Matthew 17:10
New International Version
The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

New Living Translation
Then his disciples asked him, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?”

English Standard Version
And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”

Berean Standard Bible
The disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

Berean Literal Bible
And the disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that it behooves Elijah to come first?"

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

New King James Version
And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

New American Standard Bible
And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

NASB 1995
And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

NASB 1977
And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

Legacy Standard Bible
And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

Amplified Bible
The disciples asked Him, “Then why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

Christian Standard Bible
So the disciples asked him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So the disciples questioned Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

American Standard Version
And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And his disciples asked him and they were saying to him, “Why do the Scribes therefore say that Elijah must come first?”

Contemporary English Version
The disciples asked Jesus, "Don't the teachers of the Law of Moses say Elijah must come before the Messiah does?"

Douay-Rheims Bible
And his disciples asked him, saying: Why then do the scribes say that Elias must come first?

English Revised Version
And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So the disciples asked him, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"

Good News Translation
Then the disciples asked Jesus, "Why do the teachers of the Law say that Elijah has to come first?"

International Standard Version
So the disciples asked him, "Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"

Literal Standard Version
And His disciples questioned Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

Majority Standard Bible
His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

New American Bible
Then the disciples asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

NET Bible
The disciples asked him, "Why then do the experts in the law say that Elijah must come first?"

New Revised Standard Version
And the disciples asked him, “Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

New Heart English Bible
The disciples asked him, saying, "Then why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes, that Elijah must first come?

Weymouth New Testament
"Why then," asked the disciples, "do the Scribes say that Elijah must first come?"

World English Bible
His disciples asked him, saying, “Then why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

Young's Literal Translation
And his disciples questioned him, saying, 'Why then do the scribes say that Elijah it behoveth to come first?'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Transfiguration
9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Do not tell anyone about this vision until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” 10 The disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11Jesus replied, “Elijah does indeed come, and he will restore all things.…

Cross References
Malachi 4:5
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD.

Matthew 11:14
And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.

Matthew 16:14
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

Matthew 17:11
Jesus replied, "Elijah does indeed come, and he will restore all things.


Treasury of Scripture

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

Why.

Matthew 17:3,4
And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him…

Matthew 11:14
And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.

Matthew 27:47-49
Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias…

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Behoveth Demanded Disciples Elias Elijah Eli'jah First Law Questioned Questioning Scribes Teachers
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Matthew 17
1. The transfiguration of Jesus.
14. He heals the boy with a demon,
22. foretells his own passion,
24. and pays tribute.














(10) His disciples asked him.--The context clearly implies that the question came not from the disciples at large, but from the three who had seen the vision, and were brooding over the appearance, and yet more, perhaps, the disappearance, of Elijah, as connected with the tradition of the scribes. If Elijah was to come and prepare the way, why had he thus come from the unseen world for a moment only?

Verse 10. - Why then (ou+n) say the scribes that Elias must first come? The illative particle "then" shows that the apostles' question arose from something immediately preceding. The connection seems to be this: Elias had just appeared and then had vanished again; how could this visitation be reconciled with the scribes' interpretation of Malachi's prophecy? If Elias was to come before the advent of Messiah, and Jesus is the Messiah, how is it that he has only now shown himself? If he has a work to do on earth, how could he do that when his sojourn was limited to a few minutes' duration, and to the view of so few witnesses? Malachi had spoken of the Messenger who was to precede and prepare the way for Messiah; he had said, "Before the great day of the Lord, I will send you Elijah the prophet" (Malachi 3:1; Malachi 4:5); and the learned among the Jews interpreted these two passages of his appearance in person to herald the approach of Messiah. Hence the perplexity of the apostles, they, like the scribes, not distinguishing the two advents of Christ, and the double allusion in the prophet's announcement - the "Messenger" in Matthew 3:1 being a different personage from "Elias" in Matthew 4:5, though of the same power and spirit. Christ explains the difficulty in the two next verses.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
The
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

disciples
μαθηταὶ (mathētai)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3101: A learner, disciple, pupil. From manthano; a learner, i.e. Pupil.

asked
ἐπηρώτησαν (epērōtēsan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1905: To interrogate, question, demand of. From epi and erotao; to ask for, i.e. Inquire, seek.

Him,
αὐτὸν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

“Why
Τί (Ti)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

then
οὖν (oun)
Conjunction
Strong's 3767: Therefore, then. Apparently a primary word; certainly, or accordingly.

{do} the
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

scribes
γραμματεῖς (grammateis)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1122: From gramma. A writer, i.e. scribe or secretary.

say
λέγουσιν (legousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

that
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

Elijah
Ἠλίαν (Ēlian)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2243: Elijah, the prophet. Of Hebrew origin; Helias, an Israelite.

must
δεῖ (dei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1163: Third person singular active present of deo; also deon deh-on'; neuter active participle of the same; both used impersonally; it is Necessary.

come
ἐλθεῖν (elthein)
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong's 2064: To come, go.

first?”
πρῶτον (prōton)
Adverb - Superlative
Strong's 4412: First, in the first place, before, formerly. Neuter of protos as adverb; firstly.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 17:10 His disciples asked him saying Then why (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 17:9
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