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Matthew 17
New English Translation

The Transfiguration

17 Six days later[a] Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James,[b] and led them privately up a high mountain. 2 And he was transfigured before them.[c] His[d] face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 Then Moses[e] and Elijah[f] also appeared before them, talking with him. 4 So[g] Peter said[h] to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make[i] three shelters[j]—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, a[k] bright cloud[l] overshadowed[m] them, and a voice from the cloud said,[n] “This is my one dear Son,[o] in whom I take great delight. Listen to him!”[p] 6 When the disciples heard this, they were overwhelmed with fear and threw themselves down with their faces to the ground.[q] 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Do not be afraid.” 8 When[r] they looked up, all they saw was Jesus alone.

9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them,[s] “Do not tell anyone about the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” 10 The disciples asked him,[t] “Why then do the experts in the law[u] say that Elijah must come first?” 11 He[v] answered, “Elijah does indeed come first and will restore all things. 12 And I tell you that Elijah has already come. Yet they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. In[w] the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.

The Disciples’ Failure to Heal

14 When[x] they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, 15 and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, because he has seizures[y] and suffers terribly, for he often falls into the fire and into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but[z] they were not able to heal him.” 17 Jesus answered,[aa] “You[ab] unbelieving[ac] and perverse generation! How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I endure[ad] you?[ae] Bring him here to me.” 18 Then[af] Jesus rebuked[ag] the demon and it came out of him, and the boy was healed from that moment. 19 Then the disciples came[ah] to Jesus privately and said, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?” 20 He told them, “It was because of your little faith. I tell you the truth,[ai] if you have faith the size of[aj] a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; nothing[ak] will be impossible for you.”[al]

Second Prediction of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

22 When[am] they gathered together in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.[an] 23 They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised.” And they became greatly distressed.

The Temple Tax

24 After[ao] they arrived in Capernaum,[ap] the collectors of the temple tax[aq] came to Peter and said, “Your teacher pays the double drachma tax, doesn’t he?” 25 He said, “Yes.” When Peter came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first,[ar] “What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly kings collect tolls or taxes—from their sons[as] or from foreigners?” 26 After he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons[at] are free. 27 But so that we don’t offend them, go to the lake and throw out a hook. Take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth, you will find a four drachma coin.[au] Take that and give it to them for me and you.”

