independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
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The Transfiguration 17:1–8
vv. 1–3 — the ascent and the metamorphosis
1
Καὶ μεθ' ἡμέρας ἓξ παραλαμβάνει ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὸν Πέτρον καὶ Ἰάκωβον καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ,independent — historic present; the six days recall Exod 24:16 — Sinai before the cloud
καὶ ἀναφέρει αὐτοὺς εἰς ὄρος ὑψηλὸν κατ' ἰδίαν.independent — historic present — the mountain of theophany; κατ' ἰδίαν, apart from the crowds
2
καὶ μετεμορφώθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν,independent — μετεμορφώθη — divine passive: God transfigures him
καὶ ἔλαμψεν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος,independent — only Matthew notes the face — Moses' shining face (Exod 34:29) outshone
τὰ δὲ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο λευκὰ ὡς τὸ φῶς.independent — the whiteness of heavenly beings (28:3; Dan 7:9)
3
καὶ ἰδοὺ ὤφθη αὐτοῖς Μωϋσῆς καὶ Ἠλίαςindependent — ὤφθη — the verb of revelatory appearances; the Law and the Prophets as witnesses
συλλαλοῦντες μετ' αὐτοῦ.participial — concurrent — the two who met God on a mountain now talk with Jesus
vv. 4–5 — Peter's offer interrupted: the cloud and the voice
4
ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Πέτρος εἶπεν τῷ Ἰησοῦ·independent — the Septuagintal ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν frame — Peter 'answers' what no one asked
Κύριε, καλόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ὧδε εἶναι·content — Κύριε where Mark has Ῥαββί — Matthew's higher address
εἰ θέλεις,conditional — protasis leaning forward on ποιήσω — Peter defers, only Matthew adds the condition
ποιήσω ὧδε τρεῖς σκηνάς,content — the offer to enshrine the moment — σκηναί evoking the Feast of Booths
σοὶ μίαν καὶ Μωϋσεῖ μίαν καὶ Ἠλίᾳ μίαν.phrase modifier — verbless apposition — the fatal leveling: three equal booths
5
ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντοςparticipial — genitive absolute — forward-leaning on ἐπεσκίασεν; heaven interrupts the offer
ἰδοὺ νεφέλη φωτεινὴ ἐπεσκίασεν αὐτούς,independent — the Shekinah cloud — ἐπισκιάζω of Exod 40:35; φωτεινή only in Matthew
καὶ ἰδοὺ φωνὴ ἐκ τῆς νεφέλης λέγουσα·independent — verbless presentative — the bat qol; the speech-frame for the divine address
Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός,content — the baptismal declaration repeated verbatim (3:17) — Ps 2:7 with Gen 22:2 overtones
ἐν ᾧ εὐδόκησα·relative — Isa 42:1 — the Servant fused with the Son
ἀκούετε αὐτοῦ.content — Deut 18:15 — the prophet like Moses; the Father's one command, correcting the three booths
vv. 6–8 — terror, the touch, Jesus alone
6
καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ μαθηταὶparticipial — preposed circumstantial — leans on ἔπεσαν; the voice, not the vision, fells them
ἔπεσαν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτῶνindependent — prostration before theophany (Ezek 1:28; Dan 8:17) — only Matthew narrates it
καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν σφόδρα.independent — ingressive aorist — the numinous dread
7
καὶ προσῆλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦςindependent — προσέρχομαι — elsewhere others approach Jesus; here he approaches them
καὶ ἁψάμενος αὐτῶν εἶπεν·independent — the healing touch turned to reassurance — internal circumstantial participle
Ἐγέρθητε καὶ μὴ φοβεῖσθε.content — μὴ φοβεῖσθε — the classic theophany-reassurance; ἐγέρθητε, the resurrection verb
8
ἐπάραντες δὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶνparticipial — preposed circumstantial — leans on εἶδον; they rise from the ground
οὐδένα εἶδον εἰ μὴ αὐτὸν Ἰησοῦν μόνον.independent — the scene's abiding word — Moses and Elijah gone; the one to be heard remains
The coming of Elijah and John the Baptist 17:9–13
vv. 9–10 — the command of silence and the scribal puzzle
9
Καὶ καταβαινόντων αὐτῶν ἐκ τοῦ ὄρουςparticipial — genitive absolute — forward-leaning on ἐνετείλατο; the descent from glory
ἐνετείλατο αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγων·independent — ἐντέλλομαι — the strict charge; pleonastic λέγων carries the speech
Μηδενὶ εἴπητε τὸ ὅραμαcontent — prohibitive subjunctive with fronted μηδενί; ὅραμα — only Matthew names it a vision
ἕως οὗ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγερθῇ.conditional — temporal ἕως οὗ — the secret given a terminus: unintelligible before Easter
10
καὶ ἐπηρώτησαν αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ λέγοντες·independent — the vision of Elijah provokes the scribal objection
Τί οὖν οἱ γραμματεῖς λέγουσινcontent — οὖν — the inference: if the end is near, where is the forerunner?
