00550
 \\Peter took him\\ (\\proslabomenos auton ho Petros\\). Middle voice,
 "taking to himself," aside and apart, "as if by a right of his
 own. He acted with greater familiarity after the token of
 acknowledgment had been given. Jesus, however, reduces him to his
 level" (Bengel). "Peter here appears in a new character; a minute
 ago speaking under inspiration from heaven, now under inspiration
 from the opposite quarter" (Bruce). Syriac Sinaitic for
 # Mr 8:32
 has it "as though pitying him." But this exclamation and
 remonstrance of Peter was soon interrupted by Jesus. \\God have\\
 \\mercy on thee\\ (\\hiles\\. Supply \\ei\\ or \\est ho theos\\). \\This\\
 \\shall never be\\ (\\ou m estai soi touto\\). Strongest kind of
 negation, as if Peter would not let it happen. Peter had perfect
 assurance.

00551
 \\But he turned\\ (\\ho de strapheis\\). Second aorist passive
 participle, quick ingressive action, away from Peter in
 revulsion, and toward the other disciples
 # Mr 8:33
 has \\epistrapheis\\ and \\idn tous mathtas autou\\). \\Get thee behind\\
 \\me, Satan\\ (\\Hupage opis mou, Satan\\). Just before Peter played
 the part of a rock in the noble confession and was given a place
 of leadership. Now he is playing the part of Satan and is ordered
 to the rear. Peter was tempting Jesus not to go on to the cross
 as Satan had done in the wilderness. "None are more formidable
 instruments of temptation than well-meaning friends, who care
 more for our comfort than for our character" (Bruce). "In Peter
 the banished Satan had once more returned" (Plummer). \\A\\
 \\stumbling-block unto me\\ (\\skandalon ei emou\\). Objective genitive.
 Peter was acting as Satan's catspaw, in ignorance, surely, but
 none the less really. He had set a trap for Christ that would
 undo all his mission to earth. "Thou art not, as before, a noble
 block, lying in its right position as a massive foundation stone.
 On the contrary, thou art like a stone quite out of its proper
 place, and lying right across the road in which I must go--lying
 as a stone of stumbling" (Morison). \\Thou mindest not\\ (\\ou\\
 \\phroneis\\). "Your outlook is not God's, but man's" (Moffatt). You
 do not think God's thoughts. Clearly the consciousness of the
 coming cross is not a new idea with Jesus. We do not know when he
 first foresaw this outcome any more than we know when first the
 Messianic consciousness appeared in Jesus. He had the glimmerings
 of it as a boy of twelve, when he spoke of "My Father's house."
 He knows now that he must die on the cross.

00552
 \\Take up his cross\\ (\\arat ton stauron autou\\). Pick up at once,
 aorist tense. This same saying in
 # 10:38
 which see. But pertinent here also in explanation of Christ's
 rebuke to Peter. Christ's own cross faces him. Peter had dared to
 pull Christ away from his destiny. He would do better to face
 squarely his own cross and to bear it after Jesus. The disciples
 would be familiar with cross-bearing as a figure of speech by
 reason of the crucifixion of criminals in Jerusalem. \\Follow\\
 (\\akaloutheit\\). Present tense. Keep on following.

00553
 \\Save his life\\ (\\tn psuchn autou ssai\\). Paradoxical play on word
 "life" or "soul," using it in two senses. So about "saving" and
 "losing" (\\apolesei\\).

00554
 \\Gain\\ (\\kerdsi\\) and \\profit\\ (\\zmithi\\). Both aorist subjunctives
 (one active, the other passive) and so punctiliar action,
 condition of third class, undetermined, but with prospect of
 determination. Just a supposed case. The verb for "forfeit"
 occurs in the sense of being fined or mulcted of money. So the
 papyri and inscriptions. \\Exchange\\ (\\antallagma\\). As an exchange,
 accusative in apposition with \\ti\\. The soul has no market price,
 though the devil thinks so. "A man must give, surrender, his
 life, and nothing less to God; no \\antallagma\\ is possible"
 (McNeile). This word \\antallagma\\ occurs twice in the _Wisdom of
 Sirach_: "There is no exchange for a faithful friend" (6:15);
 "There is no exchange for a well-instructed soul" (26:14).

