Matthew 17 10

Matthew 17:10 kjv

And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?

Matthew 17:10 nkjv

And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"

Matthew 17:10 niv

The disciples asked him, "Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?"

Matthew 17:10 esv

And the disciples asked him, "Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?"

Matthew 17:10 nlt

Then his disciples asked him, "Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes? "

Matthew 17 verses

Matthew 17 10 Meaning

Matthew 17:10 records a question from Jesus' disciples following the Transfiguration, where Elijah appeared alongside Moses and Jesus. The disciples, having just witnessed Elijah, were perplexed by a widespread scribal teaching that Elijah must come first before the Messiah. Their question, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" reflects their attempt to reconcile what they had been taught with what they had just experienced and the true identity of Jesus as the Messiah. It reveals their lingering uncertainty about the nature and timing of prophetic fulfillment regarding Elijah's return.

Matthew 17 10 Context

This verse is embedded within one of the pivotal moments in the Gospels: the Transfiguration. Just prior to this exchange (Matt 17:1-9), Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a high mountain where He was supernaturally transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as light. Simultaneously, Moses and Elijah appeared, conversing with Him. This awe-inspiring event deeply impacted the disciples. Following the Transfiguration, as they descended the mountain, Jesus instructed them not to speak of what they had seen until He had risen from the dead (Matt 17:9).

The immediate context is thus an attempt by the disciples to reconcile their firsthand experience of Elijah with the prevailing and deeply ingrained Jewish expectation, propagated by the scribes, that Elijah must appear before the Messiah. Jewish understanding, largely based on Malachi 4:5-6, held that Elijah would herald the Messiah's arrival, reconcile families, and prepare Israel for the Day of the Lord. For centuries, this belief was central to their eschatological hopes. The disciples had witnessed Jesus’ glory and seen Elijah with Him, but the order of events seemed reversed or unclear based on the common scribal teaching, prompting their earnest question.

Culturally, the scribes (Hebrew: sopherim; Greek: grammateis) were experts in the Mosaic Law, copying and interpreting the Scriptures. Their teachings held significant authority among the people. The question reflects the disciples' struggle with reconciling their direct revelation from God through Jesus with the accepted traditions of their religious leaders. It also subtly introduces a common polemic of Jesus' ministry: challenging traditional interpretations of Scripture with a deeper, spiritual fulfillment.

Matthew 17 10 Word analysis

• And His disciples: Refers to Peter, James, and John (mentioned in Matt 17:1). Their proximity to Jesus during this significant event highlights their role as the closest inner circle and the ones receiving this particular insight. They were learners (mathētai, μαθηταί) of Jesus, seeking to understand His teachings amidst existing traditions.
• asked Him: (ἐπηρώτησαν - epērōtēsan). This denotes a direct inquiry, a questioning prompted by a need for clarification or reconciliation of perceived contradictions. It shows their active engagement with what they observed and were taught.
• saying: (λέγοντες - legontes). Reinforces the direct speech of their question.
• "Why then": (τί οὖν - ti oun). This interrogative phrase conveys a sense of perplexity or a seeking of logical explanation for a perceived discrepancy. "If this is the case (what we just saw), then why is this other thing being taught?"
• do the scribes: (οἱ γραμματεῖς - hoi grammateis). These were Jewish scholars, interpreters of the Law (Torah), and influential teachers. They often held prominent positions in synagogues and were seen as authorities on matters of prophecy and eschatology. Their widespread teaching about Elijah's coming held great weight among the people. The disciples are specifically referencing the authoritative and pervasive teachings from this group.
• say: (λέγουσιν - legousin). Implies an ongoing, established, and commonly held belief taught by these authorities.
• that Elijah: (Ἠλίαν - Hēlian). Refers to the prophet Elijah of the Old Testament, who ascended to heaven without dying (2 Kgs 2:11). Due to Malachi's prophecy (Mal 4:5), he was uniquely expected to return. The disciples had just seen this very prophet.
• must come first: (δεῖ ἐλθεῖν πρῶτον - dei elthein prōton). This is the core of the scribal teaching in question.
  • must: (δεῖ - dei). This verb conveys a sense of divine necessity, obligation, or absolute certainty. It's not just "he will come" but "he must come." The scribes presented this as an unchangeable divine decree.
  • come: (ἐλθεῖν - elthein). Refers to his arrival, understood by many as a literal reappearance of the person of Elijah.
  • first: (πρῶτον - prōton). This temporal adverb is crucial, indicating a prerequisite sequence: Elijah must come before the Messiah's full revelation or Messianic kingdom. This established chronological expectation is what Jesus will re-interpret.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Why then do the scribes say": This phrase encapsulates the disciples' dilemma. They acknowledge the authority of the scribes ("the scribes say") and the widespread nature of their teaching, yet they are grappling with a perceived contradiction. Their "why then" signifies a search for theological coherence in light of Jesus' identity and the recent Transfiguration. It highlights the tension between prophetic fulfillment in the person of Elijah (Transfiguration) and the expected pre-Messianic role of Elijah (scribal teaching).
• "Elijah must come first": This group of words represents the deeply embedded Jewish eschatological belief rooted in Malachi. The divine necessity implied by "must" underscored the finality and certainty of this prerequisite coming. This teaching shaped popular expectation and understanding of the Messianic era. Jesus' subsequent response directly addresses and redefines the nature of this "first coming," revealing that prophecy can be fulfilled in unexpected ways.