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 17:1 tn Grk “And after six days.”
  2. Matthew 17:1 tn Grk “John his brother” with “his” referring to James.
  3. Matthew 17:2 sn In 1st century Judaism and in the NT, it was believed that the righteous would be given new, glorified bodies in order to enter heaven (cf. 1 Cor 15:42-49; 2 Cor 5:1-10). This transformation meant that the righteous will share the glory of God. The account of Jesus’ transfiguration here recalls the way Moses shared the Lord’s glory after his visit to the mountain in Exod 34:28-35. So the disciples saw Jesus transfigured, and they were getting a private preview of the great glory that Jesus would have following his exaltation.
  4. Matthew 17:2 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
  5. Matthew 17:3 tn Grk “And behold, Moses.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
  6. Matthew 17:3 sn Commentators and scholars discuss why Moses and Elijah are present. The most likely explanation is that Moses represents the prophetic office (Acts 3:18-22) and Elijah pictures the presence of the last days (Mal 4:5-6), the prophet of the eschaton (the end times).
  7. Matthew 17:4 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate that the appearance of Moses and Elijah prompted Peter’s comment.
  8. Matthew 17:4 tn Grk “Peter answering said.” This construction is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
  9. Matthew 17:4 tc Instead of the singular future indicative ποιήσω (poiēsō, “I will make”), most witnesses (C3 D L W Γ Δ Θ [Φ] 0281 ƒ[1],13 33 1241 1424 M lat sy co) have the plural aorist subjunctive ποιήσωμεν (poiēsōmen, “let us make”). But since ποιήσωμεν is the reading found in the parallel accounts in Mark and Luke, it is likely a motivated reading. Further, the earliest and best witnesses, as well as a few others (א B C* 700* as well as some versional and patristic witnesses) have ποιήσω. It is thus more likely that the singular verb is authentic.
  10. Matthew 17:4 tn Or “booths,” “dwellings” (referring to the temporary booths constructed in the celebration of the feast of Tabernacles).sn Peter apparently wanted to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles or Booths that looked forward to the end and wanted to treat Moses, Elijah, and Jesus as equals by making three shelters (one for each). It was actually a way of expressing honor to Jesus, but the next verse makes it clear that it was not enough honor.
  11. Matthew 17:5 tn Grk “behold, a.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated here or in the following clause because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
  12. Matthew 17:5 sn This cloud is the cloud of God’s presence and the voice is his as well.
  13. Matthew 17:5 tn Or “surrounded.”
  14. Matthew 17:5 tn Grk “behold, a voice from the cloud, saying.” This is an incomplete sentence in Greek which portrays intensity and emotion. The participle λέγουσα (legousa) was translated as a finite verb in keeping with English style.
  15. Matthew 17:5 tn Grk “my beloved Son,” or “my Son, the beloved [one].” The force of ἀγαπητός (agapētos) is often “pertaining to one who is the only one of his or her class, but at the same time is particularly loved and cherished” (L&N 58.53; cf. also BDAG 7 s.v. 1).
  16. Matthew 17:5 sn The expression listen to him comes from Deut 18:15 and makes two points: 1) Jesus is a prophet like Moses, a leader-prophet, and 2) they have much yet to learn from him.
  17. Matthew 17:6 tn Grk “they fell down on their faces.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
  18. Matthew 17:8 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  19. Matthew 17:9 tn Grk “Jesus commanded them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant and has not been translated.
  20. Matthew 17:10 tn Grk “asked him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated.
  21. Matthew 17:10 tn Or “do the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
  22. Matthew 17:11 tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This has been simplified in the translation.
  23. Matthew 17:12 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
  24. Matthew 17:14 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
  25. Matthew 17:15 tn Grk “he is moonstruck,” possibly meaning “lunatic” (so NAB, NASB), although now the term is generally regarded as referring to some sort of seizure disorder such as epilepsy (L&N 23.169; BDAG 919 s.v. σεληνιάζομαι).
  26. Matthew 17:16 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
  27. Matthew 17:17 tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