00555
00556
 \\Some of them that stand here\\ (\\tines tn hode hesttn\\). A _crux
 interpretum_ in reality. Does Jesus refer to the Transfiguration,
 the Resurrection of Jesus, the great Day of Pentecost, the
 Destruction of Jerusalem, the Second Coming and Judgment? We do
 not know, only that Jesus was certain of his final victory which
 would be typified and symbolized in various ways. The apocalyptic
 eschatological symbolism employed by Jesus here does not dominate
 his teaching. He used it at times to picture the triumph of the
 kingdom, not to set forth the full teaching about it. The kingdom
 of God was already in the hearts of men. There would be climaxes
 and consummations.

00557
 \\After six days\\ (\\meth' hmers hex\\). This could be on the sixth
 day, but as Luke
 # Lu 9:28
 puts it "about eight days" one naturally thinks of a week as the
 probable time, though it is not important. \\Taketh with him\\
 (\\paralambanei\\). Literally, \\takes along\\. Note historical present.
 These three disciples form an inner group who have shown more
 understanding of Jesus. So at Gethsemane. \\Apart\\ (\\kat' idian\\)
 means "by themselves" (\\alone\\, \\monous\\, Mark has it) up (\\anapherei\\)
 into a high mountain, probably Mount Hermon again, though we do
 not really know. "The Mount of Transfiguration does not concern
 geography" (Holtzmann).

00558
 \\He was transfigured before them\\ (\\metemorphth emprosthen autn\\).
 The word is the same as the metamorphoses (cf. Ovid) of pagan
 mythology. Luke does not use it. The idea is change (\\meta-\\) of
 form (\\morph\\). It really presents the essence of a thing as
 separate from the \\schma\\ (fashion), the outward accident. So in
 # Ro 12:2
 Paul uses both verbs, \\sunschematizesthe\\ (be not fashioned) and
 \\metamorphousthe\\ (be ye transformed in your inner life). So in
 # 1Co 7:31
 \\schma\\ is used for the fashion of the world while in
 # Mr 16:12
 \\morph\\ is used of the form of Jesus after his resurrection. The
 false apostles are described by \\metaschmatisomai\\ in
 # 2Co 11:13-15
 In
 # Php 2:6
 we have \\en morphi\\ used of the Preincarnate state of Christ and
 \\morphn doulou\\ of the Incarnate state
 # Php 2:7
 while \\schmati hs anthrpos\\ emphasizes his being found "in
 fashion as a man." But it will not do in
 # Mt 17:2
 to use the English transliteration \\metamorphsis\\ because of its
 pagan associations. So the Latin _transfigured_ (Vulgate
 _transfiguratus est_) is better. "The deeper force of
 \\metamorphousthai\\ is seen in
 # 2Co 3:18
 (with reference to the shining on Moses' face),
 # Ro 12:2
 " (McNeile). The word occurs in a second-century papyrus of the
 pagan gods who are invisible. Matthew guards against the pagan
 idea by adding and explaining about the face of Christ "as the
 sun" and his garments "as the light."

00559
 \\There appeared\\ (\\phth\\). Singular aorist passive verb with Moses
 (to be understood also with Elijah), but the participle
 \\sunlalountes\\ is plural agreeing with both. "Sufficient
 objectivity is guaranteed by the vision being enjoyed by all
 three" (Bruce). The Jewish apocalypses reveal popular
 expectations that Moses and Elijah would reappear. Both had
 mystery connected with their deaths. One represented law, the
 other prophecy, while Jesus represented the gospel (grace). They
 spoke of his decease
 # Lu 9:31
 the cross, the theme uppermost in the mind of Christ and which
 the disciples did not comprehend. Jesus needed comfort and he
 gets it from fellowship with Moses and Elijah.

00560
 \\And Peter answered\\ (\\apokritheis de ho Petros\\). "Peter to the
 front again, but not greatly to his credit" (Bruce). It is not
 clear what Peter means by his saying: "It is good for us to be
 here" (\\kalon estin hms hde einai\\). Luke
 # Lu 9:33
 adds "not knowing what he said," as they "were heavy with sleep."
 So it is not well to take Peter too seriously on this occasion.
 At any rate he makes a definite proposal. \\I will make\\ (\\pais\\).
 Future indicative though aorist subjunctive has same form.
 \\Tabernacles\\ (\\sknas\\), booths. The Feast of Tabernacles was not
 far away. Peter may have meant that they should just stay up here
 on the mountain and not go to Jerusalem for the feast.

