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Matthew 17:1

in Matthew 17

After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart:

KJV

And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

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This verse in Matthew 17

Commentary

6 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jerome

Commentary on Matthew · Written before 420.

(Chapter 17 - Verse 1) And after six days, Jesus took Peter and James, and John his brother. Why Peter, James, and John are separated from the others in some places in the Gospels, or what privilege they have over the other apostles, we have frequently discussed. Now it is asked how he assumed them after six days, and led them to a high mountain apart: since the evangelist Luke mentions the number eight (Luke 9). But the answer is easy, because here the intermediate days are placed, the first and the last are added.

This site's exposition

an high mountain apart

on Matthew 17:1-2

Six days after Peter's confession and rebuke, Jesus takes the same three he will later bring nearest him in Gethsemane, Peter, James and John, up a high mountain the tradition has argued between Tabor and Hermon, with Hermon's nearness to Caesarea Philippi favored by the older harmonists. Luke's about eight days is not a contradiction but an inclusive count against Matthew's exclusive one, both reckoning the same interval by different customary methods. Transfigured, metamorphothe in the Greek, describes a change from within shining outward, his face as the sun and his raiment white as the light, language that echoes Moses' own shining face after Sinai in Exodus 34 and anticipates the promised brightness of the resurrected in Daniel 12:3.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
That is, so long after Christ's conversation with his disciples at Caesarea Philippi, Peter's confession of him, and the reproof he gave him, upon his intimating that he should suffer and die, and Christ's resentment of it; after he had discoursed about his disciples taking up their cross, and following him; and of men's losing and finding their lives; and after the promise, or prophecy, that he had given out, that some then present should not die, until he came into his kingdom.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

They were present when he raised the damsel to life, Mark v. 37 . They were afterward to be the witnesses of his agony, and this was to prepare them for that. Note, A sight of Christ's glory, while we are here in this world, is a good preparative for our sufferings with him, as these are preparatives for the sight of his glory in the other world.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Mat 17:1-9. See also Mar 9:2-10; Luk 9:28-36. And after six days - That is, six days from the conversation recorded in the last chapter. Luke Luk 9:28 says, about an eight days after. Matthew mentions the six days that intervened between the day of the conversation and the transfiguration. Luke includes both those days, and thus reckons eight. Besides, Luke does not pretend to fix the precise time. He says, “about an eight days after.” Taketh Peter, and James, and John - These three disciples were with him, also, in the garden of Gethsemane, Mar 14:

on Matthew 17:1-13

These verses contain one of the most remarkable events in our Lord’s earthly ministry, the event commonly called the transfiguration. The order in which it is recorded is beautiful and instructive. The latter part of the last chapter showed us the cross; here we are graciously allowed to see something of the coming reward. The hearts which have just been saddened by a plain statement of Christ’s sufferings are at once gladdened by a vision of Christ’s glory. Let us mark this. We often lose much by not tracing the connection between chapter and chapter in the Word of God.

The words behind it

24 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

12 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Luke 9:28–36About eight days after Jesus had said these things, He took with Him Peter, John, and James, and went up on a mountain to pray.14 worksMatthew 26:37He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.9 worksMark 5:37And He did not allow anyone to accompany Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.7 works2 Corinthians 13:1This is the third time I am coming to you. “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”5 works2 Peter 1:18And we ourselves heard this voice from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.5 worksMark 9:2–13After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There He was transfigured before them.4 works
The other 6 cross-references, with their words ▾
Acts 3:1One afternoon Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.4 worksLuke 8:51When He entered the house, He did not allow anyone to go in with Him except Peter, John, James, and the child’s father and mother.3 worksJohn 20:26Eight days later, His disciples were once again inside with the doors locked, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”3 worksMatthew 10:2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;2 worksMatthew 4:21Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them,2 worksMark 13:3While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately,2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    2 Corinthians 13:1

    This is the third time I am coming to you. “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”

    it leads to

    • Matthew 18:16

      But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’

    • Deuteronomy 19:15

      A lone witness is not sufficient to establish any wrongdoing or sin against a man, regardless of what offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or…

    • Deuteronomy 17:6

      On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but he shall not be executed on the testimony of a lone witness.

    • John 8:17–18

      Even in your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid.

    • Numbers 35:30

      If anyone kills a person, the murderer is to be put to death on the testimony of the witnesses. But no one is to be put to death based on the testimony of a…

  • Through

    2 Peter 1:18

    And we ourselves heard this voice from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

    it leads to

    • Matthew 17:6

      When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown in terror.

  • Through

    Matthew 26:37

    He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.

    it leads to

    • Matthew 4:21

      Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them,

  • Through

    Mark 5:37

    And He did not allow anyone to accompany Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.

    it leads to

    • Acts 9:40

      Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down and prayed, and turning toward her body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.

Where this verse is studied

About Matthew

The Transfiguration — Gustave Doré (engraving), public domain
The Transfiguration — Gustave Doré (engraving), public domain
Matthew: the study guide →Read Matthew 17 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jerome, Commentary on Matthew; John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Matthew 17 →