  28. Matthew 17:17 tn Grk “O.” The marker of direct address, ὦ (ō), is functionally equivalent to a vocative and is represented in the translation by “you.”
  29. Matthew 17:17 tn Or “faithless.”sn The rebuke for lack of faith has OT roots: Num 14:27; Deut 32:5, 20; Isa 59:8.
  30. Matthew 17:17 tn Or “put up with.” See Num 11:12; Isa 46:4.
  31. Matthew 17:17 sn The pronouns you…you are plural, indicating that Jesus is speaking to a group rather than an individual.
  32. Matthew 17:18 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
  33. Matthew 17:18 tn Or “commanded” (often with the implication of a threat, L&N 33.331).
  34. Matthew 17:19 tn Grk “coming, the disciples said.” The participle προσελθόντες (proselthontes) has been translated as a finite verb to make the sequence of events clear in English.
  35. Matthew 17:20 tn Grk “For truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
  36. Matthew 17:20 tn Grk “faith as,” “faith like.”
  37. Matthew 17:20 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
  38. Matthew 17:20 tc Many significant mss (א* B Θ 0281 33 579 892* e ff1 sys,c sa) do not include 17:21 “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” The verse is included in א2 C D L W Γ Δ ƒ1, 13 565 579 700 1241 1424 M al lat sy(p),h, but is almost certainly not original. As Metzger notes, “Since there is no satisfactory reason why the passage, if originally present in Matthew, should have been omitted in a wide variety of witnesses, and since copyists frequently inserted material derived from another Gospel, it appears that most manuscripts have been assimilated to the parallel in Mk 9.29” (TCGNT 35). The present translation follows NA28 in omitting the verse number as well, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.
  39. Matthew 17:22 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  40. Matthew 17:22 tn The plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anthrōpōn) is considered by some to be used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NRSV “into human hands”; CEV “to people”). However, because this can be taken as a specific reference to the group responsible for Jesus’ arrest, where it is unlikely women were present (cf. Matt 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12), the word “men” has been retained in the translation. There may also be a slight wordplay with “the Son of Man” earlier in the verse.
  41. Matthew 17:24 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  42. Matthew 17:24 sn Capernaum was a town located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It existed since Hasmonean times and was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region. The population in the first century is estimated to be around 1,500. Capernaum became the hub of operations for Jesus’ Galilean ministry (Matt 4:13; Mark 2:1). In modern times the site was discovered in 1838 by the American explorer E. Robinson, and major excavations began in 1905 by German archaeologists H. Kohl and C. Watzinger. Not until 1968, however, were remains from the time of Jesus visible; in that year V. Corbo and S. Loffreda began a series of annual archaeological campaigns that lasted until 1985. This work uncovered what is thought to be the house of Simon Peter as well as ruins of the first century synagogue beneath the later synagogue from the fourth or fifth century A.D. Today gently rolling hills and date palms frame the first century site, a favorite tourist destination of visitors to the Galilee.
  43. Matthew 17:24 tn Grk “Collectors of the double drachma.” This is a case of metonymy, where the coin formerly used to pay the tax (the double drachma coin, or δίδραχμον [didrachmon]) was put for the tax itself (cf. BDAG 241 s.v.). Even though this coin was no longer in circulation in NT times and other coins were used to pay the tax, the name for the coin was still used to refer to the tax itself.sn The temple tax refers to the half-shekel tax paid annually by male Jews to support the temple (Exod 30:13-16).
  44. Matthew 17:25 tn Grk “spoke first to him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
  45. Matthew 17:25 sn The phrase their sons may mean “their citizens,” but the term “sons” has been retained here in order to preserve the implicit comparison between the Father and his Son, Jesus.
  46. Matthew 17:26 sn See the note on the phrase their sons in the previous verse.
  47. Matthew 17:27 sn The four drachma coin was a stater (στατήρ, statēr), a silver coin worth four drachmas. One drachma was equivalent to one denarius, the standard pay for a day’s labor (L&N 6.80).
Close CARST

