The Meaning of Matthew 17:10 Explained

Matthew 17:10

KJV: And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?

YLT: And his disciples questioned him, saying, 'Why then do the scribes say that Elijah it behoveth to come first?'

Darby: And his disciples demanded of him saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first have come?

ASV: And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  his  disciples  asked  him,  saying,  Why  then  say  the scribes  that  Elias  must  first  come? 

What does Matthew 17:10 Mean?

Study Notes

Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come
Cf Matthew 11:14 ; Mark 9:11 ; Mark 9:12 ; Mark 9:13 ; Luke 1:17 ; Malachi 3:1 ; Malachi 4:5 ; Malachi 4:6 All the passages must be construed together.
(1) Christ confirms the specific and still unfulfilled prophecy of Malachi 4:5 ; Malachi 4:6 : "Elias shall truly first come and restore all things." Here, as in Malachi, the prediction fulfilled in John the Baptist, and that yet to be fulfilled in Elijah, are kept distinct.
(2) But John the Baptist had come already, and with a ministry so completely in the spirit and power of Elijah's future ministry Luke 1:17 that in an adumbrative and typical sense it could be said: "Elias is come already." Cf; Matthew 10:40 ; Philemon 1:12 ; Philemon 1:17 where the same thought of identification, while yet preserving personal distinction, occurs. John 1:27

Verse Meaning

The disciples in view seem to be Peter, James , and John (cf. Matthew 17:14). It seems unlikely that the disciples viewed Elijah"s appearance in the Transfiguration as the fulfillment of Malachi 4:5-6. If they did, their question would have been, Why did Messiah appear before Elijah when the scribes taught the reverse order of appearances? Moreover Elijah"s appearance in the Transfiguration did not turn the hearts of the people back to God.
Peter, James , and John"s question evidently arose over an apparent inconsistency involving Jesus" announcement of His death. Elijah"s appearance on the mountain probably triggered it. Elijah was to come and turn the hearts of the people back to God before Messiah appeared ( Malachi 4:5-6). If that restoration happened, how could Jesus die at the hands of Israel"s leaders ( Matthew 16:21)? The disciples were struggling to understand how Messiah"s death could fit into what they believed about the forerunner"s ministry.
Notice that from the Transfiguration on these disciples had no further doubts about Jesus" messiahship.

Context Summary

Matthew 17:9-21 - Lack Of Faith Rebuked
As Raphael suggests in his great painting, there is a close connection between the mountain and the valley. The glory of the one did not make our Lord indifferent to the bitter need of the other. It seems as though He desired to impress on us the great truth, that we must have the seclusion and exaltation of communion with God before we can successfully deal with the anguish and terror that devastate human lives. See Matthew 17:21.
In Matthew 17:17 our Lord grieves over the unbelief of His disciples. Though they had enjoyed His careful teaching, they had failed to grasp His secret, which He here again elaborates. Faith is openness to God. It is the lifting of the curtain, that the healing light may enter. The tiny seed unlocks its little doorway to welcome the entering life of nature; and as this continues to enter, it forces the rootlet downward and the green shoot upward. It is thus also with the life of God in the soul. Let this life of God in and there is no limit to what it will effect. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 17

1  The transfiguration of Jesus
14  He heals the boy with a demon,
22  foretells his own passion,
24  and pays tribute

Greek Commentary for Matthew 17:10

Elijah must first come [Ελειαν δει ελτειν πρωτον]
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 Malachi 4:5. Jesus had also spoken again of his death (resurrection). So they are puzzled. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 17:10

Mark 9:12 Restoreth all things [apokatistanei panta)]
This late double compound verb, usual form apokathistēmi in the papyri, is Christ‘s description of the Baptist as the promised Elijah and Forerunner of the Messiah. See note on Matthew 17:10-13. The disciples had not till now understood that the Baptist fulfilled the prophecy in Malachi 3:5. They had just seen Elijah on the mountain, but Jesus as Messiah preceded this coming of Elijah. But Jesus patiently enlightens his dull pupils as they argue about the exegesis of the scribes. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 17:10 mean?

And asked Him the disciples saying Why then scribes say that Elijah it behooves to come first
Καὶ ἐπηρώτησαν αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ λέγοντες Τί οὖν γραμματεῖς λέγουσιν ὅτι Ἠλίαν δεῖ ἐλθεῖν πρῶτον

ἐπηρώτησαν  asked 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἐπερωτάω  
Sense: to accost one with an enquiry, put a question to, enquiry of, ask, interrogate.
μαθηταὶ  disciples 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: μαθητής  
Sense: a learner, pupil, disciple.
λέγοντες  saying 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
Τί  Why 
Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: τίς  
Sense: who, which, what.
γραμματεῖς  scribes 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: γραμματεύς  
Sense: a clerk, scribe, esp.
λέγουσιν  say 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
Ἠλίαν  Elijah 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἠλίας  
Sense: a prophet born at Thisbe, the unflinching champion of the theocracy in the reigns of the idolatrous kings Ahab and Ahaziah.
δεῖ  it  behooves 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: δεῖ  
Sense: it is necessary, there is need of, it behooves, is right and proper.
ἐλθεῖν  to  come 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: ἔρχομαι  
Sense: to come.
πρῶτον  first 
Parse: Adverb, Superlative
Root: πρῶτον 
Sense: first in time or place.