Matthew Chapter 17 — The Transfiguration and True Faith
Jesus is transfigured before three disciples on a mountain, heals a boy the disciples could not, and miraculously provides for the temple tax.
1After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain by themselves.
2He was changed*or, transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as the light.
3Behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with him.
4Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, let’s make three tents here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”
6When the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces, and were very afraid.
7Jesus came and touched them and said, “Get up, and don’t be afraid.”
8Lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, except Jesus alone.
9As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Don’t tell anyone what you saw, until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.”
10His disciples asked him, saying, “Then why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
11Jesus answered them, “Elijah indeed comes first, and will restore all things;
12but I tell you that Elijah has come already, and they didn’t recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted to. Even so the Son of Man will also suffer by them.”
13Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the Baptizer.
14When they came to the multitude, a man came to him, kneeling down to him and saying,
15“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is epileptic and suffers grievously; for he often falls into the fire, and often into the water.
16So I brought him to your disciples, and they could not cure him.”
17Jesus answered, “Faithless and perverse generation! How long will I be with you? How long will I bear with you? Bring him here to me.”
18Jesus rebuked the demon, and it went out of him, and the boy was cured from that hour.
19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately, and said, “Why weren’t we able to cast it out?”
20He said to them, “Because of your unbelief. For most certainly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
21But this kind doesn’t go out except by prayer and fasting.” †NU omits verse 21.
22While they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered up into the hands of men,
23and they will kill him, and the third day he will be raised up.”
24When they had come to Capernaum, those who collected the didrachma coins‡A didrachma is a Greek silver coin worth 2 drachmas, about as much as 2 Roman denarii, or about 2 days’ wages. It was commonly used to pay the half-shekel temple tax, because 2 drachmas were worth one half shekel of silver. A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces. came to Peter, and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the didrachma?”
25He said, “Yes.”
26Peter said to him, “From strangers.”
27But, lest we cause them to stumble, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take up the first fish that comes up. When you have opened its mouth, you will find a stater coin.§A stater is a silver coin equivalent to four Attic or two Alexandrian drachmas, or a Jewish shekel: just exactly enough to cover the half-shekel temple tax for two people. A shekel is about 10 grams or about 0.35 ounces, usually in the form of a silver coin. Take that, and give it to them for me and you.”
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Matthew 17:2
“He was changed before them. His face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as the light.”
This verse describes the Transfiguration, a pivotal moment revealing Jesus' divine nature to His disciples.
Matthew 17:20
“He said to them, “Because of your unbelief. For most certainly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you."”
This famous teaching emphasizes that even a small amount of genuine faith has immense power.
Chapter Summary
Matthew 17 recounts the Transfiguration, where Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a high mountain. There, His appearance is transformed, and He is seen speaking with Moses and Elijah, while a voice from a cloud identifies Him as God’s beloved Son. Following this event, Jesus explains that John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah. Upon returning to the crowds, Jesus heals a boy afflicted by a demon after the disciples failed to do so, explaining that their failure was due to a lack of faith. He teaches that faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. The chapter also includes Jesus' second prediction of His death and resurrection. Finally, when questioned about the temple tax in Capernaum, Jesus instructs Peter to find a coin in the mouth of a fish to pay the tax for both of them, demonstrating His authority while choosing not to cause offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus on the mountain. They represent the Law and the Prophets, showing that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament scriptures.
Jesus told the disciples they were unable to cast out the demon because of their unbelief. He indicated that such situations require significant faith, prayer, and fasting.
Jesus told Peter to catch a fish from the sea. Inside the fish's mouth, Peter found a stater coin, which was the exact amount needed to pay the tax for both Jesus and Peter.
Study Note
The 'didrachma' mentioned in verse 24 was a specific Greek silver coin used to pay the annual half-shekel temple tax required of Jewish males.
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