Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 17].
evidently hopes that this vision of Moses and Elijah and his own
glory might stand them in good stead at his death.
17:10 {Elijah must first come} (\Eleian dei elthein pr•ton\). 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.
17:12 {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 epign•san auton\). Second aorist active
indicative of \epigin•sk•\, to recognize. Just as they do not
know Jesus now (Joh 1:26). They killed John as they will Jesus
the Son of Man.
17:13 {Then understood} (\tote sun•kan\). 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.
17:15 {Epileptic} (\sel•niazetai\). 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} (\kak•s echei\) as often in the Synoptic Gospels.
17:17 {Perverse} (\diestrammen•\). Distorted, twisted in two,
corrupt. Perfect passive participle of \diastreph•\.
17:20 {Little faith} (\oligopistian\). A good translation. It was
less than "a grain of mustard seed" (\kokkon sinape•s\). 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 \b•thi\).
17:23 {And they were exceeding sorry} (\kai elup•th•san
sphodra\). So they at last understood that he was talking about
his death and resurrection.
17:24 {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
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