Matthew 17:11
New International Version
Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things.

New Living Translation
Jesus replied, “Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready.

English Standard Version
He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things.

Berean Standard Bible
Jesus replied, “Elijah does indeed come, and he will restore all things.

Berean Literal Bible
And answering He said, "Elijah indeed comes and will restore all things.

King James Bible
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.

New King James Version
Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.

New American Standard Bible
And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things;

NASB 1995
And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things;

NASB 1977
And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things;

Legacy Standard Bible
And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things;

Amplified Bible
He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things;

Christian Standard Bible
“Elijah is coming and will restore everything,” he replied.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
“Elijah is coming and will restore everything,” He replied.

American Standard Version
And he answered and said, Elijah indeed cometh, and shall restore all things:

Contemporary English Version
Jesus told them, "Elijah certainly will come and get everything ready.

English Revised Version
And he answered and said, Elijah indeed cometh, and shall restore all things:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jesus answered, "Elijah is coming and will put everything in order again.

Good News Translation
"Elijah is indeed coming first," answered Jesus, "and he will get everything ready.

International Standard Version
He answered them, "Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things.

Majority Standard Bible
Jesus replied, “Elijah does indeed come first, and he will restore all things.

NET Bible
He answered, "Elijah does indeed come first and will restore all things.

New Heart English Bible
And he answered and said, "Elijah indeed comes, and will restore all things,

Webster's Bible Translation
And Jesus answered and said to them, Elijah truly will first come, and restore all things:

Weymouth New Testament
"Elijah was indeed to come," He replied, "and would reform everything.

World English Bible
Jesus answered them, “Elijah indeed comes first, and will restore all things;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Jesus answering said to them, “Elijah does indeed come first, and will restore all things,

Berean Literal Bible
And answering He said, "Elijah indeed comes and will restore all things.

Young's Literal Translation
And Jesus answering said to them, 'Elijah doth indeed come first, and shall restore all things,

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jesus having answered, said to them, Elias truly comes first and will re-establish all things.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But he answering, said to them: Elias indeed shall come, and restore all things.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But in response, he said to them: “Elijah, indeed, shall arrive and restore all things.

New American Bible
He said in reply, “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things;

New Revised Standard Version
He replied, “Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Jesus answered and said to them, Elijah will come first, so that everything might be fulfilled.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Yeshua answered and he said to them, “Elijah does come first so that everything may end.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Jesus answered and said to them: Elijah, indeed, comes first, and he will restore all things.

Godbey New Testament
And Jesus responding said to them, Elijah indeed comes, and will restore all things:

Haweis New Testament
Then Jesus answering said unto them, Elias indeed cometh first, and will reform all things.

Mace New Testament
Jesus answered, 'tis true, Elias was to come first and set all things right.

Weymouth New Testament
"Elijah was indeed to come," He replied, "and would reform everything.

Worrell New Testament
And He, answering, said, "Elijah, indeed, comes, and will restore all things;

Worsley New Testament
Jesus said unto them, Elias doth indeed come first, and shall set all things right.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Transfiguration
10The disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11 Jesus replied, “Elijah does indeed come, and he will restore all things. 12But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him whatever they wished. In the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.”…

Cross References
Malachi 4:5-6
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD. / And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers. Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

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

Mark 9:11-13
And they asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” / He replied, “Elijah does indeed come first, and he restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected? / But I tell you that Elijah has indeed come, and they have done to him whatever they wished, just as it is written about him.”

Luke 1:17
And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Isaiah 40:3
A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.

John 1:21-23
“Then who are you?” they inquired. “Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” / So they said to him, “Who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” / John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet: “I am a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”

Malachi 3:1
“Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He is coming,” says the LORD of Hosts.

Matthew 3:1-3
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea / and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” / This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”

Luke 3:4-6
as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him. / Every valley shall be filled in, and every mountain and hill made low. The crooked ways shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth. / And all humanity will see God’s salvation.’”

John 1:6-8
There came a man who was sent from God. His name was John. / He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through him everyone might believe. / He himself was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

Matthew 11:10
This is the one about whom it is written: ‘Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.’

Matthew 14:2
and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

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

2 Kings 2:11-12
As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire with horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up into heaven in a whirlwind. / As Elisha watched, he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And he saw Elijah no more. So taking hold of his own clothes, he tore them in two.

2 Kings 1:8
“He was a hairy man,” they answered, “with a leather belt around his waist.” “It was Elijah the Tishbite,” said the king.


Treasury of Scripture

And Jesus answered and said to them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.

and restore.

Malachi 4:6
And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. THE END OF THE PROPHETS.

Luke 1:16,17
And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God…

Luke 3:3-14
And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; …

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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.














Jesus replied
This phrase indicates a direct response from Jesus, emphasizing His authority and the importance of His words. In the Greek, "Jesus" is "Ἰησοῦς" (Iēsous), a name that signifies "Yahweh is salvation." The act of replying shows Jesus' role as a teacher and clarifier of divine truths, addressing the disciples' confusion and guiding them towards understanding.

