Overview of Matthew

Matthew 17:1

  • a lofty mountain: Possibly Mount Hermon, which is near Caesarea Philippi. (See study note on Mt 16:13.) It reaches a height of 2,814 m (9,232 ft) above sea level. The transfiguration may have taken place on one of the spurs of Mount Hermon.​—See App. B10.

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Matthew 17:2

  • he was transfigured: Or “he was transformed; his appearance was changed.” The same Greek verb (me·ta·mor·phoʹo) occurs at Ro 12:2.

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  • *

    Or “white.”

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Matthew 17:3

Matthew 17:4

Matthew 17:5

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Matthew 17:9

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Matthew 17:10

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Matthew 17:11

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Matthew 17:12

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Matthew 17:13

Matthew 17:14

  • knelt down: In the ancient Near East, kneeling was a posture that expressed respect, especially when petitioning superiors.

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Matthew 17:15

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Matthew 17:17

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    Or “corrupt; perverse.”

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Matthew 17:18

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Matthew 17:19

Matthew 17:20

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Matthew 17:21

  • Some ancient manuscripts here read: “However, this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.” (See study note on Mr 9:29.) But these words do not appear in the earliest and most reliable manuscripts and are evidently not part of the inspired Scriptures.​—See App. A3.

Matthew 17:22

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Matthew 17:23

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Matthew 17:24

  • Capernaum: See study note on Mt 4:13.

    the two drachmas tax: Lit., “the double drachmas.” (See App. B14.) Various temple services were maintained through taxation. (Ex 30:12-16) Apparently, by Jesus’ day it had become customary for each adult male Jew to contribute a fixed amount as an annual temple tax.

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Matthew 17:25

Matthew 17:26

  • the sons are tax-free: In Jesus’ day, the family members of monarchs were known to be tax-exempt.

Matthew 17:27

  • fishhook: The only occurrence in the Christian Greek Scriptures of the Greek word rendered “fishhook,” likely a baited hook cast into the water on the end of a line. Every other mention of fishing equipment in the Christian Greek Scriptures refers to nets.

    silver coin: Lit., “stater.” This coin was considered to be the tetradrachma. (See App. B14.) It was worth four drachmas, the equivalent of a shekel, which was exactly the amount required to pay the temple tax for two.​—Ex 30:13.

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Parallel Translations

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Parallel Account

General

According to Matthew

17 Six days later Jesus took Peter and James and his brother John along and led them up into a lofty mountain by themselves.+ 2 And he was transfigured before them; his face shone as the sun, and his outer garments became brilliant* as the light.+ 3 And look! there appeared to them Moses and E·liʹjah conversing with him. 4 Then Peter said to Jesus: “Lord, it is fine for us to be here. If you wish, I will erect three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for E·liʹjah.” 5 While he was still speaking, look! a bright cloud overshadowed them, and look! a voice out of the cloud+ said: “This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved.+ Listen to him.”+ 6 At hearing this, the disciples fell facedown and became very much afraid. 7 Then Jesus came near, and touching them, he said: “Get up. Have no fear.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one but Jesus himself. 9 As they were descending from the mountain, Jesus commanded them: “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of man is raised up from the dead.”+

10 However, the disciples put the question to him: “Why, then, do the scribes say that E·liʹjah must come first?”+ 11 In reply he said: “E·liʹjah is indeed coming and will restore all things.+ 12 However, I say to you that E·liʹjah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did whatever they wanted with him.+ In this way also, the Son of man is going to suffer at their hands.”+ 13 Then the disciples perceived that he spoke to them about John the Baptist.

14 When they came toward the crowd,+ a man approached him, knelt down to him, and said: 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, because he is an epileptic and is ill. He falls often into the fire and often into the water.+ 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” 17 In reply Jesus said: “O faithless and twisted* generation,+ how long must I continue with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 Then Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured from that hour.+ 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said: “Why could we not expel it?” 20 He said to them: “Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard grain, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”+ 21 ——

22 It was while they were gathered together in Galʹi·lee that Jesus said to them: “The Son of man is going to be betrayed into men’s hands,+ 23 and they will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised up.”+ And they were very much grieved.

24 After they arrived in Ca·perʹna·um, the men collecting the two drachmas tax approached Peter and said: “Does your teacher not pay the two drachmas tax?”+ 25 He said: “Yes.” However, when he entered the house, Jesus spoke to him first and said: “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive duties or head tax? From their sons or from the strangers?” 26 When he said: “From the strangers,” Jesus said to him: “Really, then, the sons are tax-free. 27 But that we do not cause them to stumble,+ go to the sea, cast a fishhook, and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth, you will find a silver coin. Take that and give it to them for me and you.”