2 Peter 1:17 kjv

For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

2 Peter 1:17 nkjv

For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

2 Peter 1:17 niv

He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

2 Peter 1:17 esv

For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,"

2 Peter 1:17 nlt

when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy."

2 Peter 1 verses

2 Peter 1 17 Meaning

2 Peter 1:17 asserts the divine attestation of Jesus Christ's identity and authority. Peter, an eyewitness, recalls the pivotal moment of the Transfiguration where God the Father Himself audibly and clearly declared Jesus to be His uniquely beloved Son, in whom He found perfect delight. This pronouncement, emerging from the magnificent, awe-inspiring glory of God, publicly conferred immense divine honor and glory upon Jesus, fundamentally confirming His unparalleled relationship with the Father and the absolute trustworthiness of His divine mission.

2 Peter 1 17 Context

This verse is a cornerstone in Peter's urgent appeal to a suffering church regarding the certainty and divine origin of the Christian faith. It directly references the Transfiguration, an event Peter, along with James and John, personally witnessed (2 Pet 1:18). This vivid recounting immediately follows Peter's declaration in 2 Peter 1:16 that the apostles "did not follow cleverly devised myths" when they preached about Christ's power and coming. Instead, their message was based on "eyewitnesses of His majesty." Verse 17 provides the preeminent proof of this majesty and authenticity: the direct, audible testimony of God the Father concerning His Son. This serves to bolster the confidence of believers against the influx of false teachers who sought to undermine Christ's true identity, the validity of the apostolic message, or the expectation of Christ's return. Peter establishes the faith's foundation on both direct, divinely-revealed eyewitness accounts (Transfiguration) and the steadfast prophetic word (2 Pet 1:19), grounding Christian truth in verifiable revelation, not human speculation.

2 Peter 1 17 Word analysis

• For: Introduces the supporting evidence or reason for the preceding statement that apostles were eyewitnesses of Christ's majesty (2 Pet 1:16).
• he received: Greek: λαβών (labōn), aorist active participle of λαμβάνω (lambanō), meaning "to take, receive, grasp." It highlights Christ's active reception of honor and glory, not just a passive experience. This denotes a specific, publicly manifested act of bestowal by the Father, underscoring its authoritative nature.
• from God the Father: Greek: Θεοῦ Πατρὸς (Theou Patros). Emphasizes the divine source and the specific relational aspect. The honor and glory were not of human origin, but directly from the Supreme Being, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.
• honor: Greek: τιμὴν (timēn). Implies worth, value, reverence, dignity, and a high estimation. It refers to the divine validation and recognition bestowed upon Jesus by the Father, acknowledging His unique worthiness and supreme standing.
• and glory: Greek: καὶ δόξαν (kai doxān). Refers to radiant splendor, majesty, renown, or visible manifestation of divine excellence. This isn't just a reputation but a tangible, revealed presence of divine nature.
• when there came: Greek: ἐνεχθείσης (enechtheisēs), aorist passive participle of ἐνφέρω (enpherō), meaning "to bear, bring in." Signifies that the voice was divinely brought forth or carried to Him, emphasizing the deliberate action from God's side.
• such a voice to him: Greek: φωνῆς (phōnēs). "Voice" implies a distinct, audible, and unequivocal sound, emphasizing the clear and verifiable nature of this revelation. The qualifier "such a" implies its extraordinary, singular quality.
• from the excellent glory: Greek: μεγαλοπρεποῦς δόξης (megaloprepous doxēs). This is a uniquely profound phrase. Μεγαλοπρεποῦς (megaloprepous) means "magnificent, majestic, splendid, glorious, worthy of God." Δόξης (doxēs) again denotes divine splendor. The combined phrase describes a glory that is overwhelmingly grand, superlative, and belonging preeminently to God. It highlights the awe-inspiring, transcendent origin of the divine voice, emphasizing that the declaration came directly from God's very being and radiant presence, surpassing all human understanding of splendor.
• This is my beloved Son: Greek: οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός (houtos estin ho huios mou ho agapētos). This declarative statement precisely echoes the words spoken at Jesus' baptism. "My beloved Son" signifies unique affection, deep endearment, and a singular relationship that transcends all others. "Beloved" indicates His unique favor, intimacy, and supreme status as God's only Son.
• in whom I am well pleased: Greek: ἐν ᾧ εὐδόκησα (en hō eudokēsa). This phrase conveys divine satisfaction, delight, and profound approval. "Well pleased" indicates God's full and complete delight in Jesus' person and perfect obedience. It's an affirmation of Christ's inherent righteousness and His flawless fulfillment of the Father's will and purpose for redemption.

Words-group analysis

• For he received... glory: This phrase highlights Christ's divine validation by the Father. It wasn't self-proclaimed glory, but a bestowal from the ultimate authority, signifying His divine acceptance and appointment for His mission.
• when there came such a voice... excellent glory: This entire clause powerfully describes the unparalleled nature of the event. It specifies the medium (a voice), its extraordinary quality ("such a"), and its transcendent, divine origin ("from the excellent glory"), affirming it as a direct and undeniable manifestation of God's presence and will.
• This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: This is the very content of the divine declaration, encapsulating the Father's testimony to Jesus' identity, unique relationship, and complete approval. It is the core of Peter's eyewitness validation, providing absolute certainty regarding Christ's divine nature and mission.

2 Peter 1 17 Bonus section

• Theophany: The event described in 2 Peter 1:17 is a significant New Testament theophany, a manifestation of God's presence, though in this instance primarily auditory ("voice") and luminous ("excellent glory") rather than a full anthropomorphic appearance.
• "Excellent glory" (μεγαλοπρεποῦς δόξης): This compound Greek word, used uniquely in the New Testament here to describe the source of God's glory directly, points to an extraordinary, magnificent display beyond typical understanding. It signifies a supreme and unmatched divine splendor, asserting the absolute transcendence and majesty of the voice's origin.
• Trinitarian implications: While the Holy Spirit is not explicitly mentioned in this verse (unlike some parallel Transfiguration accounts where a cloud, often associated with the Spirit, is present), the event involves God the Father speaking about God the Son. This public, verbal attestation from the Father for the Son points towards the distinct yet unified persons of the Godhead.
• Echoes of the Shekinah: The concept of "excellent glory" resonates with the Old Testament manifestations of God's glorious presence, such as the glory that filled the tabernacle and temple (Exod 40:34-35; 1 Kgs 8:11), or the cloud covering Mount Sinai when God spoke to Moses (Exod 19:16-19). In the Transfiguration, however, this glory directly rests upon Jesus as the Son, signifying a new and superior revelation of God's presence through His Son.

2 Peter 1 17 Commentary

Peter's account in 2 Peter 1:17 serves as irrefutable evidence for the divine identity and authority of Jesus Christ. By recalling the Transfiguration, where he personally witnessed Christ's "majesty" and heard God the Father's voice, Peter solidifies the foundation of the Christian faith. The bestowal of "honor and glory" by God the Father Himself was a definitive public act, distinguishing Jesus as uniquely God's Son. The "excellent glory" from which the voice emerged emphasizes the supreme and awe-inspiring nature of God's presence, lending ultimate authority to the Father's words. This divine affirmation, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," underscores not only Jesus' unique relationship with the Father but also His perfect obedience and the Father's complete delight in Him. For believers, this eyewitness testimony provides an unshakeable basis for trusting Christ's word and mission, especially when facing false teachings that might question His true identity or the reality of His return. It validates that the apostolic message is rooted in verifiable, divine revelation, not human conjecture.