Matthew 17 10 Bonus section

• The expectation of Elijah's return was so ingrained that even today, in Jewish Passover Seder meals, an extra cup of wine (Kosh Eliyahu - Cup of Elijah) is poured, and the door is often opened for him, symbolizing the hope for his arrival as a herald of the Messiah and redemption.
• The scribal teaching referenced by the disciples implies a physical return of Elijah as the literal forerunner. Jesus' teaching in Matt 17:12-13 and Matt 11:14 offers a nuanced fulfillment: John the Baptist came "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17), thus fulfilling the prophetic office without being the literal person of Elijah himself. This distinction highlights how Old Testament prophecies can be fulfilled not always literally in form, but essentially and powerfully in purpose.
• The Transfiguration itself could be seen as a partial fulfillment of Elijah appearing before Christ, but this appearance was to His inner circle in a specific divine manifestation, not the public, universal preparatory coming envisioned by the scribes. This led to the disciples' confusion about the timing and nature of the pre-Messianic Elijah.
• The question also underscores the disciples' slow spiritual understanding and their persistent ties to prevailing traditional beliefs, even after extraordinary experiences. Their journey involves continuous re-education by Jesus regarding the nature of God's kingdom and prophecy.

Matthew 17 10 Commentary

Matthew 17:10 captures a moment of sincere theological inquiry from Jesus' inner circle. Having witnessed Elijah's brief, ethereal appearance during the Transfiguration, they were still grappling with the well-established Jewish teaching, based primarily on Malachi 4:5-6, that Elijah must herald the Messiah's coming. The scribes, as authoritative interpreters of the Law and prophets, had consistently taught this. The disciples' "Why then?" highlights their earnest desire to reconcile the traditional prophetic expectation with the profound revelation they had just received about Jesus’ divine Sonship and His interaction with Moses and Elijah. This verse sets the stage for Jesus' crucial clarification, in the verses that follow (Matt 17:11-13), regarding the nature of Elijah's "coming" – revealing that while the literal Elijah would appear in a heavenly sense (as at the Transfiguration), the spirit and power of Elijah's prophetic ministry had already arrived in the person of John the Baptist, whom "they did not know." Thus, the verse signifies the tension between literalistic interpretations of prophecy and the deeper, often surprising, spiritual fulfillment wrought by God's plan through Christ. It teaches us to look beyond rigid expectations and seek the true meaning within the flow of divine revelation.