the Third Sunday after Easter
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Complete Jewish Bible
Matthew 17:3
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Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him.
And behold, there appeared vnto them Moses, and Elias, talking with him.
And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.
Then Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus.
And beholde, there appeared vnto them Moses, and Elias, talking with him.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.
Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared before them, talking with Jesus.
All at once Moses and Elijah were there talking with Jesus.
and lo, Moses and Elias appeared to them talking with him.
Then two men were there, talking with him. They were Moses and Elijah.
And there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, as they were talking with him.
Then the three disciples saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him.
And, behold! Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.
And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him.
And Moses and Elijah came before their eyes, talking with him.
Behold, there appeared to them Moshe and Eliyah talking with him.
Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus.him">[fn]
And there were seen with them Musha and Elia talking with him.
And there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, in conversation with him.
And beholde, there appeared vnto them, Moyses, and Elias talkyng with hym.
And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him.
Behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking with him.
And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking with him.
And suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them conversing with Him.
And lo! Moises and Elie apperiden to hem, and spaken with hym.
And look, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking with him.
And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking with him.
Then Moses and Elijah also appeared before them, talking with him.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.
Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.
Moses and Elijah were seen talking with Jesus.
Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.
And lo! there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, conversing with him.
And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with him.
And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Eli'jah, talking with him.
And beholde ther appered vnto the Moses and Helyas talkinge with him.
and lo, appear to them did Moses and Elijah, talking together with him.
And beholde, there appeared vnto the Moses and Elias talkinge with him.
and presently they saw Moses and Elias conversing with him.
All of a sudden, two great cowboys from the past, Moses and Elijah, stood there with them, visitin' with Jesus.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
behold: Mark 9:4, Luke 9:30, Luke 9:31
Moses: Matthew 11:13, Matthew 11:14, Deuteronomy 18:18, Deuteronomy 34:5, Deuteronomy 34:6, Deuteronomy 34:10, Luke 24:27, Luke 24:44, John 1:17, John 5:45-47, 2 Corinthians 3:7-11, Hebrews 3:1-6
Elias: Matthew 17:10-13, 1 Kings 17:1, 1 Kings 18:36-40, 2 Kings 2:11-14, Malachi 4:5, Elijah, Luke 1:17, Luke 9:33, Luke 16:16
Reciprocal: Acts 7:37 - him 2 Peter 1:17 - there came
Cross-References
At this Avraham fell on his face and laughed — he thought to himself, "Will a child be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah give birth at ninety?"
Avraham said to God, "If only Yishma‘el could live in your presence!"
Avraham took Yishma‘el his son, all the slaves born in his house and all who had been bought with his money, every male among the people in Avraham's household, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin that very day, just as God had said to him.
(Maftir) Avraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin,
I am the God of your father," he continued, "the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz'chak and the God of Ya‘akov." Moshe covered his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
Moshe and Aharon fell on their faces before the entire assembled community of the people of Isra'el.
They fell on their faces and said, "Oh God, God of the spirits of all humankind, if one person sins, are you going to be angry with the entire assembly?"