Мат 17
Священное Писание (Восточный перевод), версия для Таджикистана

Преображение Исо Масеха(A)

17 Через шесть дней Исо взял с Собой Петруса, Якуба, его брата Иохана и привёл их одних на высокую гору. 2 И на глазах учеников вдруг Его облик изменился: лицо Его засияло, как солнце, а одежда стала белой, как свет. 3 И вот они увидели пророков Мусо и Ильёса, беседующих с Исо. 4 Петрус сказал Исо:

– Повелитель, нам здесь так хорошо! Если Ты хочешь, я сделаю три шалаша: один Тебе, один Мусо и один Ильёсу.

5 Пока он говорил, светлое облако накрыло их, и из облака прозвучал голос:

– Это Мой любимый Сын (Масех), в Нём Моя радость. Слушайте Его![a]

6 Услышав эти слова, ученики в ужасе пали на лица свои. 7 Исо подошёл и прикоснулся к ним:

– Не бойтесь, встаньте.

8 Они подняли взгляд и уже никого, кроме Исо, не увидели. 9 Когда они спускались с горы, Исо сказал им:

– Никому не говорите о том, что вы видели здесь, до тех пор, пока Ниспосланный как Человек не воскреснет из мёртвых.

10 Ученики спросили Его:

– Почему же учители Таврота говорят, что вначале, перед Масехом, должен прийти Ильёс?

11 Исо ответил:

– Ильёс действительно должен прийти и всё приготовить.[b] 12 Но говорю вам, что Ильёс уже пришёл,[c] только его не узнали и поступили с ним по своему произволу.[d] Так же и Ниспосланному как Человек предстоит пострадать от их рук.

13 Тогда ученики поняли, что Он говорил о пророке Яхьё.

