joh 16:6, Joh 16:20-22
Reciprocal: Gen 22:4 – third Mat 12:40 – so Mat 16:21 – began Mat 17:9 – until Mat 20:18 – and the Mat 27:63 – After Mat 28:6 – as Mar 10:33 – and the Son Luk 9:44 – for Luk 17:25 – must Luk 18:31 – Behold Luk 24:6 – remember Luk 24:44 – These Joh 18:4 – knowing
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
7:23
Not only was Jesus to be turned over to wicked men of the world, but he was to be killed and raised the third day. The apostles were exceeding sorry because of the prediction of his death, and that sorrow seemed to blind their minds to the other prediction of his resurrection. When the sad affair had taken place the disciples showed such forgetfulness as we may learn in Luk 24:13-27.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 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. Mat 18:1), shows that their views were still incorrect; Mark and Luke speak of their failure to understand. Men are still slow to learn the meaning of the death and resurrection of our Lord.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
The disciples’ response shows that they understood and did not like to hear what lay ahead. They grasped Jesus’ death but did not yet understand His resurrection. It was not until after Jesus arose from the dead that they understood the Resurrection. Had they understood His resurrection now they would not have been sorrowful.