Now Korach the son of Yitz'har, the son of K'hat, the son of Levi, along with Datan and Aviram, the sons of Eli'av, and On, the son of Pelet, descendants of Re'uven, took men and rebelled against Moshe. Siding with them were 250 men of Isra'el, leaders of the community, key members of the council, men of reputation. They assembled themselves against Moshe and Aharon and said to them, "You take too much on yourselves! After all, the entire community is holy, every one of them, and Adonai is among them. So why do you lift yourselves up above Adonai 's assembly?" When Moshe heard this he fell on his face. Then he said to Korach and his whole group, "In the morning, Adonai will show who are his and who is the holy person he will allow to approach him. Yes, he will bring whomever he chooses near to himself. Do this: take censers, Korach and all your group; put fire in them; and put incense in them before Adonai tomorrow. The one whom Adonai chooses will be the one who is holy! It is you, you sons of Levi, who are taking too much on yourselves!" Then Moshe said to Korach, "Listen here, you sons of Levi! Is it for you a mere trifle that the God of Isra'el has separated you from the community of Isra'el to bring you close to himself, so that you can do the work in the tabernacle of Adonai and stand before the community serving them? He has brought you close and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you. Now you want the office of cohen too! That's why you and your group have gathered together against Adonai ! After all, what is Aharon that you complain against him?" Then Moshe sent to summon Datan and Aviram, the sons of Eli'av. But they replied, "We won't come up! Is it such a mere trifle, bringing us up from a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the desert, that now you arrogate to yourself the role of dictator over us? (ii) You haven't at all brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, and you haven't put us in possession of fields and vineyards. Do you think you can gouge out these men's eyes and blind them? We won't come up!" Moshe was very angry and said to Adonai , "Don't accept their grain offering! I haven't taken one donkey from them, I've done nothing wrong to any of them." Moshe said to Korach, "You and your group, be there before Adonai tomorrow — you, they and Aharon. Each of you take his fire pan and put incense in it; every one of you, bring before Adonai his fire pan, 250 fire pans, you too, and Aharon — each one his fire pan." Each man took his fire pan, put fire in it, laid incense on it and stood at the entrance to the tent of meeting with Moshe and Aharon. Korach assembled all the group who were against them at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Then the glory of Adonai appeared to the whole assembly. (iii) Adonai said to Moshe and Aharon, "Separate yourselves from this assembly; I'm going to destroy them right now!" They fell on their faces and said, "Oh God, God of the spirits of all humankind, if one person sins, are you going to be angry with the entire assembly?" Adonai answered Moshe, "Tell the assembly to move away from the homes of Korach, Datan and Aviram." Moshe got up and went to Datan and Aviram, and the leaders of Isra'el followed him. There he said to the assembly, "Leave the tents of these wicked men! Don't touch anything that belongs to them, or you may be swept away in all their sins." So they moved away from all around the area where Korach, Datan and Aviram lived. Then Datan and Aviram came out and stood at the entrance to their tents with their wives, sons and little ones. Moshe said, "Here is how you will know that Adonai has sent me to do all these things and that I haven't done them out of my own ambition: if these men die a natural death like other people, only sharing the fate common to all humanity, then Adonai has not sent me. But if Adonai does something new — if the ground opens up and swallows them with everything they own, and they go down alive to Sh'ol — then you will understand that these men have had contempt for Adonai ." The moment he finished speaking, the ground under them split apart — the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all the people who had sided with Korach and everything they owned. So they and everything they owned went down alive into Sh'ol, the earth closed over them and their existence in the community ceased. All Isra'el around them fled at their shrieks, shouting, "The earth might swallow us too!" Then fire came out from Adonai and destroyed the 250 men who had offered the incense.
"No," he replied, "but I am the commander of Adonai 's army; I have come just now." Y'hoshua fell down with his face to the ground and worshipped him, then asked, "What does my lord have to say to his servant?"
as the flame went up toward the sky from the altar, the angel of Adonai went up in the flame from the altar. When Manoach and his wife saw it, they fell to the ground on their faces.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And behold there appeared unto them,.... The disciples:
Moses and Elias; Moses the giver of the law, and Elias one of the chief of the prophets: one of them had been dead near a thousand and five hundred years, and the other had been caught up to heaven, about nine hundred years before this. The Jews sometimes speak of these two as together. They say c,
"that the Shekinah never descends below, but משה ואליהו, "Moses and Elias" ascend above.''
Yea, they expect that these two will come together in future time; for so they represent d a God saying to Moses;
"Moses, as thou hast given thy life for them (the Israelites) in this world, so in time to come (the days of the Messiah) when I shall bring Elias the prophet, כאחת
שניכם באין, "you two shall come together".''
