Matthew 17:3

3 . Moses and Elias ] (Elijah). The representatives of the Law and the Prophets. The whole history of the Jewish Church is brought in one glance, as it were, before the Apostles’ eyes in its due relation to Christ. St Luke names the subject of converse: they “spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem” ( Matthew 9:31 ).

Matthew 17:3-4 . And behold — To heighten the grandeur and solemnity of the scene; there appeared unto them — That is, unto the disciples as well as Jesus; Moses and Elias — Luke says, two men, which were Moses and Elias, and Mark, Elias with Moses. Moses, the great lawgiver of the Jews, and Elijah, who had been a most zealous restorer and defender of the law, appeared in the glories of immortality, wherewith the blessed above are adorned: talking with him — And, according to Luke, the subject of their conversation was, the decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem, that is, his departure out of the present life, or the sufferings and death whereby he was to atone for sin, and effect the redemption of mankind: a subject the most important of all others, and therefore the most proper to employ the thoughts and tongues of these illustrious personages, the most illustrious, certainly, that had ever met together on earth in one place. But the three disciples were seized with an irresistible drowsiness, and fell into a deep sleep. They awoke, however, time enough to see Christ’s glory, and that of the two men who stood with him. Probably the streams of light which issued from Christ’s body, especially his countenance, and the voices of Moses and Elias talking with him, made such an impression on their senses as to awake them.

Lifting up their eyes, therefore, they must have been amazed beyond measure when they beheld their Master in the majesty of his transfigured state, and his illustrious attendants, whom they might know to be Moses and Elias by revelation, or by what they said, or by the appellations which Jesus gave them in speaking to them. Peter, particularly, being both afraid and glad at the glorious sight, was in the utmost confusion. Nevertheless, the forwardness of his disposition prompted him to say something, and just as Moses and Elias were departing from Jesus, he said, Lord, it is good for us to be here — So doubtless they found it. Both before and after this transfiguration they had many refreshing seasons with their Master, heard many ravishing sermons, and saw many wonderful miracles; yet in no place, and on no occasion but this, were they ever heard to say, It is good for us to be here. Peter fancied, doubtless, that Jesus had now assumed his proper dignity; that Elias was come, according to Malachi’s prediction; and that the kingdom was at length begun. Wherefore, in the first hurry of his thoughts, he proposed to provide some accommodation for Jesus and his august attendants, intending, perhaps, to bring the rest of the disciples, with the multitude, from the plain below, to behold his matchless glory. He thought this was better for his Master than to be killed at Jerusalem.

Matthew 17:3 . καὶ ἰδού introduces a leading and remarkable feature in the scene: ὤφθη αὐτοῖς , there appeared to the three disciples, not necessarily an absolutely real, objective presence of Moses and Elias. All purposes would be served by an appearance in vision . Sufficient objectivity is guaranteed by the vision being enjoyed by all the three, which would have been improbable if purely subjective. Recognition of Moses and Elias was of course involved in the vision. For a realistic view of the occurrence the question arises, how was recognition possible? Euthy. Zig. says the disciples had read descriptions of famous men, including Moses and Elias, in old Hebrew books Another suggestion is that Moses appeared with the law in his hand, and Elias in his fiery chariot.— συλλαλοῦντες μ . ἀ ., conversing with Jesus, and, it goes without saying (Lk. does say it), on the theme uppermost in all minds, the main topic of recent conversations, the cross ; the vision, in its dramatis personæ and their talk, reflecting the state of mind of the seers.

