Matthew 17: Edit history

Matthew 17 is a chapter in the middle section of the Gospel of Matthew. It recounts the Transfiguration of Jesus, the healing of a demon-possessed boy, the second prediction of the Passion, and the payment of the temple tax. The chapter opens "after six days," following the events of Matthew 16, in which Peter confesses his faith and Jesus first foretells his Passion.

Outline

• Verses 1–8: Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a high mountain and is transfigured before them. Moses and Elijah appear and talk with Jesus, and a voice from the cloud says, "This is my beloved Son."
• Verses 9–13: As they come down from the mountain, the disciples ask about the scribes' teaching that Elijah must come first, and Jesus answers them. The disciples understand that he is speaking of John the Baptist.
• Verses 14–20: Jesus casts a demon out of an epileptic boy whom the disciples could not heal, and he speaks of faith as a grain of mustard seed.
• Verse 21: In the Korean Revised Version, this verse is marked "(omitted)."
• Verses 22–23: In Galilee, Jesus foretells for the second time his suffering and his resurrection on the third day.
• Verses 24–27: At Capernaum, Jesus answers the question of those who collect the half shekel and has Peter pay for both of them with a shekel taken from the mouth of a fish.

Key Verses

• Matthew 17:5: "This is my beloved Son … hear ye him." This verse confirms Jesus' identity through the voice of God.
• Matthew 17:20: "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed." This is among the best-known sayings on faith and is frequently quoted.

People and Places

• Jesus Christ, Peter, James, John
• Moses and Elijah: Commonly interpreted as representing the Law and the Prophets.
• John the Baptist: Identified as the Elijah who was to come.
• Scribes: Teachers of the Law.
• Galilee and Capernaum: The principal areas of Jesus' ministry.

Notes for Readers

• The text does not name the mountain. A long-standing tradition identifies it as Mount Tabor, while some hold that it was Mount Hermon.
• The expectation that Elijah would come first is based on Malachi 4, and the half shekel is connected to the ransom regulation in Exodus 30.
• Verse 21 is found only in some manuscripts; for this reason the Korean Revised Version omits it from the text and retains only a notation. A similar saying appears in Mark 9.
• The Transfiguration is also recorded in Luke 9, and 2 Peter 1 recalls the event.

In Church Practice

Churches that follow the liturgical calendar observe the last Sunday of Epiphany as Transfiguration Sunday and read this chapter's account of the Transfiguration. "Faith as a grain of mustard seed" is an expression frequently used in preaching.