Lecture 1
Lectio 1
The Transfiguration
Transfiguratio
17:1 And after six days, Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain, apart; [n. 1418]
17:1 Et post dies sex asumpsit Iesus Petrum, et Iacobum, et Ioannem fratrem eius, et ducit illos in montem excelsum seorsum, [n. 1418]
17:2 and he was transfigured before them. And his face shone as the sun and his garments became white as snow. [n. 1421]
17:2 et transfiguratus est ante eos. Et resplenduit facies eius sicut sol, vestimenta autem eius facta sunt alba sicut nix. [n. 1421]
17:3 And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking with him. [n. 1428]
17:3 Et ecce apparuit illis Moyses et Elias cum eo loquentes. [n. 1428]
17:4 And Peter answering, said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, let us make here three tents, one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. [n. 1430]
17:4 Respondens autem Petrus dixit ad Iesum: Domine, bonum est nos hic esse: si vis, faciamus hic tria tabernacula, tibi unum, et Moysi unum, et Eliae unum. [n. 1430]
17:5 And as he was still speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them. And behold a voice out of the cloud, saying: this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear him. [n. 1433]
17:5 Adhuc eo loquente, ecce nubes lucida obumbravit eos. Et ecce vox de nube dicens. Hic est Filius meus dilectus, in quo mihi bene complacui; ipsum audite. [n. 1433]
17:6 And hearing this, the disciples fell upon their face, and were very much afraid. [n. 1439]
17:6 Et audientes discipuli ceciderunt in faciem suam, et timuerunt valde. [n. 1439]
17:7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said to them: arise, and fear not. [n. 1442]
17:7 Et accessit Iesus, et tetigit eos, dixitque eis: surgite, et nolite timere. [n. 1442]
17:8 And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one but only Jesus. [n. 1443]
17:8 Levantes autem oculos suos neminem viderunt nisi solum Iesum. [n. 1443]
17:9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying: tell to no one the vision, till the Son of man is risen from the dead. [n. 1444]
17:9 Et descendentibus illis de monte, praecepit eis Iesus dicens: nemini dixeritis visionem, donec Filius hominis a mortuis resurgat. [n. 1444]
17:10 And his disciples asked him, saying: why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? [n. 1445]
17:10 Et interrogaverunt eum discipuli dicentes: quid ergo scribae dicunt, quod Eliam oporteat primum venire? [n. 1445]
17:11 But answering he said to them: Elijah indeed will come, and restore all things. [n. 1447]
17:11 At ille respondens ait eis: Elias quidem venturus est, et restituet omnia. [n. 1447]
17:12 But I say to you, that Elijah has already come, and they did not know him, but have done to him whatever they wished. So also will the Son of man suffer from them. [n. 1448]
17:12 Dico autem vobis, quia Elias iam venit, et non cognoverunt eum, sed fecerunt in eo quaecumque voluerunt. Sic et Filius hominis passurus est ab eis. [n. 1448]
17:13 Then the disciples understood that he had spoken to them of John the Baptist. [n. 1452]
17:13 Tunc intellexerunt discipuli, quia de Ioanne Baptista dixisset eis. [n. 1452]
1417. In the preceding part, he showed the power of the evangelical teaching; here the end is shown, which is future glory.
1417. In parte praecedenti ostendit virtutem doctrinae evangelicae etc., hic ostenditur finis, qui est gloria futura:
And concerning this he does two things:
et circa hoc duo facit.
first, he shows how it was revealed in the transfiguration;
Primo ostendit quomodo demonstrata est in transfiguratione;
second, how one can arrive at it, at at that hour (Matt 18:1).
secundo quomodo perveniri possit ad eam, in XVIII cap. in illa hora et cetera.
Concerning the first, two things:
Circa primum duo [sic].
first, the future glory is revealed;
Primo demonstratur futura gloria;
second, he commands that a secret be kept;
secundo praecipit celationem;
third, a doubt is set down.
tertio ponit dubitationem.
The second is at and as they came down from the mountain; the third, at and his disciples asked him.
Secunda ibi et descendentibus illis de monte etc., tertia ibi et interrogaverunt eum discipuli et cetera.
