Mark 9:2

μετὰ ἡμέρας ἕξ. If μετὰ ἡμ. τρεῖς means “on the third day” (Mark 8:31), μετὰ ἡμ. ἕξ should mean “on the sixth day.” Lk. says “about eight days,” which would be no serious discrepancy, even “if on the sixth day” were certainly the right meaning. There is no special point in either “six” or “about eight,” and the statement that there was a week’s interval is a mark of historic truth, like “Legion” in Mark 5:9. Other marks of truth are the good connexions with what precedes and what follows, the fitness of the position in the Ministry as a whole, and the injunction to silence, a detail not likely to be invented. Moreover, there is no parallel in O.T., for the illumination of Moses’ face has little similarity. The additional details given by Lk., coupled with his independent wording, suggest that he had information besides that which he derived from Mk; and the mention of the Transfiguration in 2 Peter 1:16-18 shows what Christians of that age, whatever the date of 2 Pet. may be, believed respecting it. Its absence from Jn is no difficulty, for that Gospel omits so much that had been already sufficiently recorded.

The manner of the wonder, as in the feeding of the thousands, eludes us, and it is vain to ask in what way Moses and Elijah were visible and audible to the apostles; but the significance of it can in some measure be understood. It encouraged the three witnesses, who had been perplexed and depressed by the announcement that the Messiah must suffer and die; and this encouragement would spread to the other disciples, although for a few months they were not to know the reason for it. It intimated that His Kingdom was not of this world; it was no earthly reign. It is also possible that this foretaste of His glory imparted encouragement to the Messiah Himself, analogous to the strengthening which He received from an Angel, when His sufferings had already begun. Hastings’ D.B. and D.C.G. art. “Transfiguration” and the literature there quoted.

παραλαμβάνει. Cf. Mark 4:36; Mark 5:40; Mark 10:32.

τὸν Ἰάκωβον καὶ Ἰωάννην. One art. for the pair of brothers. Lk. reverses the order and has no art. See on Mark 5:37.

ἀναφέρει. Not a common use of the verb in class. Grk. In Bibl. Grk its general use is offering to God.

εἰς ὄρος ὑψηλόν. The mountain is nowhere named. The Mount of Olives is an extraordinary conjecture. It is not high, and both before and after the Transfiguration Christ is in or near Galilee. Tabor is the traditional scene, perhaps suggested by Psalms 89:12. In the Eastern Church the Feast of the Transfiguration (6 August) is sometimes called τὸ θαβώριον. But there was a fortified village on Tabor (Joseph. B.J. IV. i. 8, II. xx. 6). Hermon, which is over 9000 ft, is now generally adopted. It could easily be reached from Caesarea Philippi in a day or two. Lk. says that Christ went up the mountain to pray (cf. Mark 6:46), and that it was during His prayer that the Transfiguration took place.

κατʼ ἰδίαν μόνους. Characteristic fulness; Mk alone has the rather superfluous μόνους. He is fond of κατʼ ἰδίαν (Mark 4:34; Mark 6:31-32; Mark 7:33; Mark 9:2; Mark 9:28; Mark 13:3), which Mt. has here, but not Lk. Syr-Sin. omits κατʼ ἰδίαν.

μετεμορφώθη. Transfiguratus est (Vulg.). see on 2 Corinthians 3:18, where Vulg. has transformamur and neither A.V. nor R.V. has “transfigured.” See Lightfoot, Philippians, p. 131. The word, avoided by Lk., gives us no sure clue as to the nature of the change.

ἔμπροσθεν. Freq. in Mt. and not rare in Lk. and Jn, but here only in Mk.