Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 17:9
And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
9. the vision ] = “what things they had seen” (Mark); “those things which they had seen” (Luke).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Tell the vision to no man – This vision was designed particularly to confirm them in the truth that he was the Messiah. While he was with them it was unnecessary that they should relate what they had seen. When he was crucified they would need this evidence that he was the Christ. Then they were to use it. There were three witnesses of it as many as the law required Deu 17:6; Heb 10:28, and the proof that he was the Messiah was clear. Besides, if they had told it then, it would have provoked the Jews and endangered his life. His time was not yet come.
Vision – Sight; appearance. What they had seen on the mount.
Charged them – Gave them a commandment.
The sole design of this transfiguration was to convince them that he was the Christ; that he was greater than the greatest of the prophets; that he was the Son of God.
Mark adds Mar 9:10, they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean. The Pharisees believed that the dead would rise, and there is no doubt that the disciples believed it; but their views were not clear, and, in particular, they did not understand what he meant by his rising from the dead. They do not appear to have understood, though he had told them Mar 12:40 that he would rise after three days.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 9. Tell the vision to no man] See the note on Mt 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 should be kept secret, till Jesus had accomplished vision and prophecy by his death and resurrection.
The whole of this emblematic transaction appears to me to be intended to prove,
1st. The reality of the world of spirits, and the immortality of the soul.
2dly. The resurrection of the body, and the doctrine of future rewards and punishments, see Mt 16:27.
3dly. The abolition of the Mosaic institutions, and, the fulfilment of the predictions of the prophets relative to the person, nature, sufferings, death, and resurrection of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
4thly. The establishment of the mild, light-bringing, and life-giving Gospel of the Son of God. And
5thly. That as the old Jewish covenant and Mediatorship had ended, Jesus was now to be considered as the sole Teacher, the only availing offering for sin, and the grand Mediator between God and man.
There are many very useful remarks on this transaction, by the late venerable Bp. Porteus.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Mark saith the same, Mar 9:9. Luke saith, Luk 9:36, They kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen. The other two evangelists record the precept; Luke and Mark, their obedience to it. The most probable reason of this charge given by interpreters is, lest his after sufferings should have shaken again their faith, as to the Divine nature of Christ, before he was by his resurrection from the dead declared to be the Son of God with power, as the apostle speaks, Rom 1:4.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And as they came down from the mountain,…. Where all these things had been transacted,
Jesus charged them, saying, tell the vision to no man: by the “vision” is meant, as it is explained in Mark, “what things they had seen”; as Moses and Elias, and the bright cloud that overshadowed them, and Christ transfigured before them, in a surprising, glorious manner. These Christ strictly ordered Peter, James, and John, to speak of to no man whatever; no, not their fellow disciples; who either would be apt to disbelieve them, on account of the greatness of them, as Thomas did the resurrection of Christ afterwards; or lest they should be troubled and displeased, that they were not admitted to the same sight; and especially not to the multitude, or to any other person,
until the son of man be risen again from the dead; meaning himself and his resurrection, when such proof would be given of his mission, authority, and glory, which would make this account more easy to be believed: besides, he had told the Jews, that no sign, that is, from heaven, as this voice was, should be given, but the sign of the Prophet Jonas; referring to his resurrection, which would be a sure testimony of the truth of his Messiahship. This order of Christ was strictly observed by the disciples; for Luke, says, “they kept it close”; to themselves, in their own breasts; it lay concealed between these three; “and told no man in those days, any of those things which they had seen”: and Mark says, “they kept that saying within themselves”; only as he adds, they were “questioning one with another, what the rising from the dead should mean”: for they were not yet reconciled to the Messiah’s dying, which was contrary to their expectation of a temporal kingdom; and therefore could not tell what to make of his rising again, whether this had not some secret, mystical meaning; for of his resurrection from the dead, in a literal sense, they had no notion; though it was foretold in the writings of the Old Testament, and had been so lately affirmed by Christ himself.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Until ( ). This conjunction is common with the subjunctive for a future event as his Resurrection () was. Again (Mr 9:10) they were puzzled over his meaning. Jesus evidently hopes that this vision of Moses and Elijah and his own glory might stand them in good stead at his death.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Vision [] . The spectacle.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
