Daniel P. Barron

Matthew 17

Saturday, June 19, 2021 

1 And after six days Joshua took Peter and James and John his brother, and brought them up to a high mountain by himself. 2 And he was transformed i before them, and his face shone like the Sun; and his garments became white like the light. ii 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them speaking with him.


4 And Peter answering said to Joshua, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you will, let us make here three tents, iii one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." 5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud iv overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, "This is my beloved son, in him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"


6 And when the disciples heard, they fell on their face and were greatly afraid. 7 And Joshua came, touched them and said, "Arise and do not be afraid." 8 And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Joshua alone.


9 And when they came down from the mountain, Joshua commanded them saying, "Tell no one the vision until the son of the man has risen from the dead."


10 And his disciples asked him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" v 11 And Joshua answering said to them, "Elijah surely is coming first and will restore all things. 12 But I say to you that Elijah already came, vi and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. So also the son of the man is about to suffer by them." vii 13 Then his disciples understood that he spoke to them concerning John the immerser.


14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came to him kneeling down to him and saying, 15 "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is moonstruck viii and suffers badly. For he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they were not able to heal him."


17 And Joshua answering said, "Oh faithless and perverse generation, ix how long x will I be with you? How long will I put up with xi you? Bring him here to me." 18 And Joshua rebuked it, and the demon came out from him; and the child was healed from that hour.


19 Then the disciples came to Joshua privately saying, "Why were we not able to cast it out?" 20 And Joshua said to them, "Because of your unbelief. For truly I say to you, if you have the faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you. xii 21 But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." xiii


22 And while they were staying in Galilee, Joshua said to them, "The son of the man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill him, and the third day he will be raised up. And they were exceedingly sad.


24 And when they went into Capernaum, those receiving the drachmas xiv came to Peter and said, "Does your teacher not pay the drachmas?" 25 He says, "Yes." And when he came into the house, Joshua anticipated him, saying, "What do you think, Simon? The kings of the earth, from whom do they receive customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?" 26 Peter says to him, "From stangers." Joshua said to him, "So indeed, the sons are free." 27 But, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea, throw a fishhook, and take the first fish that comes up. And opening it's mouth you will find a stater. xv Taking that, give it to them for me and you."


Matthew 16 - Matthew 18


Translated by Darwin Fish. See original pdf. xvi

  1. metemorfwyh (metemorphôthê) - "transformed" ^
  2. Revelation 1:10-16 ^
  3. skhnav (skênas) - "tents" - used as such in Hebrews 11:9. Used also for the tabernacle (e.g. Acts 7:44). ^
  4. Cloud, see Exodus 13:21; 16:10; 19:9; 24:16; 33:9-10; 34:5; 40:38; Leviticus 16:2; Numbers 10:34; 2 Chronicles 5:14; 6:1; Job 26:9; 37:14-15; Lamentations 3:44; Ezekiel 1:4; 10:4; Luke 21:27?; Acts 1:9?; 1 Corinthians 10:1-2; Revelation 10:1?; 11:12? ^
  5. Malachi 4:5-6 ^
  6. Luke 1:16-17 ^
  7. Luke 23:11 ^
  8. selhniazetai (selêniazetai) - "moonstruck" – KJV “lunatick,” NAS “lunatic,” NKJV "epileptic" with footnote, "Lit. moon-struck" - also only found in Matthew 4:24. The word for moon in Greek is selhnh (selênê), see e.g. Matthew 24:29. See also Psalm 121:6. ^
  9. This statement included the disciples! ^
  10. ewv pote (eôs pote) - "how long" - more literally, "until when." ^
  11. anexomai (anexomai) - "put up with" - besides being in the same context in Mark 9:19 and Luke 9:41, this word is also found in Acts 18:14; 1 Corinthians 4:12; 2 Corinthians 11:1, [4, 19-20, NKJV "put up with"]; Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Timothy 4:3; Hebrews 13:22. ^
  12. Matthew 21:20-22; John 14:12-14; 15:7; 1 John 5:14-15 ^
  13. Prayer and fasting is part of a godly life. Prayer, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 and fasting = seeking God, e.g. Daniel 9:3; Joel 2:12; Acts 10:30; 14:23; 1 Corinthians 7:5; 2 Corinthians 6:5; 11:27. ^
  14. didracma (didrachma) - "drachmas" (plural) - only found here. A drachma is apparently a coin. ^
  15. stathra (statêra) - "stater" - only found here. Lexicon states it's worth about four drachmas. ^
  16. Mirrored here^

3 Responses

  1. Tell us, therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to give tax to Caesar or not?” -- khnson (kênson) - “tax” - singular – found in the NT always in the singular also only in Matthew 17:25; 22:19; Mark 12:14.

  2. For Christ is end of law for righteousness to all who believe. -- Τέλος (Telos) “end” - used for the “end” of something (e.g. Matthew 10:22; 24:6, 13-14; 26:58; etc.) and “custom.” (i.e. tax, e.g. Matthew 17:25; Romans 13:7)

  3. And when Joshua heard that John had been delivered up, he departed to Galilee. -- παρεδοθη (paredothê) - “delivered up” (NAS footnotes “Lit. delivered up”) - from παραδιδωμι (paradidômi) - “to hand over,” “deliver” (e.g. Matthew 5:25; 10:17, 19, 21; 11:27; 18:34; 20:19; Romans 1:24, 26, 28; 4:25) also translated “betray” (e.g. Matthew 10:4; 17:22; 20:18). NKJV & NIV translate “had been put in prison,” KJV “was cast into prison,” NAS “had been taken into custody.” The Greek word for “prison” is not in this text as it is in Acts 8:3 (παρεδιδου εις φυλακην [paredidou eis phulakên]) and 22:4 (παραδιδους εις φυλακας [paradidou eis phulakas]) where the Greek words for both “delivered” and “prison” are found.


    And the report of him went into all Syria. And they brought to him all who had it bad afflicted with various diseases and torments, and who were demoniacs and moonstruck and paralytics. And he healed them. -- σεληνιαζομενους (selêniazomenous) “moonstruck” or “lunatics” (KJV “lunatick”) - also found in Matthew 17:15. NKJV, NAS has “epileptics,” NIV “those having seizures,” which appears to be supported by Matthew 17:15 (see also Mark 9:17-29). The word for moon in Greek is σεληνη (selênê), e.g. Matthew 24:29. See also Psalm 121:6.

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