Elijah
Elijah, or "Ἠλίας" (Ēlias) in Greek, is a significant prophetic figure in Jewish tradition, known for his zealous defense of the worship of Yahweh against Baal worship. His expected return is rooted in Malachi 4:5-6, where it is prophesied that Elijah will come before the "great and dreadful day of the LORD." This expectation is deeply embedded in Jewish eschatology, symbolizing a time of repentance and restoration.

does indeed come
The phrase "does indeed come" underscores the certainty and inevitability of Elijah's coming. The Greek word for "come" is "ἔρχεται" (erchetai), which is in the present tense, indicating an ongoing or imminent action. This reflects the prophetic tradition and the fulfillment of God's promises, reassuring the disciples of the divine plan unfolding in their midst.

and he will restore
The word "restore" is translated from the Greek "ἀποκαταστήσει" (apokatastēsei), meaning to bring back to a former state or to renew. This restoration is not merely physical but spiritual, pointing to a renewal of faith and covenant relationship with God. It echoes the mission of John the Baptist, who came in the spirit and power of Elijah to prepare the way for the Lord (Luke 1:17).

all things
The phrase "all things" signifies the comprehensive nature of the restoration. In Greek, "πάντα" (panta) encompasses everything that has been disrupted by sin and rebellion. This restoration is holistic, affecting individuals, communities, and creation itself. It aligns with the biblical narrative of redemption and the ultimate reconciliation of all things through Christ (Colossians 1:20).

(11) Elias truly shall first come.--Better, cometh Our Lord's words are obviously enigmatic in their form, and, as such, admit of two very different interpretations. Taken literally, as they have been by very many both in earlier and later times, they seem to say that Elijah shall come in person before the yet future day of the Lord, the great second Advent of the Christ. So it has been argued the prophecy of Malachi 4:5 shall yet have a literal fulfilment, and John the Baptist when he confessed that he was not Elijah (John 1:21) was rightly expecting his appearance. It would hardly be right to reject this interpretation merely on the ground of its literalism, or its improbability, or the resemblance which it has to the fantastic belief and practices, which have kept their ground even in modern Judaism, in connection with the expected appearance of the Tishbite, though these, so far as they go, must be thrown into the adverse scale. The words that follow in the next verse are, however, more decisive.

And restore all things.--Better, and shall restore. Leaving for the present the question who was to do the work, we turn to the nature of the work itself. Our Lord's language generalises the description given by Malachi. That work of "turning the hearts of the children to the fathers, and the hearts of the fathers to the children," was but part of a wider restoration of things and persons. Old truths were to be reproclaimed, and cleared from the after-growths of traditions. Men, as a race, were to be brought into their right relation to their God and Father. The words seem--at least as interpreted by Acts 3:21 (where see Note); Romans 8:21; Ephesians 1:22-23; 1Corinthians 15:28, and other like passages--to point forward to a "restitution of all things," the bringing in of order where now there is disorder and confusion, which shall embrace not Israel only, or even mankind, but the whole universe of God, visible and invisible. . . .

Verse 11. - Elias truly shall first come (ἔρχεται, cometh). Many of the best manuscripts and editions omit "first." The Vulgate has merely, Elias quidem venturus est. It is probably inserted in our text from the parallel passage in Mark, where it is certainly genuine. Christ is here alluding to his own second coming, which shall be preceded by the appearance of Elijah in person. This seems to be the plain meaning of the prophecy in Malachi, and of Christ's announcement, and is confirmed by St. John's statement concerning the two witnesses (Revelation 11:3, 6). That the paragraph cannot refer to John the Baptist is plain from the tenses used in this verse contrasted with those in the following. To regard ver. 12 as simply a correction of ver. 10 is to do violence to language, and to leave one half of Malachi's prediction unexplained. Restore (ἀποκατασήσει) all things. The event is still future, and was not fulfilled in the Baptist's preaching, however deep and extensive may have been its influence. Of course, John in a partial degree reproduced the character and acts of Elijah, directing the people to the eternal principles of justice and righteousness, to a reformation of religion and morals; but he could not be said to have reconstituted, re-established all things; though it is possible that, had his message been received and acted upon, some such effects would have been produced. How and in what degree Elijah, again appearing and living on earth, will effect this great achievement, we know not. We can only fall back on the ancient prophecy, which affirms that "he shall turn the heart of the fathers to [or, 'with'] the children, and the heart of the children to [or, 'and'] their fathers" (Malachi 4:6), and expect that in some way, known unto God, he shall convert one and all, young and old, unto the Lord; or unite the Jews who are the fathers in the faith to Christians who are their children, and thus embrace Jew and Gentile in one fold under one Shepherd.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
[Jesus] replied,
εἶπεν (eipen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

“Elijah
Ἠλίας (Ēlias)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2243: Elijah, the prophet. Of Hebrew origin; Helias, an Israelite.

{does} indeed
μὲν (men)
Conjunction
Strong's 3303: A primary particle; properly, indicative of affirmation or concession; usually followed by a contrasted clause with de.

come,
ἔρχεται (erchetai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2064: To come, go.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

he will restore
ἀποκαταστήσει (apokatastēsei)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 600: From apo and kathistemi; to reconstitute.

all things.
πάντα (panta)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.


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