Mat 17:9
. And as they were going down from the mountain. We have said that the time for making known the vision was not yet fully come; and, indeed, the disciples would not have believed it, if Christ had not given a more striking proof of his glory in his resurrection. But after that his divine power had been openly displayed, that temporary exhibition of his glory began to be admitted, so as to make it fully evident that, even during the time that he emptied himself, (Phi 2:7,) he continued to retain his divinity entire, though it was concealed under the veil of the flesh. There are good reasons, therefore, why he enjoins his disciples to keep silence, till he be risen from the dead.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(9) Tell the vision to no man.The command obviously included even the rest of the Apostles within the range of its prohibition. For them in their lower stage of spiritual growth, the report of the vision at second hand would either have led them to distrust it or to pervert its meaning. Whatever reasons excluded them from being spectators were of still greater weight for the time against their hearing of what had been seen from others. The Greek word for vision, it may be noted, means simply what they had seen, and does not suggest, as the English word does, the thought of a dream-state in the beholders.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
9. Vision Or sight. The word does not intimate that it was not a reality. Tell the vision to no man, until risen from the dead Just so the Lord in the last chapter forbade them to tell any one that he was the Christ. See our comment on Mat 16:20. It was not until they had beheld all the scenes of his death and resurrection, and been empowered by the Spirit from on high, that they were competent to preach the Messiah as he is. Silence and discipline were their present duty. How could they properly preach a crucified and risen Saviour, when they were resolutely opposed to his death, (Mat 16:20,) and, according to Mark, they questioned what the rising from the dead might mean? They had, indeed, preached in the earlier part of his ministry. But they had only preached repentance because the kingdom of heaven was at hand.
Had they preached the Messiah now they would hardly have held him forth as a dying Redeemer. And had they preached him as a glorious Messiah, superior to Moses and Elias, as set forth in his transfiguration, the Jewish authorities would have held them guilty of treason.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen from the dead.” ’
Jesus makes clear, as they descend from the mountain, that the vision had been meant for them and them alone, until after His resurrection. The last thing He wanted was for the crowds to be stirred up to do something foolish. He did not want to be the cause of a revolution. And again He reminds them that as the Son of Man He must arise from the dead.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Jesus And The Disciples Descend From The Mountain. The Truth About John the Baptist (17:9-13).
As they were coming down from the mountain Jesus commanded silence about what they had seen until He had risen from the dead. (They would be unaware of how soon that would be). It was not only the idea of His Messiahship that He did not want spreading (by those who did not fully understand it), it was the whole idea of Who He really was, to those who were not ready to receive it.
However they were now totally confident that He was the Coming One, and that the ‘last days’ were here. But in view of this they could not understand why Elijah had come and gone. They were puzzled. It was clear from what they had seen that the work of Moses and Elisha was now completed. Why then did the Scribes teach that Elijah would first come preparatory for God to act? Jesus’ reply was clear and simple. Elijah had come. He had come in the person of John the Baptist (compare Luk 1:15-22). But He incorporated within His reply a further warning of His coming suffering. They must not be deceived by having seen His glory into thinking that He could therefore not suffer.
Analysis.
a
b “Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen from the dead” (Mat 17:9 b).
c And his disciples asked him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must first come?” (Mat 17:10).
d And he answered and said, “Elijah is indeed coming, and will restore all things” (Mat 17:11).
c “But I say to you, that Elijah is come already, and they knew him not, but did to him whatever they would” (Mat 17:12 a).
b “Even so will the Son of man also suffer of them” (Mat 17:12 b).
a Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the Baptist (Mat 17:13).
Note than in ‘a’ Jesus commanded them, and in the parallel they understood what He meant. In ‘b’ He refers to the resurrection of the Son of Man, and in the parallel to the prior death of the Son of Man. In ‘c’ is the question about the coming of Elijah, and in the parallel is the answer that Elijah has indeed come. Centrally in ‘d’ is the emphasis that the Scripture must be fulfilled.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Christ’s charge:
v. 9. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man until the Son of Man be risen again from the dead. On the way down, while they were still filled with the greatness of the manifestation, He gave them this emphatic injunction. To publish what they had seen, at this time, would only result in hindering the work of His ministry and thus of the Gospel. “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 should be kept secret, till Jesus had accomplished vision and prophecy by His death and resurrection.”
