17 2 The transfiguration of Christ. 5 Christ ought to be heard. 12 Elijah. 13 John Baptist. 17 The unbelief of the Apostles. 20 The power of faith. 21 Prayer and fasting. 22 Christ foretelleth his passion. 24 He payeth tribute.
1 And (A)[a][b]after six days, Jesus took Peter and James, and John his brother, and brought them up into an high mountain apart,
2 And was [c]transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the Sun, and his clothes were as white as the light.
3 And behold, there appeared unto them Moses, and Elijah, talking with him.
4 Then answered Peter, and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.
5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud shadowed them: and behold, there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, (B) This is [d]that my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear him.
6 And when the disciples heard that, they [e]fell on their faces, and were sore afraid.
7 Then Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.
8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.
9 ¶ And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Show the [f]vision to no man, until the Son of man rise again from the dead.
10 (C)And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the Scribes that (D) Elijah must first come?
11 And Jesus answered, and said unto them, Certainly Elijah must first come, and restore all things.
12 But I say unto you, that Elijah is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they would: likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
13 Then the disciples perceived that he spake unto them of John Baptist.
14 ¶ (E)[g]And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, and [h]fell down at his feet,
15 And said, Master, have pity on my son: for he is [i]lunatic, and is sore vexed: for oft times he falleth into the fire, and oft times into the water.
16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not heal him.
17 Then Jesus answered, and said, O generation faithless, and crooked, how long now shall I be with you! how long now shall I suffer you! bring him hither to me.
18 And Jesus rebuked the devil, and he went out of him: and the child was healed at that hour.
19 [j]Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for (F)verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as much as is a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove: and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21 [k]Howbeit this kind goeth not out, but by [l]prayer and fasting.
22 ¶ [m]And they (G)being in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of men.
23 And they shall kill him, but the third day shall he rise again: and they were very sorry.
24 ¶ [n]And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received poll money, came to Peter, and said, Doth [o]not your Master [p]pay [q]poll money?
25 He said, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take tribute, or poll money? of their [r]children, or of strangers?
26 Peter said unto him, Of strangers. Then said Jesus unto him, Then are the children free.
27 Nevertheless, lest we should offend them: go to the sea, and cast in an angle, and take the first fish that cometh up, and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a [s]piece of twenty pence: that take, and give it unto them for me and thee.
Footnotes
- Matthew 17:1 Christ is in such sort humble in the Gospel, that in the mean season he is Lord both of heaven and earth.
- Matthew 17:1 Luke reckoneth eight days, containing in that number the first and last, and Matthew speaketh but of them that were betwixt them.
- Matthew 17:2 Changed into another hue.
- Matthew 17:5 The article or the word, That, severeth Christ from other children. For he is God’s natural Son, we by adoption, therefore he is called the first begotten among the brethren, because that although he be of right the only Son, yet is he chief among many in that he is the fountain and head of the adoption.
- Matthew 17:6 Fell down flat on their faces and worshipped him, as Matt. 2:11.
- Matthew 17:9 Which they saw: otherwise the word, used in this place is properly spoken of that which is seen in a dream.
- Matthew 17:14 Men are unworthy of Christ his goodness, yet notwithstanding he regardeth them.
- Matthew 17:14 As men that make supplications used to do.
- Matthew 17:15 They that at certain times of the moon are troubled with the falling sickness, or any other kind of disease: but in this place, we must so take it, that besides the natural disease, he had a devilish frenzy.
- Matthew 17:19 Incredulity and distrust hinder and break the course of God’s benefits.
- Matthew 17:21 The remedy against distrust.
- Matthew 17:21 To give us to understand the watchfulness and diligence of earnest prayer, which cannot be without sobriety.
- Matthew 17:22 Our minds must be prepared more and more against the offence of the cross.
- Matthew 17:24 In that that Christ doth willingly obey Caesar’s edicts, he showeth that civil policy is not taken away by the Gospel.
- Matthew 17:24 He denieth not, but he asketh.
- Matthew 17:24 Ought he not to pay?
- Matthew 17:24 They that were from twenty years of age to fifty, paid half a shekel of the Sanctuary, Exod. 30:13. This was an Attic didrachma which the Romans exacted, after they had subdued Judea.
- Matthew 17:25 By children we must not understand subjects which pay tribute, but natural children.
- Matthew 17:27 The word here used, is stater, which is in value 4 didrachmas; every drachma is about five pence.