Исцеление мальчика, одержимого нечистым духом(B)

14 Когда они вернулись туда, где их дожидалась толпа, подошёл один мужчина и пал перед Исо на колени 15 со словами:

– Господин, сжалься над моим сыном, у него бывают приступы эпилепсии, и он сильно мучается, часто бросается то в огонь, то в воду. 16 Я привёл его к Твоим ученикам, но они не смогли исцелить его.

17 Исо в ответ сказал:

– О неверующее и испорченное поколение! Сколько Мне ещё быть с вами? Сколько Мне ещё терпеть вас? Приведите мальчика ко Мне.

18 Исо приказал демону выйти, и тот вышел из мальчика; в тот же миг ребёнок стал совершенно здоров. 19 Потом, оставшись с Исо наедине, ученики спросили:

– Почему же мы не смогли изгнать его?

20-21 Исо ответил:

– Потому что у вас мало веры. Говорю вам истину: если бы ваша вера была величиной хоть с горчичное зерно, то вы могли бы этой горе сказать: «Передвинься отсюда туда», и она бы передвинулась; для вас не было бы ничего невозможного.[e]

Исо Масех вновь говорит о своей смерти и воскресении(C)

22 Когда они были вместе в Галилее, Исо сказал ученикам:

– Ниспосланный как Человек будет предан в руки людей, 23 которые убьют Его, но на третий день Он воскреснет.

Учеников это сильно опечалило.

Налог на храм

24 Когда они вернулись в Капернаум, к Петрусу подошли сборщики налога на нужды храма[f] и спросили:

– А ваш Учитель платит налог на храм?

25 – Платит, – ответил он.

Когда Петрус вошёл в дом и ещё не успел ничего сказать, Исо спросил:

– Шимон, как тебе кажется, с кого земные цари взимают пошлины или дань, со своих родных сыновей или с посторонних?

26 – С посторонних, – ответил Петрус.

– Значит, сыновья свободны, – заключил Исо.[g] – 27 Но чтобы нам никого не обидеть, пойди к озеру, забрось удочку, вытащи первую рыбу, что попадётся на крючок, открой ей рот, и там ты найдёшь монету[h], которой будет достаточно, чтобы заплатить налог за нас обоих. Итак, возьми её и заплати за Меня и за себя.

Footnotes

  1. Мат 17:5 См. Нач. 22:2; Втор. 18:15; Заб. 2:7; Ис. 42:1. В Исо мы видим исполнение всех этих пророчеств: Он и жертвенный ягнёнок, и обещанный Мусо Пророк, и Масех (Царь Исроила), и Раб Вечного.
  2. Мат 17:11 См. Мал. 4:5-6.
  3. Мат 17:12 См. Лк. 1:13-17.
  4. Мат 17:12 См. 14:1-12, также 3 Цар. 19:1-10.
  5. Мат 17:20 В некоторых рукописях присутствуют слова: «Этот же вид демонов изгоняется только молитвой и постом».
  6. Мат 17:24 Букв.: «сборщики дидрахм». Дидрахма (две драхмы) – древнегреческая монета, равная примерно двухдневному заработку наёмного работника. Согласно Тавроту, каждый взрослый мужчина-иудей должен был платить ежегодный налог на храм (см. Исх. 30:11-16).
  7. Мат 17:26 Или: «…со своих подданных или с побеждённых народов?» 26 «С побеждённых народов», – ответил Петрус. «Значит, подданные свободны», – заключил Исо.
  8. Мат 17:27 Букв.: «статир» – монета достоинством в две дидрахмы.
Close NABRE

Matthew 17
New American Bible (Revised Edition)

Chapter 17

The Transfiguration of Jesus.[a] 1 (A)After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.[b] 2 [c](B)And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. 3 [d]And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. 4 Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents[e] here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 (C)While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them,[f] then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 [g]When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” 8 And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone.

The Coming of Elijah.[h] 9 (D)As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, “Do not tell the vision[i] to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” 10 [j](E)Then the disciples asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11 (F)He said in reply,[k] “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; 12 (G)but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.” 13 [l]Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

The Healing of a Boy with a Demon.[m] 14 (H)When they came to the crowd a man approached, knelt down before him, 15 and said, “Lord, have pity on my son, for he is a lunatic[n] and suffers severely; often he falls into fire, and often into water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” 17 (I)Jesus said in reply, “O faithless and perverse[o] generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him,[p] and from that hour the boy was cured. 19 Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” 20 [q](J)He said to them, “Because of your little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” [21 ][r]

The Second Prediction of the Passion.[s] 22 (K)As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, 23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were overwhelmed with grief.

