SEV Biblia, Chapter 17:10
Entonces sus discípulos le preguntaron, diciendo: ¿Por qu dicen, pues, los escribas que es necesario que Elías venga primero?
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 17:10
Verse 10. His disciples] instead of HIS disciples, some MSS., with the Coptic, Armenian, Vulgate, all the Itala except two, and Origen, read simply, oi maqhtai, THE disciples, i.e. those only who had been with him on the mount, Peter, James, and John. Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?] As the disciples saw that Elijah returned to heaven, knowing the tradition of the elders, and the prophecy on which the tradition was founded, Mal. iv. 5, 6, Behold I send you Elijah the prophet, before the great and terrible day of the Lord shall come; and he shall turn the hearts, &c., it was natural enough for them to inquire what the meaning of the tradition, and the intention of the prophecy, were.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 10. And his disciples asked him, saying , etc.] That is, these three, Peter, James, and John, before they came to the rest; whilst they were going down the mountain, or from it, to the place where the others were; for the rest knew nothing of the appearance of Elias, and so cannot be thought to join in a question concerning him. Why then say the Scribes, that Elias must first come ? That is, come before the Messiah comes; for certain it is, that this was the sense of the Scribes, as it was of the ancient Jews, and is still the opinion of the modern ones.
They say f947 , that in the second year of Ahaziah, Elias was hid; nor will he appear, till the Messiah comes; then he will appear, and will be hid a second time; and then will not appear, till Gog and Magog come.
And they expressly affirm f948 , that before the coming of the son of David, rbl whyla aby , Elias will come to bring the good news of it.
And this, they say f949 , will be one day before the coming of the Messiah.
And Maimonides observes, that there are of their wise men that say, whyla aby jymh tayb dwq , that before the coming of the Messiah, Elias shall come.
So Trypho the Jew, the same with R. Tarphon, so often mentioned in Talmudic writings, disputing with Justin Martyr, tells him f951 , that the Messiah, shall not know himself, nor have any power, mecri an elywn Hliav , till Elias comes, and anoints him, and makes him known to all.
And hence the Targumist often speaks of Messiah and Elias as together, and of things done by them; and in their prayers, petitions are put for them, as to come together f953 : this is founded upon a mistaken sense of ( Malachi 4:5) and which is the general sense of their commentators f954 .
Now the Scribes made use of this popular sense, to disprove Jesus being the Messiah: they argued, that if he was the Messiah, Elias would be come; but whereas he was not come, therefore he could not be the Messiah. The disciples having just now seen Elias, are put in mind of this tenet of the Scribes, and of their use of it; and inquire of Christ, not so much about the truth of it, and the reason of their imbibing it, as why they were suffered to make use of it, to his disadvantage; and especially why they, the disciples, should be forbid publishing what they had seen; whereas, were they allowed to divulge this vision, and bear their testimony to this truth, that Elias had appeared, and they had seen him, it might be a means of stopping the mouths of these Scribes; and of convicting men of the truth of the Messiahship of Jesus, upon their own principles, and of confirming them that believed it: or else the sense is, whereas they had seen Elias, and he was gone again, without making any public appearance in the nation, their question is, how came the Scribes to say, that he should come first? and if there was any truth in this, how came it to pass, that he did not come sooner, even before Christ came in the flesh; and inasmuch as he did now appear, why he did not appear more publicly, as the person that was to come, at least, before the setting up of the kingdom and glory of the Messiah; which they might hope were at hand, and that Elias was come to usher it in: but that he did not appear publicly, and they were not allowed to speak of it, they wanted to know Christs sense of these things; and took this opportunity as they came from the mountain, to converse with him about it.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-13 - Now the disciples beheld somewhat of Christ's glory, as of the onl begotten of the Father. It was intended to support their faith, when they would have to witness his crucifixion; and would give them an ide of the glory prepared for them, when changed by his power and made lik him. The apostles were overcome by the glorious sight. Peter though that it was most desirable to continue there, and to go no more down to meet the sufferings of which he was so unwilling to hear. In this he knew not what he said. We are wrong, if we look for a heaven here upo earth. Whatever tabernacles we propose to make for ourselves in thi world, we must always remember to ask Christ's leave. That sacrific was not yet offered, without which the souls of sinful men could no have been saved; and important services were to be done by Peter an his brethren. While Peter spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, a emblem of the Divine presence and glory. Ever since man sinned, an heard God's voice in the garden, unusual appearances of God have bee terrible to man. They fell prostrate to the earth, till Jesu encouraged them; when looking round, they beheld only their Lord a they commonly saw him. We must pass through varied experiences in ou way to glory; and when we return to the world after an ordinance, it must be our care to take Christ with us, and then it may be our comfor that he is with us.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ επηρωτησαν 1905 5656 V-AAI-3P αυτον 846 P-ASM οι 3588 T-NPM μαθηται 3101 N-NPM αυτου 846 P-GSM λεγοντες 3004 5723 V-PAP-NPM τι 5101 I-NSN ουν 3767 CONJ οι 3588 T-NPM γραμματεις 1122 N-NPM λεγουσιν 3004 5719 V-PAI-3P οτι 3754 CONJ ηλιαν 2243 N-ASM δει 1163 5904 V-PQI-3S ελθειν 2064 5629 V-2AAN πρωτον 4412 ADV
Robertson's NT Word Studies
17:10 {Elijah must first come} (eleian dei elqein prwton). 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.