00561
 \\Overshadowed\\ (\\epeskiasen\\). They were up in cloud-land that swept
 round and over them. See this verb used of Mary
 # Lu 1:35
 and of Peter's shadow
 # Ac 5:15
 \\This is\\ (\\houtos estin\\). At the baptism
 # Mt 3:17
 these words were addressed to Jesus. Here the voice out of the
 bright cloud speaks to them about Jesus. \\Hear ye him\\ (\\akouete\\
 \\autou\\). Even when he speaks about his death. A sharp rebuke to
 Peter for his consolation to Jesus about his death.

00562
00563
 \\And touched them\\ (\\kai hapsamenos autn\\). Tenderness in their time
 of fear.

00564
 \\Lifting up their eyes\\ (\\eparantes tous ophthalmous autn\\). After
 the reassuring touch of Jesus and his words of cheer. \\Jesus only\\
 (\\Isoun monon\\). Moses and Elijah were gone in the bright cloud.

00565
 \\Until\\ (\\hes hou\\). This conjunction is common with the subjunctive
 for a future event as his Resurrection (\\egerthi\\) was. Again
 # Mr 9:10
 they were puzzled over his meaning. Jesus evidently hopes that
 this vision of Moses and Elijah and his own glory might stand
 them in good stead at his death.

00566
 \\Elijah must first come\\ (\\Eleian dei elthein prton\\). So this piece
 of theology concerned them more than anything else. They had just
 seen Elijah, but Jesus the Messiah had come before Elijah. The
 scribes used
 # Mal 4:5
 Jesus had also spoken again of his death (resurrection). So they
 are puzzled.

00567
00568
 \\Elijah is come already\\ (\\Eleias d lthen\\). Thus Jesus identifies
 John the Baptist with the promise in Malachi, though not the real
 Elijah in person which John denied
 # Joh 1:21
 \\They knew him not\\ (\\ouk epignsan auton\\). Second aorist active
 indicative of \\epiginsk\\, to recognize. Just as they do not know
 Jesus now
 # Joh 1:26
 They killed John as they will Jesus the Son of Man.

00569
 \\Then understood\\ (\\tote sunkan\\). One of the three k aorists. It
 was plain enough even for them. John was Elijah in spirit and had
 prepared the way for the Messiah.

00570
00571
 \\Epileptic\\ (\\selniazetai\\). Literally, "moonstruck," "lunatic." The
 symptoms of epilepsy were supposed to be aggravated by the
 changes of the moon (cf.
 # 4:24
 \\He has it bad\\ (\\kaks echei\\) as often in the Synoptic Gospels.

00572
00573
 \\Perverse\\ (\\diestrammen\\). Distorted, twisted in two, corrupt.
 Perfect passive participle of \\diastreph\\.

00574
00575
00576
 \\Little faith\\ (\\oligopistian\\). A good translation. It was less than
 "a grain of mustard seed" (\\kokkon sinapes\\). See
 # 13:31
 for this phrase. They had no miracle faith. Bruce holds "this
 mountain" to be the Mount of Transfiguration to which Jesus
 pointed. Probably so. But it is a parable. Our trouble is always
 with "this mountain" which confronts our path. Note the form
 \\metaba\\ (\\meta\\ and \\bthi\\).

00577
00578
00579
 \\And they were exceeding sorry\\ (\\kai elupthsan sphodra\\). So they
 at last understood that he was talking about his death and
 resurrection.

