Matthew 17:23 kjv
And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.
Matthew 17:23 nkjv
and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up." And they were exceedingly sorrowful.
Matthew 17:23 niv
They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life." And the disciples were filled with grief.
Matthew 17:23 esv
and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day." And they were greatly distressed.
Matthew 17:23 nlt
He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead." And the disciples were filled with grief.
Matthew 17 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 16:21 | From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that... suffer many things... be killed, and on the third day be raised. | First explicit passion prediction. |
| Matt 20:18-19 | ...Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests... condemn him to death and deliver him to the Gentiles... crucify him, and on the third day he will be raised. | Third, most detailed passion prediction. |
| Mk 8:31 | And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things... be killed, and after three days rise again. | Mark's parallel to the first passion prediction. |
| Mk 9:31 | For he was teaching his disciples... "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise." | Mark's parallel to the second passion prediction. |
| Mk 10:33-34 | ...Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests... condemn him to death... mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise. | Mark's parallel to the third passion prediction. |
| Lk 9:22 | saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected... be killed, and on the third day be raised." | Luke's parallel to the first passion prediction. |
| Lk 18:31-33 | And taking the twelve, he said... everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered up... they will mock him... and kill him, and on the third day he will rise. | Luke's parallel to the third passion prediction, linking it to prophecy. |
| Lk 24:7 | ...Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise. | Angel's words recalling Jesus' prediction to the women at the tomb. |
| Lk 24:46 | ...It is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead. | Jesus confirming prophecies regarding His suffering and resurrection. |
| 1 Cor 15:4 | ...that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. | Core of the apostolic teaching and creed. |
| Acts 10:40 | but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear. | Peter's sermon to Cornelius, emphasizing God's act of raising Jesus. |
| Acts 2:24 | God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. | Peter's sermon, highlighting God's power in resurrection. |
| Acts 3:15 | ...you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. | Peter confronting the Jews about Jesus' death and God's resurrection. |
| Acts 13:30 | But God raised him from the dead. | Paul's sermon, affirming God as the one who raised Jesus. |
| Rom 10:9 | ...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. | Emphasizes believing in God's act of resurrection for salvation. |
| Gal 1:1 | Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead. | Emphasizes God the Father's active role in raising Jesus. |
| Mk 9:32 | But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him. | Disciples' ongoing difficulty grasping Jesus' prophecy of suffering. |
| Lk 9:45 | But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. | Divine element in disciples' initial lack of understanding. |
| Lk 18:34 | But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said. | Reinforces the disciples' spiritual blindness to the suffering Messiah. |
| Isa 53:7 | He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter... | Prophetic foreshadowing of Messiah's silent submission to death. |
| Isa 53:10 | Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days... | Foreshadows suffering, yet also a continuation of life and offspring, implying victory over death. |
| Psa 16:10 | For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption. | Prophetic anticipation of resurrection (referenced in Acts 2:27-31). |
| Jon 1:17 | And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. | Old Testament type of being "raised" after three days. |
| Hos 6:2 | After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. | Old Testament foreshadowing of "third day" raising, although contextual application is debated by some. |
| 1 Cor 15:3 | For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures. | Context of the verse within the core Christian gospel message. |
| 1 Cor 15:17 | If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. | Emphasizes the foundational importance of resurrection for faith. |
Matthew 17 verses
Matthew 17 23 Meaning
Matthew 17:23 contains Jesus' second clear prediction of His imminent suffering, death, and resurrection. It foretells His violent betrayal and killing by human hands, and, crucially, His miraculous rising from the dead by divine power on the third day. This declaration firmly establishes the core paradox of the Messiah's mission: suffering precedes glory, and death is overcome by life.
Matthew 17 23 Context
Matthew 17:23 comes on the heels of the Transfiguration (Matt 17:1-8), where Jesus' divine glory was momentarily revealed, and immediately after He successfully casts out a demon from a boy whom His disciples could not heal (Matt 17:14-21). This context highlights the stark contrast between Jesus' undeniable divine power and coming glory, and the harsh reality of His predicted suffering and death. The setting is Galilee (Matt 17:22), indicating that this somber yet hopeful teaching occurs as Jesus begins His final journey towards Jerusalem, the place of His fulfillment. The disciples are specifically "grieved" (Matt 17:23), illustrating their inability or unwillingness to fully grasp the necessity of a suffering Messiah and the profound concept of resurrection.