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Mat 17:9. And as they came down, &c. Jesus and his disciples having been in the mountain all night, (See Luk 9:37.) the transfiguration may be supposed to have happened either in the day-time, or in the night: that it happened in the night-time is probable, from the disciples falling asleep while Jesus prayed; a circumstance which could hardly happen by day to all the three, and in the open air. Next morning, as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged the Apostles to conceal what they had seen, till he should arise from the dead. He knew that the world, and even his own disciples, were not yet capable of comprehending the design of his transfiguration, nor of the appearance of Moses and Elias; and that if this transaction had been published before his resurrection, it might have appeared incredible, because nothing hitherto but afflictions and persecution had attended him. See Macknight, and for an explication of the following verses, the note on Mar 9:10; Mar 9:50.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Mat 17:9 . ] the thing seen, spectaculum . Act 7:31 ; Sir 43:1 ; Xen. Cyr . iii. 3. 66; de re equestr . ix. 4; Dem. 1406. 26; Pollux, ii. 54; used in the LXX. with reference to whatever is seen in vision by a prophet.
] from Sheol , as the abode . On the omission of the article, see Winer, p. 117 [E. T. 153]. The reason of the prohibition can only be the same as in Mat 16:20 , where see note. According to the mythical view (see observations after Mat 17:12 ), it was intended to explain the circumstance of a narrative composed in a later age, and, nevertheless, one which proceeded from the three witnesses.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
“And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead. (10) And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? (11) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. (12) But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. (13) Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.”
There is somewhat very blessed in this prohibition of Jesus, concerning making known the vision. It doth hot appear that the other disciples were made acquainted with it. Peter insists upon it much, after the Lord’s return to glory, but not before. And the reason seems evident. The Lord’s purposes arc for his Church. They shall have, in due season, evidences enough, but to others, there is nothing that will carry conviction. So the Prophet declared, and so the Scriptures all along have shewn. Isa 6:9 ; Act 28:22 , to the end. Nothing can be more plain and evident, from this explanation of Christ, that the prophecy of Mal 4:5 concerning the corning of Elijah, had been grossly perverted by the Scribes. John the Baptist was indeed foretold by the Prophet Isaiah, in strong features of character, (Isa 40:3 . and Malachi had been commissioned by God the Holy Ghost, to speak of John also; Mal 3:1 . but the prediction of Elijah’s coming, gave no authority to this expectation of the Scribes and Pharisees. John the Baptist could not be Elias, though he might be said to come in the spirit and power, with which he appeared, being commissioned, in like manner, by God the Holy Ghost.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
Ver. 9. Tell the vision to no man ] Tacitus, we say, is a good historian. Taciturnity and silence, we are sure, is in some cases a great virtue, a high commendation. Consus, the god of counsel, had his temple in Rome, under coverture, saith Servius, ut ostenderet consilium debere esse tectum. There is “a time to be silent,” saith Solomon,Ecc 3:7Ecc 3:7 . Queen Elizabeth’s motto was Video, Taceo, I see, and say nothing. A fit motto for a maid, in earth the first, in heaven the second maid, as one poet calleth her. Ministers should know when and to whom and in what order to set forth God’s truths; to time a word with a learned tongue, as Isaiah hath it; to set a word upon its wheels, as Solomon; to circumstantiate it so as the people can hear, can bear, as our Saviour did. This is surely a high point of heavenly husbandry. As it is also in all sorts of Christians to be sober in prayer, 1Pe 4:7 , that is, as Bifield saith, to keep God’s counsel, not to be proud, or boast of success, or speak of the secret sweetness of God’s love, without calling; it is to conceal the familiarity of God in secret.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
9. ] No unreality is implied in the word , for it = in Mark, and. in Luke: see Num 24:3-4 . St. Luke, without mentioning the condition of time imposed on them, remarkably confirms it by saying,
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 17:9-13 . Conversation while descending the hill .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Mat 17:9 . : injunction of secrecy. The reason of the injunction lies in the nature of the experience. Visions are for those who are prepared for them. It boots not to relate them to those who are not fit to receive them. Even the three were only partially fit; witness their terror (Mat 17:6 ). , the vision , justifying the view above given of the experience, held, among others, by Elsner, Herder, Bleek and Weiss. Herder has some fine remarks on the analogy between the experiences of Jesus at His baptism and on the Mount, six days after the announcement at Caesarea Philippi, and those of other men at the time of moral decisions in youth and in the near presence of death ( vide his Vom Erlser der Menschen , 18, 19). , followed by subjunctive without ; in this case ( cf. Mat 16:28 ) one of future contingency at a past time. The optative is used in classics ( vide Burton, 324). Not till the resurrection. It is not implied that Jesus was very desirous that they should then begin to speak, but only that they could then speak of the vision intelligently and intelligibly. Christ’s tone seems to have been that of one making light or the recent experience (as in Luk 10:20 ).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat 17:9-13
9As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.” 10And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; 12but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.