00580
 \\They that received the half-shekel\\ (\\hoi ta didrachma\\
 \\lambanontes\\). This temple tax amounted to an Attic drachma or the
 Jewish half-shekel, about one-third of a dollar. Every Jewish man
 twenty years of age and over was expected to pay it for the
 maintenance of the temple. But it was not a compulsory tax like
 that collected by the publicans for the government. "The tax was
 like a voluntary church-rate; no one could be compelled to pay"
 (Plummer). The same Greek word occurs in two Egyptian papyri of
 the first century A.D. for the receipt for the tax for the temple
 of Suchus (Milligan and Moulton's _Vocabulary_). This tax for the
 Jerusalem temple was due in the month Adar (our March) and it was
 now nearly six months overdue. But Jesus and the Twelve had been
 out of Galilee most of this time. Hence the question of the
 tax-collectors. The payment had to be made in the Jewish coin,
 half-shekel. Hence the money-changers did a thriving business in
 charging a small premium for the Jewish coin, amounting to some
 forty-five thousand dollars a year, it is estimated. It is
 significant that they approached Peter rather than Jesus, perhaps
 not wishing to embarrass "Your Teacher," "a roundabout hint that
 the tax was overdue" (Bruce). Evidently Jesus had been in the
 habit of paying it (Peter's).

00581
 \\Jesus spake first to him\\ (\\proephthasen auton ho Isous legn\\).
 Here only in the N.T. One example in a papyrus B.C. 161 (Moulton
 and Milligan, _Vocabulary_). The old idiomatic use of \\phthan\\
 with the participle survives in this example of \\prophthan\\ in
 # Mt 17:25
 meaning to anticipate, to get before one in doing a thing. The
 _Koin_ uses the infinitive thus with \\phthan\\ which has come to
 mean simply to arrive. Here the anticipation is made plain by the
 use of \\pro-\\. See Robertson's _Grammar_, p. 1120. The "prevent" of
 the Authorized Version was the original idea of _praevenire_, to
 go before, to anticipate. Peter felt obliged to take the matter
 up with Jesus. But the Master had observed what was going on and
 spoke to Peter first. \\Toll or tribute\\ (\\tel  knson\\). Customs or
 wares collected by the publicans (like \\phoros\\,
 # Ro 13:7
 and also the capitation tax on persons, indirect and direct
 taxation. \\Knsos\\ is the Latin _census_, a registration for the
 purpose of the appraisement of property like \\h apograph\\ in
 # Lu 2:2; Ac 5:37
 By this parable Jesus as the Son of God claims exemption from the
 temple tax as the temple of his Father just as royal families do
 not pay taxes, but get tribute from the foreigners or aliens,
 subjects in reality.

00582
 \\The sons\\ (\\hoi huioi\\). Christ, of course, and the disciples also
 in contrast with the Jews. Thus a reply to Peter's prompt "Yes."
 Logically (\\arage\\) free from the temple tax, but practically not
 as he proceeds to show.

00583
 \\Lest we cause them to stumble\\ (\\hina m skandalismen autous\\). He
 does not wish to create the impression that he and the disciples
 despise the temple and its worship. Aorist tense (punctiliar
 single act) here, though some MSS. have present subjunctive
 (linear). "A hook" (\\agkistron\\). The only example in the N.T. of
 fishing with a hook. From an unused verb \\agkiz\\, to angle, and
 that from \\agkos\\, a curve (so also \\agkal\\ the inner curve of the
 arm,
 # Lu 2:38
 \\First cometh up\\ (\\ton anabanta prton ichthun\\). More correctly,
 "the first fish that cometh up." \\A shekel\\ (\\statra\\). Greek stater
 = four drachmae, enough for two persons to pay the tax. \\For me\\
 \\and thee\\ (\\anti emou kai sou\\). Common use of \\anti\\ in commercial
 transactions, "in exchange for." Here we have a miracle of
 foreknowledge. Such instances have happened. Some try to get rid
 of the miracle by calling it a proverb or by saying that Jesus
 only meant for Peter to sell the fish and thus get the money, a
 species of nervous anxiety to relieve Christ and the Gospel of
 Matthew from the miraculous. "All the attempts have been in vain
 which were made by the older Rationalism to put a non-miraculous
 meaning into these words" (B. Weiss). It is not stated that Peter
 actually caught such a fish though that is the natural
 implication. Why provision is thus only made for Peter along with
 Jesus we do not know.