ὅτι Ἠλίαν δεῖ ἐλθεῖν πρῶτον;content — the scribal doctrine from Mal 4:5–6 — δεῖ, the eschatological necessity
vv. 11–13 — Elijah has already come: John the Baptist
11
ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν·independent — the ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν frame — Jesus concedes the doctrine before reversing it
Ἠλίας μὲν ἔρχεταιcontent — μέν conceding the scribes' premise — futuristic present
καὶ ἀποκαταστήσει πάντα·content — ἀποκαθιστάνω — Mal 4:6 LXX, the restoration of hearts
12
λέγω δὲ ὑμῖνcontent — the adversative δέ — Jesus' authoritative counter-reading
ὅτι Ἠλίας ἤδη ἦλθεν,content — ἤδη — the expectation is fulfilled, unrecognized
καὶ οὐκ ἐπέγνωσαν αὐτὸνcontent — ἐπιγινώσκω — they failed to identify the forerunner in the Baptist
ἀλλὰ ἐποίησαν ἐν αὐτῷcontent — the Baptist's fate at Herod's court (14:3–12)
ὅσα ἠθέλησαν·relative — headless ὅσα-relative — arbitrary power, as against Elijah under Jezebel
οὕτως καὶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου μέλλει πάσχειν ὑπ' αὐτῶν.content — οὕτως καί — the forerunner's fate prefigures the Son's; μέλλει, the appointed future
13
τότε συνῆκαν οἱ μαθηταὶindependent — Matthew's τότε — and, distinctively, the disciples do understand (contrast Mark 9:13)
ὅτι περὶ Ἰωάννου τοῦ βαπτιστοῦ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς.content — the narrator's key — Elijah redivivus is John (cf. 11:14)
The epileptic boy and faith like a mustard seed 17:14–20
vv. 14–16 — the father's plea: the disciples' failure
14
Καὶ ἐλθόντων πρὸς τὸν ὄχλονparticipial — genitive absolute (subject implied) — forward-leaning on προσῆλθεν; down from the mount into the crowd's need
προσῆλθεν αὐτῷ ἄνθρωποςindependent — the suppliant approaches — Matthew abbreviates Mark's crowd scene
γονυπετῶν αὐτὸνparticipial — γονυπετέω — the posture of entreaty
15
καὶ λέγων·participial — coordinate participle carrying the plea across the verse-seam
Κύριε, ἐλέησόν μου τὸν υἱόν,content — the Kyrie eleison of the Gospel suppliants (15:22; 20:30–31)
ὅτι σεληνιάζεταιcause — σεληνιάζομαι — literally 'moonstruck': epilepsy attributed to the moon (cf. 4:24)
καὶ κακῶς πάσχει·cause — coordinate ground — the affliction named twice
πολλάκις γὰρ πίπτει εἰς τὸ πῦρ καὶ πολλάκις εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ.cause — γάρ specifying the suffering — the seizures' mortal danger, iterative presents
16
καὶ προσήνεγκα αὐτὸν τοῖς μαθηταῖς σου,content — the plea continues — the father had tried the nine left below
καὶ οὐκ ἠδυνήθησαν αὐτὸν θεραπεῦσαι.content — the failure that drives the pericope — despite the authority given in 10:1
vv. 17–18 — the faithless generation and the instant cure
17
ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν·independent — the ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν frame — the reply aimed past the father at the generation
Ὦ γενεὰ ἄπιστος καὶ διεστραμμένη,content — verbless vocative lament — Deut 32:5, Moses' song over the crooked generation
ἕως πότε μεθ' ὑμῶν ἔσομαι;content — the weary rhetorical question — the sojourn of the heavenly one
ἕως πότε ἀνέξομαι ὑμῶν;content — parallel doublet — ἀνέχομαι, the language of forbearance
φέρετέ μοι αὐτὸν ὧδε.content — the lament pivots to command — where the disciples failed, he acts
18
καὶ ἐπετίμησεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς,independent — ἐπιτιμάω — the word of command that silences demons (8:26; Mark 1:25)
καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τὸ δαιμόνιον,independent — Matthew names the demon only here — the 'moonstruck' illness unmasked
καὶ ἐθεραπεύθη ὁ παῖς ἀπὸ τῆς ὥρας ἐκείνης.independent — Matthew's healing formula (8:13; 9:22; 15:28) — instantaneous and complete
vv. 19–20 — 'why could we not?': little faith and the mustard seed
19