Payment of the Temple Tax.[t] 24 (L)When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax[u] approached Peter and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” 25 “Yes,” he said.[v] When he came into the house, before he had time to speak, Jesus asked him, “What is your opinion, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax? From their subjects or from foreigners?” 26 [w]When he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the subjects are exempt. 27 But that we may not offend them,[x] go to the sea, drop in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax. Give that to them for me and for you.”

Footnotes

  1. 17:1–8 The account of the transfiguration confirms that Jesus is the Son of God (Mt 17:5) and points to fulfillment of the prediction that he will come in his Father’s glory at the end of the age (Mt 16:27). It has been explained by some as a resurrection appearance retrojected into the time of Jesus’ ministry, but that is not probable since the account lacks many of the usual elements of the resurrection-appearance narratives. It draws upon motifs from the Old Testament and noncanonical Jewish apocalyptic literature that express the presence of the heavenly and the divine, e.g., brilliant light, white garments, and the overshadowing cloud.
  2. 17:1 These three disciples are also taken apart from the others by Jesus in Gethsemane (Mt 26:37). A high mountain: this has been identified with Tabor or Hermon, but probably no specific mountain was intended by the evangelist or by his Marcan source (Mk 9:2). Its meaning is theological rather than geographical, possibly recalling the revelation to Moses on Mount Sinai (Ex 24:12–18) and to Elijah at the same place (1 Kgs 19:8–18; Horeb = Sinai).
  3. 17:2 His face shone like the sun: this is a Matthean addition; cf. Dn 10:6. His clothes became white as light: cf. Dn 7:9, where the clothing of God appears “snow bright.” For the white garments of other heavenly beings, see Rev 4:4; 7:9; 19:14.
  4. 17:3 See note on Mk 9:5.
  5. 17:4 Three tents: the booths in which the Israelites lived during the feast of Tabernacles (cf. Jn 7:2) were meant to recall their ancestors’ dwelling in booths during the journey from Egypt to the promised land (Lv 23:39–42). The same Greek word, skēnē, here translated tents, is used in the LXX for the booths of that feast, and some scholars have suggested that there is an allusion here to that liturgical custom.
  6. 17:5 Cloud cast a shadow over them: see note on Mk 9:7. This is my beloved Son…listen to him: cf. Mt 3:17. The voice repeats the baptismal proclamation about Jesus, with the addition of the command listen to him. The latter is a reference to Dt 18:15 in which the Israelites are commanded to listen to the prophet like Moses whom God will raise up for them. The command to listen to Jesus is general, but in this context it probably applies particularly to the preceding predictions of his passion and resurrection (Mt 16:21) and of his coming (Mt 16:27, 28).
  7. 17:6–7 A Matthean addition; cf. Dn 10:9–10, 18–19.
  8. 17:9–13 In response to the disciples’ question about the expected return of Elijah, Jesus interprets the mission of the Baptist as the fulfillment of that expectation. But that was not suspected by those who opposed and finally killed him, and Jesus predicts a similar fate for himself.
  9. 17:9 The vision: Matthew alone uses this word to describe the transfiguration. Until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead: only in the light of Jesus’ resurrection can the meaning of his life and mission be truly understood; until then no testimony to the vision will lead people to faith.
  10. 17:10 See notes on Mt 3:4; 16:14.
  11. 17:11–12 The preceding question and this answer may reflect later controversy with Jews who objected to the Christian claims for Jesus that Elijah had not yet come.
  12. 17:13 See Mt 11:14.
  13. 17:14–20 Matthew has greatly shortened the Marcan story (Mk 9:14–29). Leaving aside several details of the boy’s illness, he concentrates on the need for faith, not so much on the part of the boy’s father (as does Mark, for Matthew omits Mk 9:22b–24) but on that of his own disciples whose inability to drive out the demon is ascribed to their little faith (Mt 17:20).
  14. 17:15 A lunatic: this description of the boy is peculiar to Matthew. The word occurs in the New Testament only here and in Mt 4:24 and means one affected or struck by the moon. The symptoms of the boy’s illness point to epilepsy, and attacks of this were thought to be caused by phases of the moon.
  15. 17:17 Faithless and perverse: so Matthew and Luke (Lk 9:41) against Mark’s faithless (Mk 9:19). The Greek word here translated perverse is the same as that in Dt 32:5 LXX, where Moses speaks to his people. There is a problem in knowing to whom the reproach is addressed. Since the Matthean Jesus normally chides his disciples for their little faith (as in Mt 17:20), it would appear that the charge of lack of faith could not be made against them and that the reproach is addressed to unbelievers among the Jews. However in Mt 17:20b (if you have faith the size of a mustard seed), which is certainly addressed to the disciples, they appear to have not even the smallest faith; if they had, they would have been able to cure the boy. In the light of Mt 17:20b the reproach of Mt 17:17 could have applied to the disciples. There seems to be an inconsistency between the charge of little faith in Mt 17:20a and that of not even a little in Mt 17:20b.
  16. 17:18 The demon came out of him: not until this verse does Matthew indicate that the boy’s illness is a case of demoniacal possession.
  17. 17:20 The entire verse is an addition of Matthew who (according to the better attested text) omits the reason given for the disciples’ inability in Mk 9:29. Little faith: see note on Mt 6:30. Faith the size of a mustard seed…and it will move: a combination of a Q saying (cf. Lk 17:6) with a Marcan saying (cf. Mk 11:23).
  18. 17:21 Some manuscripts add, “But this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting”; this is a variant of the better reading of Mk 9:29.
  19. 17:22–23 The second passion prediction (cf. Mt 16:21–23) is the least detailed of the three and may be the earliest. In the Marcan parallel the disciples do not understand (Mk 9:32); here they understand and are overwhelmed with grief at the prospect of Jesus’ death (Mt 17:23).
  20. 17:24–27 Like Mt 14:28–31 and Mt 16:16b–19, this episode comes from Matthew’s special material on Peter. Although the question of the collectors concerns Jesus’ payment of the temple tax, it is put to Peter. It is he who receives instruction from Jesus about freedom from the obligation of payment and yet why it should be made. The means of doing so is provided miraculously. The pericope deals with a problem of Matthew’s church, whether its members should pay the temple tax, and the answer is given through a word of Jesus conveyed to Peter. Some scholars see here an example of the teaching authority of Peter exercised in the name of Jesus (see Mt 16:19). The specific problem was a Jewish Christian one and may have arisen when the Matthean church was composed largely of that group.
  21. 17:24 The temple tax: before the destruction of the Jerusalem temple in A.D. 70 every male Jew above nineteen years of age was obliged to make an annual contribution to its upkeep (cf. Ex 30:11–16; Neh 10:33). After the destruction the Romans imposed upon Jews the obligation of paying that tax for the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus. There is disagreement about which period the story deals with.
  22. 17:25 From their subjects or from foreigners?: the Greek word here translated subjects literally means “sons.”
  23. 17:26 Then the subjects are exempt: just as subjects are not bound by laws applying to foreigners, neither are Jesus and his disciples, who belong to the kingdom of heaven, bound by the duty of paying the temple tax imposed on those who are not of the kingdom. If the Greek is translated “sons,” the freedom of Jesus, the Son of God, and of his disciples, children (“sons”) of the kingdom (cf. Mt 13:38), is even more clear.
  24. 17:27 That we may not offend them: though they are exempt (Mt 17:26), Jesus and his disciples are to avoid giving offense; therefore the tax is to be paid. A coin worth twice the temple tax: literally, “a stater,” a Greek coin worth two double drachmas. Two double drachmas were equal to the Jewish shekel and the tax was a half-shekel. For me and for you: not only Jesus but Peter pays the tax, and this example serves as a standard for the conduct of all the disciples.
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