(3) Moses and Elias. —The identification of the forms which the disciples saw was, we may well believe, intuitive. If we accept the narrative as a whole, it is legitimate to assume that, in the state of consciousness to which they had been raised, they were capable of a spiritual illumination which would reveal to them who they were who were thus recognising their Master’s work and doing homage to His majesty. There was, it is obvious, a singular fitness in each case. One was the great representative of the Law, which was a “school master” or “servant-tutor” (see Note on Galatians 3:24 ) leading men to Christ, the other of the whole goodly fellowship of the prophets. Of one it had been said that a “Prophet like unto him” should come in the latter days ( Deuteronomy 18:18 ), to whom men should hearken; of the other, that he should come again to “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children” ( Malachi 4:5 ). The close of the ministry of each was not after the “common death of all men.” No man knew of the sepulchre of Moses ( Deuteronomy 34:6 ), and Elijah had passed away in the chariots and horses of fire ( 2Kings 2:11 ). Both were associated in men’s minds with the glory of the kingdom of the Christ. The Jerusalem Targum on Exodus 12 connects the coming of Moses with that of the Messiah. Another Jewish tradition predicts his appearance with that of Elijah. Their presence now was an attestation that their work was over, and that the Christ had come. Talking with him.—St.

Luke (Luke 9:31) adds the subject of their communing: “They spake of His decease which He should accomplish at Jerusalem.” So far as the disciples then entered into the meaning of what they heard, or afterwards recalled it, it was a witness that the spirits of the lawgiver and the prophet accepted the sufferings and the death which had shaken the faith of the disciples as the necessary conditions of the Messianic kingdom. It is significant that the word for “decease” (exodos) reappears in this sense once only in the New Testament, and then in close connection with a reference to the Transfiguration (2Peter 1:15).

Matthew 17:3 . Ὤφθησαν , appeared ) sc. with their bodies.— Μωσῆς καὶ Ἡλίας , Moses and Elias ) The departure of each of them from this world had been singular: each of them was remarkable for revelations vouchsafed to him on Mount Sinai and Horeb. Both of them are mentioned together in Malachi 4:4-5 . It is probable that Moses was raised to life immediately on his death and burial, so that he was not dead whilst Elias was living in heaven: he certainly, after his decease, entered the land of promise, in which this holy mountain was situated. And yet Christ, not Moses, is the ἀπαρχὴ , the primitiæ, the first-fruits . The resuscitation of Moses does not confer life upon others; that of Christ does. This appearance, however, of Moses alive from the dead, is full of mystery. Who will venture to assert that he had already obtained immortality ( ἀθανασία ), and did not receive any advancement in bliss ( βελτίωσις ) after the resurrection of Christ?[779] Oh, how many things there are in the world of glory above our comprehension! If this appearance of Moses and Elias were not mentioned in the canonical Scriptures, although attested by other sufficient witnesses, who would not consider it as a fable?— μετʼ Αὐτοῦ συλλαλοῦντες , conversing with Him ) There is no pleonasm.[780] Each of them conversed with Jesus. A conversation of the highest importance (colloquium maximum).

Moses stood at the end of the first dispensation,[781] Elias, in the middle of the middle dispensation; Jesus, on the threshold of the last. They bear witness to the true Messiah, and to Him only.— ΜΕΤʼ ΑὐΤΟῦ , with Him ) They conversed with Him only, not with the three apostles. [779] On the first day of the month Adar, according to Josephus, B. IV. Ant., at the end, Moses died (comp. Deuteronomy 34:8 ; Joshua 1:11 ; Joshua 4:19 ). Beng. had mentioned this in Harm. Ev., Ed. i. on this passage, and had noticed that Christ’s transfiguration had taken place at the same time of year, in the presence of Moses; subjoining a caution, that though this remark might not seem to have much weight, yet it was possible it might be of use to some hereafter . Shortly after, some one appealed to the transfiguration of Christ as having occurred in the month of September , as a ground of expecting the coming of Moses and Elias in the month of September A.D. 1737: an error which this observation of Beng., however minute and overstrained it may seem to some, might have served to refute. See Harm. Ev. Ed. ii., pp. 375, 376.—E. B. [780] See explanation of technical terms in Appendix.—(I. B.) [781] At the end of the first dispensation, viz. the patriarchal; though Moses also stood at the beginning of the second, viz. that of the law.