Τότε προσελθόντες οἱ μαθηταὶ τῷ Ἰησοῦ κατ' ἰδίαν εἶπον·independent — Matthew's τότε with attendant-circumstance participle; κατ' ἰδίαν — failure discussed in private
Διὰ τί ἡμεῖς οὐκ ἠδυνήθημεν ἐκβαλεῖν αὐτό;content — emphatic ἡμεῖς — we, who had done it before (10:8)
20
ὁ δὲ λέγει αὐτοῖς·independent — historic present λέγει — the pronouncement marked vivid
Διὰ τὴν ὀλιγοπιστίαν ὑμῶν·content — verbless answer — ὀλιγοπιστία, Matthew's signature diagnosis, where Mark 9:29 answers 'prayer'
ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν,content — the ἀμήν-formula grounding the diagnosis
ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως,conditional — protasis leaning forward on ἐρεῖτε — the proverbially smallest seed (13:32) suffices
ἐρεῖτε τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ·content — τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ — the mountain of the transfiguration still in view
Μετάβα ἔνθεν ἐκεῖ,content — speech inside speech — the hypothetical command to the mountain
καὶ μεταβήσεται·content — the promised result — mountain-moving faith (cf. 21:21; 1 Cor 13:2)
καὶ οὐδὲν ἀδυνατήσει ὑμῖν.content — the closing absolute (cf. Gen 18:14 LXX); the traditional v. 21 ('this kind goes out only by prayer and fasting') follows here in the Byzantine text but is absent from the critical text — a harmonization to Mark 9:29
The second passion prediction 17:22–23
vv. 22–23 — delivered, killed, raised — and the disciples grieve
22
Συστρεφομένων δὲ αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳparticipial — genitive absolute — forward-leaning on εἶπεν; συστρέφομαι, the band regrouping
εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς·independent — the second formal passion prediction (after 16:21)
Μέλλει ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοσθαι εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων,content — μέλλει παραδίδοσθαι — the appointed handing-over; the wordplay υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου / ἄνθρωποι
23
καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν αὐτόν,content — the blunt future — no details yet, only the fact
καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἐγερθήσεται.content — ἐγερθήσεται — divine passive, Matthew's 'raised' against Mark's 'rise'
καὶ ἐλυπήθησαν σφόδρα.independent — σφόδρα — grief, not incomprehension: Matthew's disciples understand (contrast Mark 9:32)
The temple tax and the coin in the fish's mouth 17:24–27
vv. 24–25a — the collectors' question and Peter's yes
24
Ἐλθόντων δὲ αὐτῶν εἰς Καφαρναοὺμparticipial — genitive absolute — forward-leaning on προσῆλθον; home base, where the tax is collected
προσῆλθον οἱ τὰ δίδραχμα λαμβάνοντες τῷ Πέτρῳindependent — τὰ δίδραχμα — the annual half-shekel temple tax (Exod 30:13); only Matthew tells this story
καὶ εἶπαν·independent — the question put to Peter, not to Jesus
Ὁ διδάσκαλος ὑμῶν οὐ τελεῖ τὰ δίδραχμα;content — οὐ expecting yes — a probing question, perhaps an insinuation
25
λέγει·independent — historic present, asyndetic — Peter answers for Jesus unasked
Ναί.content — the one-word verbless answer — committing his teacher before consulting him
vv. 25b–26 — the kings of the earth: the sons are free
καὶ ἐλθόντα εἰς τὴν οἰκίανparticipial — accusative participle agreeing with αὐτόν — forward-leaning on προέφθασεν
προέφθασεν αὐτὸν ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγων·independent — προφθάνω, a NT hapax — Jesus speaks first, knowing the exchange unseen
Τί σοι δοκεῖ, Σίμων;content — the dialectical opener (18:12; 21:28) — and 'Simon,' the pre-confession name
οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς ἀπὸ τίνων λαμβάνουσιν τέλη ἢ κῆνσον;content — the analogy from royal practice — τέλη (customs) and κῆνσος (poll tax)
ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν αὐτῶν ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων;phrase modifier — verbless alternative question — the argument's hinge: sons versus outsiders
26
εἰπόντος δέ·participial — genitive absolute (subject implied) — forward-leaning on ἔφη; Peter's answer rides inside it
Ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων,content — the obvious answer — verbless echo of the alternative
ἔφη αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς·independent — ἔφη — the pronouncement drawn from Peter's own premise
Ἄρα γε ἐλεύθεροί εἰσιν οἱ υἱοί.content — ἄρα γε — the emphatic inference: the Son (and his own) owe the Father's house nothing
v. 27 — the stater in the fish's mouth
27
ἵνα δὲ μὴ σκανδαλίσωμεν αὐτούς,purpose — preposed purpose — leans on βάλε; freedom waived for others' sake (σκανδαλίζω, ch. 18's keyword); note the 'we'
πορευθεὶς εἰς θάλασσανparticipial — preposed attendant-circumstance participle — leans on βάλε
βάλε ἄγκιστρονcontent — ἄγκιστρον — a hook, not the fisherman's nets: a single appointed fish
καὶ τὸν ἀναβάντα πρῶτον ἰχθὺν ἆρον,content — the attributive ἀναβάντα πρῶτον — providence in the first bite
καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦparticipial — preposed circumstantial — leans on εὑρήσεις
εὑρήσεις στατῆρα·content — στατήρ = four drachmas — exactly two men's temple tax
ἐκεῖνον λαβὼνparticipial — preposed circumstantial — leans on δός
δὸς αὐτοῖς ἀντὶ ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ.content — ἀντὶ ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ — 'me and you,' not 'us': the Son pays as free; the miracle itself is never narrated
Analysis. Matthew 17 keeps the narrative grammar of Mark 9 but tightens it: the mainline runs flush-left in coordinate purple clauses opening with καί, δέ, and τότε, and the historic presents are flagged as they land — παραλαμβάνει and ἀναφέρει carrying the three up the mountain (v. 1), λέγει introducing both the mustard-seed answer (v. 20) and Peter's Ναί (v. 25). Against that column the chapter's hinges indent: preposed genitive absolutes and circumstantial participles lean forward, anchorless, on the verb below (ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος cutting Peter off mid-offer, καταβαινόντων αὐτῶν, Καὶ ἐλθόντων, Συστρεφομένων, Ἐλθόντων εἰς Καφαρναούμ, the accusative ἐλθόντα of v. 25, and εἰπόντος δέ carrying Peter's whole answer inside itself), and every word of speech hangs blue (cnt) beneath its verb of saying — the Father's declaration under λέγουσα (Ps 2:7 with Isa 42:1, plus the ἀκούετε αὐτοῦ of Deut 18:15), the Elijah dialogue under its εἶπεν-frames, the father's plea under λέγων with its ὅτι-grounds stepping down to the γάρ of fire and water. Protases inside speech lean forward one step above their apodoses: εἰ θέλεις over ποιήσω (v. 4), and ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως over ἐρεῖτε, with the command to the mountain (Μετάβα ἔνθεν ἐκεῖ) hanging one deeper as speech inside speech (v. 20). Cruxes taken or flagged: Matthew's answer to the disciples' failure is διὰ τὴν ὀλιγοπιστίαν ὑμῶν — his signature 'little faith,' where Mark 9:29 has prayer — and the traditional v. 21 ('this kind goes out only by prayer and fasting'), a harmonization to Mark, is absent from the critical text, so the chapter runs 1–20, 22–27 with the gap named in the tag; σεληνιάζεται (v. 15) is glossed literally 'moonstruck' (epilepsy attributed to the moon); and in the temple-tax scene the layout gives the argument its shape — the double question of v. 25 with its verbless alternative (ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων) hanging beneath λαμβάνουσιν, Peter's answer inside the genitive absolute, the Ἄρα-γε inference, and the preposed purpose ἵνα μὴ σκανδαλίσωμεν αὐτούς leaning forward on βάλε — freedom asserted, then waived for the sake of others.