Matthew 17 23 Word analysis
- and: (καὶ - kai) A connective word that links this precise prophecy to Jesus' prior statement that He "is going to be delivered into the hands of men." This continuity underscores the unfolding of God's sovereign plan, known and declared by Jesus Himself.
- they will kill: (ἀποκτενοῦσιν - apoktenousin) This is the future active indicative form of the Greek verb ἀποκτείνω (apokteinō), meaning "to kill, to slay, to murder." The choice of this strong verb signifies a violent and intentional act. The third-person plural ("they") points to the human agents involved in His death – specifically, Jewish authorities in conjunction with Roman powers – fulfilling the scriptures that spoke of His rejection by men.
- him: (αὐτόν - auton) The direct object, unambiguously referring to Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God.
- and on the third day: (καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ - kai tē tritē hēmera)
- third day: (τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ - tritē hēmera) This is a deeply significant and precise detail, consistently mentioned in all Jesus' resurrection predictions and throughout early Christian confessions (e.g., 1 Cor 15:4). It signals a divinely appointed timeframe, demonstrating God's sovereign control over even death. This specific timing also has subtle echoes in Old Testament narrative patterns and prophetic types (e.g., Jonah's time in the fish, Hosea 6:2). It offers a specific promise and measurable anticipation.
- he will be raised: (ἐγερθήσεται - egertēsetai) This is the future passive indicative form of the Greek verb ἐγείρω (egeirō), meaning "to awaken, to raise up, to cause to stand."
- Passive voice: The critical element here is the passive voice, which strongly indicates that the action of raising is not initiated by Jesus Himself, but is done to Him by another. This points unequivocally to God the Father as the agent of Jesus' resurrection (e.g., Acts 2:24; Rom 10:9). It underscores God's immense power, His vindication of Jesus, and His triumph over death.
- Words-group Analysis:
- "and they will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised": This complete phrase encapsulates the theological core of the Gospel message: death followed by resurrection. It highlights the divine necessity of both events for atonement and victory over sin and death. The direct juxtaposition of "kill him" and "he will be raised" reveals a dramatic theological contrast, where human evil and God's ultimate good converge in a divinely ordained plan. It serves as a concise summary of the suffering-glory motif essential to understanding Jesus' Messiahship.
Matthew 17 23 Bonus section
- The timing of this prediction is strategic, occurring while the disciples are still reeling from the Transfiguration's awe-inspiring glory and the fresh demonstration of Jesus' unmatched power over a demonic spirit. It serves to balance their possibly elevated expectations of an immediate, conquering, political Messiah, reminding them that the path to triumph lay through suffering.
- The repeated declaration of resurrection "on the third day" echoes certain Old Testament prophetic types, though these were generally not fully comprehended by the disciples until after the resurrection itself and the giving of the Holy Spirit. Examples include Jonah's three days in the fish or perhaps symbolic patterns in texts like Hosea 6:2. This consistent "third day" detail became a core element of the apostolic kerygma (proclamation).
- The disciples' repeated failure to grasp this crucial prophecy highlights their human limitations and spiritual unpreparedness for a suffering Messiah, a key theme woven through the Gospels. Their grief (Matt 17:23) stemmed from their inability to reconcile a suffering Messiah with their expectations of glory. This only transformed after Pentecost when the Spirit illuminated the scriptures.
Matthew 17 23 Commentary
Matthew 17:23 is not merely a foresight but a declarative prophecy from Jesus, a part of a recurring pattern of His predictions regarding His death and resurrection (Matt 16:21, 20:18-19). Despite the prior magnificent display of the Transfiguration where His divine glory shone forth, Jesus immediately grounds His disciples in the stark reality of His necessary suffering. The juxtaposition reveals a core paradox: the King who deserves a crown must first bear a cross.
The "they" who will kill Him refers to the collaboration of religious and political powers that will bring about His crucifixion. Yet, this human act of rejection and murder is swallowed up by the divine act of resurrection. The "third day" is more than a timeline; it's a testament to God's precise control and power over life and death. The passive voice "he will be raised" emphatically credits God the Father as the ultimate agent of Jesus' triumph, validating Jesus' identity and mission beyond human power or understanding. This prophecy served not only to prepare the disciples (though they initially resisted understanding it) but also as foundational proof for future believers that Jesus was indeed the foretold Messiah, and that His death was purposeful, followed by His glorious resurrection, ensuring hope and salvation.