Mat 17:9 “Jesus commanded them, saying, ‘Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead'” This is the Messianic secret (cf. Mat 8:4; Mat 9:30; Mat 12:16; Mat 16:20; Mar 1:44; Mar 3:12; Mat 5:47; Mar 7:36; Mar 8:30; Mar 9:9; Luk 4:41; Luk 5:14; Luk 8:56; Luk 9:21). “Tell” is an aorist active subjunctive used in an aorist active imperative sense. Luk 9:30 says that they told no one. The problem was, what were they going to tell? Jesus was already having problems being known as a miracle healer and the gospel was not yet finished. There would come a time, as Jesus mentioned in Mat 17:9, after He had been raised from the dead (He told them this several times in several ways, but they never seemed to hear it or get its implications), that the theological content of this encounter would be understandable.
Mat 17:9 also implies that this was a reference to the sufferings of Jesus (cf. Mat 16:21 ff), which shows that Peter’s attempt to keep them on the mountain was another subterfuge of Satan.
Mat 17:10 “His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first'” This referred to the prophecy of Mal 3:1; Mal 4:5. There has been much discussion about the answer which Jesus gave. He stated specifically that Elijah had already come in the ministry of John the Baptist (cf. Mat 11:10; Mat 11:14; Mar 9:11-13; Luk 1:17). However, when the Pharisees asked John in the Gospel of John (Mat 1:20-25) if he was Elijah, he flatly denied it. This seeming contradiction can be handled by the fact that John denied that he was a resuscitated Elijah, but Jesus affirmed that John symbolically fulfilled the preparation ministry of Elijah. They both dressed and acted in similar ways, so the identification would be obvious in the minds of the Jews who knew about Elijah and who heard and saw John the Baptist (Luk 1:17).
“So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands” This is a recurrent theme after Peter’s confession (cf. Mat 16:21; Mat 17:9; Mat 17:12; Mat 17:22-23; Mat 20:18-19). He told them about His suffering, but if they could have heard, He also told them of His resurrection. A suffering Messiah was so alien to their Jewish traditions that they simply could not receive it!
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
from = away from. Greek. apo. App-104.
the Son of man. See App-98.
be risen again = have risen. Here, “again” is part of the verb. Not so in Mat 17:23, and Mat 16:21.
from = from among. Greek. ek. App-104. The first occurance of ek in this connection. Always associated with Christ and His People (not with the wicked dead). See all the other occurrences: Mar 6:14; Mar 9:9, Mar 9:10; Mar 12:25. Luk 9:7; Luk 16:31; Luk 20:35; Luk 24:46. Joh 2:22; Joh 12:1, Joh 12:9, Joh 12:17; Joh 20:9; Joh 21:14. Act 3:15; Act 4:2, Act 4:10; Act 10:41; Act 13:30, Act 13:34; Act 17:3, Act 17:31. Rom 4:24; Rom 6:4, Rom 6:9, Rom 6:13; Rom 7:4; Rom 8:11, Rom 8:11; Rom 10:7, Rom 10:9; Rom 11:15. 1Co 15:12, 1Co 15:20. Gal 1:1, Gal 1:1. Eph 5:14. Php 1:3, Php 1:11 (see note). Col 1:18; Col 2:12. 1Th 1:10. 2Ti 2:8. Heb 13:20. 1Pe 1:3, 1Pe 1:21. On the other hand, with apo See Mat 14:2; Mat 27:64; Mat 28:7. Compare Luk 16:30, Luk 16:31. In all other cases it is used simply of a resurrection of dead bodies, or of dead people.