00584
 \\Who then is greatest\\ (\\tis ara meizn estin\\). The \\ara\\ seems to
 point back to the tax-collection incident when Jesus had claimed
 exemption for them all as "sons" of the Father. But it was not a
 new dispute, for jealousy had been growing in their hearts. The
 wonderful words of Jesus to Peter on Mount Hermon
 # Mt 16:17-19
 had evidently made Peter feel a fresh sense of leadership on the
 basis of which he had dared even to rebuke Jesus for speaking of
 his death
 # 16:22
 And then Peter was one of the three (James and John also) taken
 with the Master up on the Mount of Transfiguration. Peter on that
 occasion had spoken up promptly. And just now the tax-collectors
 had singled out Peter as the one who seemed to represent the
 group. Mark
 # Mr 9:33
 represents Jesus as asking them about their dispute on the way
 into the house, perhaps just after their question in
 # Mt 18:1
 Jesus had noticed the wrangling. It will break out again and
 again
 # Mt 20:20-28; Lu 22:24
 Plainly the primacy of Peter was not yet admitted by the others.
 The use of the comparative \\meizn\\ (so \\ho meizn\\ in verse
 # 4
 rather than the superlative \\megistos\\ is quite in accord with the
 _Koin_ idiom where the comparative is displacing the superlative
 (Robertson, _Grammar_, pp. 667ff.). But it is a sad discovery to
 find the disciples chiefly concerned about their own places
 (offices) in the political kingdom which they were expecting.

00585
 \\Called to him\\ (\\proskalesamenos\\). Indirect middle voice aorist
 participle. It may even be Peter's "little child" (\\paidion\\) as it
 was probably in Peter's house
 # Mr 9:33
 \\Set him\\ (\\estsen\\). Transitive first aorist active indicative, not
 intransitive second aorist, \\est\\. \\In the midst of them\\ (\\en mesi\\
 \\autn\\). Luke adds
 # Lu 9:47
 "by his side" (\\par' heauti\\). Both are true.

00586
 \\Except ye turn and become\\ (\\ean m straphte kai gensthe\\).
 Third-class condition, undetermined but with prospect of
 determination. \\Straphte\\ is second aorist passive subjunctive and
 \\gensthe\\ second aorist middle subjunctive. They were headed in
 the wrong direction with their selfish ambition. "His tone at
 this time is markedly severe, as much as when He denounces the
 Pharisaism in the bud He had to deal with" (Bruce). The strong
 double negative \\ou m eiselthte\\ means that they will otherwise
 not get into the kingdom of heaven at all, let alone have big
 places in it.

00587
 \\This little child\\ (\\to paidion touto\\). This saying about humbling
 oneself Jesus repeated a number of times as for instance in
 # Mt 23:12
 Probably Jesus pointed to the child by his side. The
 ninth-century story that the child was Ignatius is worthless. It
 is not that the child humbled himself, but that the child is
 humble from the nature of the case in relation to older persons.
 That is true, however "bumptious" the child himself may be. Bruce
 observes that to humble oneself is "the most difficult thing in
 the world for saint as for sinner."

00588
 \\In my name\\ (\\epi ti onomati mou\\). For "one such little child"
 (\\any believer in Christ\\) Luke
 # Lu 9:48
 has "this little child" as a representative or symbol. "On the
 basis or ground of my name," "for my sake." Very much like \\eis\\
 \\onoma\\ in
 # 10:41
 which does not differ greatly from \\en onomati\\
 # Ac 10:48

00589
 \\These little ones\\ (\\tn mikrn toutn\\). In the same sense as "one
 such little one" above. The child is the type of believers. \\A\\
 \\great millstone\\ (\\mulos onikos\\), literally, "a millstone turned by
 an ass." The upper millstone was turned by an ass (\\onos\\). There
 were no examples of the adjective \\onikos\\ (turned by an ass)
 outside the N.T. until the papyri revealed several for loads
 requiring an ass to carry them, stones requiring an ass to move
 them, etc. Deissmann (_Light from the Ancient East_, p. 81) notes
 it also in papyri examples about the sale of an ass and tax for
 an ass's burden of goods. \\The depth of the sea\\ (\\ti pelagei ts\\
 \\thalasss\\). "The sea of the sea." \\Pelagos\\ probably from \\plsso\\,
 to beat, and so the beating, splashing waves of the sea. "Far out
 into the open sea, a vivid substitute for \\eis tn thalassan\\"
 (McNeile).