Now they came. Luke says, they appeared "in glory": in glorious bodies, in a glory upon their bodies; like, though inferior, to the glorious body of Christ, now transfigured: that they appeared in their own real bodies, no doubt need be made; about the body of Elijah, or Elias, there is no difficulty; since he was carried soul and body to heaven, he died not, but was changed; and has ever since remained in a glorious body, in which he doubtless now appeared: and why this should not be the case of Moses, or why he should appear in another body, and not his own, I see not; for though he died, yet he was buried by the Lord, and no man ever knew the place of his sepulchre; and there was a dispute about his body, between Michael and the devil, all which are uncommon circumstances: so that it might be, that his body was, quickly after his death, raised and restored to him; or at this time, as a pledge of the resurrection of the dead, as Christ's transfiguration was of his glory. The Jews have a notion that Moses is not dead, but is ascended, and stands and ministers to God, in the highest heavens e: the appearance of these two with Christ, was to show, that Christ is the end of the law and prophets; that there is an entire agreement between him and them, and that they have their full accomplishment in him; and also shows, that he was neither Elias, nor any of the prophets, as some took him to be; since he was distinct from them, and the chief and more glorious than any of them. If it should be asked; how came the disciples to know these two to be Moses and Elias, since they never saw them before, nor could have any statues or pictures of them, these being not allowed among the Jews; nor do the accounts of them in Scripture seem to be sufficient to direct them to such a thought; especially, since by their glorification, they must be greatly altered: it may be replied, they knew them, either by immediate divine revelation, or by the discourse that passed between them and Christ; for it follows,
talking with him. The Jews often speak of the appearance of Elias to their doctors, and of his conversing with them, and teaching them. Whether this is done with design to lessen the glory of this appearance, I will not say; however, they cannot reasonably object to the probability of this account, since they make it to be so frequent among themselves; though they look upon it as an high favour, and that such are holy good men, that are indulged with it, take an instance or two: thus they say f of a certain person,
"Lo! the pious man, whom Elias used משתעי בהדיה, "to converse with".''
And elsewhere it is said g,
"R. Phineas and R. Mari, the sons of R. Chasda, were godly men, ואליהו מדבר עמהם, "and Elias was talking with them", and they were priests.''
What Moses and Elias were talking with our Lord about, is expressed by Luke, :-.
c T. Bab. Succab, fol. 5. 1. d Debarim Rabba, sect. 3. fol. 239. 2. e T. Bab. Sota, fol. 13. 2. Maimon. praefat. ad Seder Zeraim in Talmud. fol. 86. 4. f T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 7. 2. g Juchasin, fol. 101. 1. Vid. fol. 79. 1. & 118. 2. & 13. 132. 1. & T. Bab. Cetubot, fol. 106. 1.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
And behold there appeared unto them Moses and Elias - Moses, a distinguished servant of God, by whom the law was given, and whose institutions typified the Messiah. It was particularly proper that he should appear, when his prophecies and types were about to be fulfilled, and the rites which he had instituted were about to be done away. Elias, or Elijah, a distinguished prophet, taken to heaven without seeing death. See 2 Kings 2:11. Elijah had been honored eminently by being thus translated, and still more by being made the model of the forerunner of the Messiah, Malachi 4:5; Luke 1:17; Matthew 11:14. They appeared “in glory” Luke 9:31; i. e., as they are in heaven with the glory which the redeemed have there.
Talking with him - Luke Luke 9:31 informs us that they conversed about “his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.” To redeemed spirits that death was an object of intense interest. By faith in that death they had been saved; and now that the Redeemer of mankind was about to die, it is no wonder that this was the burden of his and their thoughts.
Luke adds Luke 9:32 that “Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep.” It is not improbable that this was in the night; that Jesus was engaged in prayer; and that he had permitted his weary followers to compose themselves to rest. It was after they were awaked that they saw this vision. Probably the sudden splendor, the bright shining aroused them from sleep.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Matthew 17:3. Moses and Elias — Elijah came from heaven in the same body which he had upon earth, for he was translated, and did not see death, 2 Kings 2:11. And the body of Moses was probably raised again, as a pledge of the resurrection; and as Christ is to come to judge the quick and the dead, for we shall not all die, but all shall be changed, 1 Corinthians 15:51, he probably gave the full representation of this in the person of Moses, who died, and was thus raised to life, (or appeared now as he shall appear when raised from the dead in the last day), and in the person of Elijah, who never tasted death. Both their bodies exhibit the same appearance, to show that the bodies of glorified saints are the same, whether the person had been translated, or whether he had died. It was a constant and prevalent tradition among the Jews, that both Moses and Elijah should appear in the times of the Messiah, and to this very tradition the disciples refer, Matthew 17:10.
We may conceive that the law in the person of Moses, the great Jewish legislator, and the prophets in the person of Elijah, the chief of the prophets, came now to do homage to Jesus Christ, and to render up their authority into his hands; as he was the END of the law, and the grand subject of the predictions of the prophets. This appears more particularly from what St. Luke says, Luke 9:31, that Moses and Elijah conversed with our Lord on his death, which he was about to accomplish, (πληρουν to fulfil,) because in it, all the rites, ceremonies, and sacrifices of the law, as well as the predictions of the prophets, were fulfilled.