the dead = dead people (no Art.) See App-139.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
9.] No unreality is implied in the word , for it = in Mark, and. in Luke: see Num 24:3-4. St. Luke, without mentioning the condition of time imposed on them, remarkably confirms it by saying,
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 17:9. , to no one) not even to their fellow-disciples.- , …,. until, etc.) After His resurrection they did mention it; see 2Pe 1:18. St Matthew also recorded it, although he had not been present.-, have risen) The glory of the resurrection rendered this previous manifestation more credible.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Lack of Faith Rebuked
Mat 17:9-21
As Raphael suggests in his great painting, there is a close connection between the mountain and the valley. The glory of the one did not make our Lord indifferent to the bitter need of the other. It seems as though He desired to impress on us the great truth, that we must have the seclusion and exaltation of communion with God before we can successfully deal with the anguish and terror that devastate human lives. See Mat 17:21.
In Mat 17:17 our Lord grieves over the unbelief of His disciples. Though they had enjoyed His careful teaching, they had failed to grasp His secret, which He here again elaborates. Faith is openness to God. It is the lifting of the curtain, that the healing light may enter. The tiny seed unlocks its little doorway to welcome the entering life of nature; and as this continues to enter, it forces the rootlet downward and the green shoot upward. It is thus also with the life of God in the soul. Let this life of God in and there is no limit to what it will effect.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
Son of man Also Mat 17:12; Mat 17:22 (See Scofield “Mat 8:20”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Jesus: Mat 16:20, Mar 8:30, Mar 9:9, Mar 9:10, Luk 8:56, Luk 9:21, Luk 9:22
until: Mat 17:23, Mat 16:21, Luk 18:33, Luk 18:34, Luk 24:46, Luk 24:47
Reciprocal: Isa 1:1 – vision Eze 1:1 – I saw Mat 8:4 – See Mat 9:30 – straitly Mat 12:16 – General Mat 28:6 – as Mar 5:43 – he charged Luk 9:36 – And they
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
17:9
For the explanation of this verse see the comments at chapter 16:20.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 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 use the phrase: What things they had seen.
Until the Son of man be risen from the dead. It was too soon to tell of it; even the three understood very little (Mar 9:10). This injunction would also serve to impress the occurrence on their minds; discussion of it during the intervening period of persecution would occasion doubts or carnal expectations. Besides it involved new light concerning the state of the dead, which could not be received until the resurrection of Christ. The necessity for concealment then ceased.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Mat 17:9. Jesus charged them Tell the vision to no man Not to the rest of the disciples, lest they should be grieved and discouraged because they were not admitted to the sight; nor to any other persons, lest it should enrage some the more, and his approaching sufferings should make others disbelieve it. He knew, says Macknight, that the world, and even his own disciples, were not yet capable of comprehending the design of his transfiguration, nor of the appearing of Moses and Elias; and that if this transaction had been published before his resurrection, it might have appeared incredible, because hitherto nothing but afflictions and persecutions had attended him. Till the Son of man be risen again Till the resurrection shall make it credible, and confirm your testimony about it. Accordingly we learn from Mark and Luke, that they kept the matter close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen. They questioned, however, one with another, what the rising from the dead should mean, Mar 9:10. They had never heard from the doctors that the Messiah was to die, far less that he was to be raised from the dead. On the contrary, they thought he was to abide for ever, Joh 12:34, and that there was to be no end of his kingdom; wherefore they were utterly at a loss to understand what their Master meant when he spake of his rising again; and being afraid to ask a particular explication of the matter, they disputed much among themselves about it to no purpose.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
17:9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the {e} vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
(e) Which they saw, otherwise the word used in this place is usually used in referring to that which is seen in a dream.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The clarification of the kingdom’s herald 17:9-13 (cf. Mar 9:9-13; Luk 9:36)
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
This is the last of five times Matthew recorded Jesus telling His disciples to keep silent (cf. Mat 8:4; Mat 9:30; Mat 12:16; Mat 16:20). This time He told them that they could tell others after His resurrection since this is the first time He told them to keep quiet after He had revealed that He would rise again. The proclamation of the King and the kingdom would begin again after the Resurrection. Temporary silence was important because of popular political views of Messiah and because the signal proof of Jesus’ messiahship would be His resurrection, the sign of Jonah.