00590
 \\Through whom\\ (\\di' ou\\). Jesus recognizes the inevitableness of
 stumbling-blocks, traps, hindrances, the world being as it is,
 but he does not absolve the man who sets the trap (cf.
 # Lu 17:1

00591
 In verses
 # 8
 and
 # 9
 we have one of the dualities or doublets in Matthew
 # 5:29-30
 Jesus repeated his pungent sayings many times. Instead of \\eis\\
 \\geennan\\
 # 5:29
 we have \\eis to pur to ainion\\ and at the end of verse
 # 9
 \\tou puros\\ is added to \\tn geennan\\. This is the first use in
 Matthew of \\ainios\\. We have it again in
 # 19:16,29
 with \\zo\\, in
 # 25:41
 with \\pur\\, in
 # 25:46
 with \\kolasin\\ and \\zon\\. The word means ageless, without beginning
 or end as of God
 # Ro 16:26
 without beginning as in
 # Ro 16:25
 without end as here and often. The effort to make it mean
 "\\aeonian\\" fire will make it mean "\\aeonian\\" life also. If the
 punishment is limited, _ipso facto_ the life is shortened. In
 verse
 # 9
 also \\monophthalmon\\ occurs. It is an Ionic compound in Herodotus
 that is condemned by the Atticists, but it is revived in the
 vernacular _Koin_. Literally one-eyed. Here only and
 # Mr 9:47
 in the New Testament.

00592
00593
 \\Despise\\ (\\kataphronste\\). Literally, "think down on," with the
 assumption of superiority. \\Their angels\\ (\\hoi aggeloi autn\\). The
 Jews believed that each nation had a guardian angel
 # Da 10:13,20; 12:1
 The seven churches in Revelation
 # Re 1:20
 have angels, each of them, whatsoever the meaning is. Does Jesus
 mean to teach here that each little child or child of faith had a
 special angel who appears in God's presence, "see the face of my
 Father" (\\blepousin to prospon tou patros mou\\) in special
 intimacy? Or does he simply mean that the angels do take an
 interest in the welfare of God's people
 # Heb 1:14
 ? There is comfort to us in that thought. Certainly Jesus means
 that the Father takes special care of his "little ones" who
 believe in Him. There are angels in God's presence
 # Lu 1:19

00594
00595
 \\Leave the ninety and nine\\ (\\aphsei ta enenkonta ennea epi ta or\\
 \\kai poreutheis ztei to planmenon?\\). This is the text of
 Westcott and Hort after BL, etc. This text means: "Will he not
 leave the ninety and nine upon the mountains and going does he
 not seek (change to present tense) the wandering one?" On the
 high pastures where the sheep graze at will one has wandered
 afield. See this parable later in
 # Lu 15:4-7
 Our word "planet" is from \\planaomai\\, wandering (moving) stars
 they were called as opposed to fixed stars. But now we know that
 no stars are fixed. They are all moving and rapidly.

00596
00597
 \\The will of your Father\\ (\\thelma emprosthen\\). Observe that
 Westcott and Hort read \\mou\\ here rather than \\hmn\\ after B Sahidic
 Coptic. Either makes good sense, though "your" carries on the
 picture of God's care for "each one of these little ones" (\\hen\\
 \\tn mikrn toutn\\) among God's children. The use of \\emprosthen\\
 with \\thelma\\ is a Hebraism like \\emprosthen sou\\ in
 # 11:25
 with \\eudokia\\, "before the face" of God.

00598
 \\If thy brother sin against thee\\ (\\ean hamartsi adelphos sou\\).
 Literally, commit a sin (ingressive aorist subjunctive of
 \\hamartan\\). Aleph B Sahidic do not have "against thee" (\\eis se\\).
 \\Shew him his fault\\ (\\elegxon\\). Such private reproof is hard to do,
 but it is the way of Christ. \\Thou hast gained\\ (\\ekerdsas\\). Aorist
 active indicative of \\kerdain\\ in conclusion of a third-class
 condition, a sort of timeless aorist, a blessed achievement
 already made.

00599
 \\Take with thee\\ (\\paralabe meta sou\\). Take alone (\\para\\) with
 (\\meta\\) thee.