Concerning the first, three things:
Circa primum tria.
first, the circumstances of the transfiguration are set down;
Primo ponuntur circumstantiae transfigurationis;
second, the transfiguration;
secundo transfiguratio;
third, the effect.
tertio effectus.
The second is at and he was transfigured before them; the third, at and hearing this, the disciples fell upon their face.
Secunda ibi et transfiguratus est ante eos; tertia ibi et audientes discipuli ceciderunt in faciem suam.
And he sets down three circumstances, namely the time; the disciples; the place.
Ponit autem tres circumstantias, scilicet tempus; discipulos; locum.
1418. He sets down the time, when he says, and after six days.
1418. Tempus ponit, cum dicit post dies sex.
But there is a literal question here, namely why he was not transfigured right away when he said, there are some of them who stand here, who will not taste death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom (Matt 16:28). Chrysostom solves it. First, to arouse the apostles’ desire; second, to mitigate their envy, because perhaps they had been troubled after this word.
Sed hic est quaestio litteralis, quare statim cum dixit: sunt quidam de hic stantibus etc. non statim transfiguratus est. Solvit Chrysostomus. Primo ut accenderet desiderium apostolorum; secundo ut mitigaret invidiam eorum, quia forte post verbum istud turbati fuerunt.
But why does it say here, and after six days, while in Luke it says, eight days after these words?(Luke 9:28).
Sed quid est quod hic habetur post sex dies, in Luca habetur, post octo dies?
It is clear that Luke counted the day on which he said it, and the day of the transfiguration; but Matthew only counted the days in between; and so, with the first and last days removed, there remained only six days. The six days signify the six ages, after which we hope to come to future glory. Likewise, he perfected his work in six days, and so the Lord wished to show himself after six days, because unless we are lifted up to God above all the creatures which the Lord created in those six days, we cannot arrive at the kingdom of God.
Planum est quod Lucas numerat diem quo dixit, et diem transfigurationis; Matthaeus vero dies solum intermedios; ideo, remoto primo et ultimo, non remanent nisi sex dies. Per sex dies significantur sex aetates, post quas speramus venire ad gloriam futuram. Item in sex diebus perfecit opera sua; ideoque post sex dies vult Dominus se ostendere, quia nisi elevemur ad Deum super omnes creaturas, quas Dominus his sex diebus creavit, non possumus pervenire ad regnum Dei.
1419. Likewise, Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John. Why not all? To indicate that not all who are called, arrive; hence below, for many are called, but few chosen (Matt 20:16). And why three only? To indicate that no one shall arrive except in the faith of the Trinity. He who believes and is baptized, will be saved (Mark 16:16). But why these men rather than the others? The reason is that Peter was more fervent; John, because he had been specially loved; likewise James, because he was especially a warrior against the adversaries of the faith; hence Herod killed him first, since he thought to do something great for the Jews: and he killed James (Acts 12:2), and there follows, seeing that it pleased the Jews (Acts 12:3).
1419. Item assumpsit Petrum, Iacobum et Ioannem. Quare non omnes? Ad designandum, quod non omnes, qui vocati sunt, pervenient; unde infra XX, 16: multi sunt vocati, pauci vero electi. Et quare tres tantum? Ad designandum, quod nulli pervenient nisi in fide Trinitatis. Marc. XVI, 16: qui crediderit, et baptizatus fuerit, hic salvus erit. Sed quare plus istos quam alios? Ratio est, quia Petrus magis fervidus erat. Ioannes, quia specialiter dilectus erat. Item Iacobus, quia praecipuus debellator erat adversariorum fidei; unde Herodes eum occidit primo, quia magnum aliquid credidit facere pro Iudaeis, ut in Act. XII, 2: occidit autem Iacobum etc., sequitur, cum videret, quia placeret Iudaeis et cetera.
1420. And brought them up into a high mountain apart. Why on a mountain? To indicate that no one is led to contemplation but he who goes up onto a mountain, as in Genesis, about Lot: save yourself in the mountain (Gen 19:17).
1420. Et duxit eos in montem excelsum seorsum et cetera. Quare in montem? Ad designandum quod non inducitur ad contemplandum nisi qui ascendit in montem, ut in Gen. XIX, 17 de Lot: in monte salvum te fac.