Biblical commentary on the New Testament - The Christian ...

560
Matthew XVII. 2-5.
to this drowsiness they were unable correctly to observe what passed.
The accuracy of their narrative rests obviously not so much on their
own observations as on their subsequent cenversation with Jesus.
Had the discii^les fallen into any mistake, the truthfulness of Jesus
^ould at once have undeceived them. Far rather does the simpte
narrative of the circumstances as they happened, even of such as
seemed unfavourable to themselves, vouch for their honesty and
straight-forwardness.
Ver. 4.—Peter, the speaker, breaks silence {aTioKpiveodai = nsy,
see on Luke i. 60), and expresses his astonishment at this spectacle.
Elsewhere, fear is the feeling awakened by the phenomena of the
sj)iritual world (see on Luke i. 12, as also at ver. 6), as is immediately
shewn in the disciples, when they heard the voice. To account then
for so remarkable a declaration of Peter, Mark and Luke immediately
subjoin the words f^?) elddjg b keyel, not knowing what lie saitli. These
words refer not by any means to the drowsiness of the disciples, but
to their state of ecstasy. The elevation of the scene hurried them
away ; they were lifted, as it were, above themselves. (The expres-
sion Kvpte in the address is explained more clearly by the parallel
terms pa(3l3i.-^ and Imardra in Mark and Luke. It has not here as
yet the pregnant meaning which it has acquired in the writings of
Paul, who uses Kvpiog, Lord, = ri,'n^, Jeliovali.) Among the Evan-
gelists, Luke already here and there (xi. 39 ; xii. 42 ; xiii. 15),
makes this use of 6 Kvpiog in contradistinction to Kvpiog. (Compare
however on Matth. xxi. 3.) The meaning of the expression oKTjvdg
7Toc7}oo)fiEv, let us make tabernacles, obviously is merely this—would
that for a lengthened period we might remain in this place and in
this company ! (Compare the remarks on ver. 10.) The words
express the longing of his soul after the kingdom of God, in which
the saints and those who are raised from the dead shall be for ever
around the Lord. Inasmuch as Peter speaks of three tents, he
places himself and his two companions humbly in the background
as the servants of the three. The whole form of the address how-
ever shews that Peter acknowledged Jesus as the primary figure in
the picture ; the representatives of the old covenant appear to him
as merely subordinate, as messengers from the heavenly Father to
the Son.
Ver. 5.—Suddenly however the scene changes ; even the three
disciples who were admitted to see Jesus in his glory, were shut out
by a bright cloud from the company of the other three. Most gra-
phically is the scene presented to us by Luke. The two messengers,
Moses and Elias, made a movement to one side, went apart (Luke
ix. 33, iv TU) 6iax(^pi'^£odai avrovq an' avroxi) : while Peter was yet
speaking the bright cloud came, and Jesus with the two entered
* Aa to the name /5a/3/3t compare on Matth. xsiii 7.