Matthew — Chapter 17

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1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, 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 Elias.
5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.
8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.
9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19 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 verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as 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 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
22 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:
23 And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.
24 And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?
25 He saith, 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 custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?
26 Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.
27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.
Abrahamic Catechism
Bible Study
Matthew — Chapter 17
✦ Talmud

• The Transfiguration on the mountain with Moses and Elijah present echoes the Talmudic teaching in Moed Katan 9a that three keys were never entrusted to an agent: rain, childbirth, and the resurrection of the dead, yet select righteous individuals gained access to these powers. The Talmud in Shabbat 88b-89a describes Moses ascending to heaven where his face became radiant, and Berakhot 7a records that Moses saw the "knot" of God's tefillin. The mountain-top theophany is a deeply Talmudic scene.

• Peter's offer to build three booths (sukkot) for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah directly invokes the festival of Sukkot, which the Talmud in Sukkah 11b connects to God's sheltering presence during the wilderness wandering. The Talmud in Zechariah's prophecy (discussed in Sukkah 55a) links Sukkot to the messianic age when all nations will come to Jerusalem. Peter's instinct to build sukkot is not random but reflects the Talmudic association of Sukkot with divine revelation and messianic hope.

• The heavenly voice declaring "This is my beloved son, listen to him" echoes the bat kol that settles disputes in the Talmud (Eruvin 13b), but adds the command to listen — shema — the foundational word of Jewish faith from Deuteronomy 6:4. The Talmud in Berakhot 13a discusses the obligation to listen (shema means both hear and obey), and the Transfiguration voice combines the bat kol tradition with the most fundamental imperative in Judaism.

• Jesus commanding the disciples not to tell about the vision "until the Son of Man is raised from the dead" connects to the Talmudic concept of sod (secret knowledge) appropriate only for mature students, as in Chagigah 11b-13a where the most profound mystical teachings (ma'aseh merkavah and ma'aseh bereishit) may only be taught privately to qualified individuals. The Talmud restricts esoteric knowledge not because it is false but because it is too powerful for the unprepared.

• The discussion of Elijah's coming first fulfills the Talmudic expectation in Eruvin 43b that Elijah will come to solve unresolved legal questions (teiku = tishbi yetaretz kushyot v'ibayot — the Tishbite will resolve difficulties and problems). The Talmud in Shabbat 118a and Berakhot 3a expects Elijah to precede the Messiah, and Eduyot 8:7 says he comes to make peace in the world. The identification of John the Baptist with Elijah fulfills the Talmudic eschatological timeline.