Caput 17
Chapter 17
Revelatio Divinitatis Christi
Revelation of Christ’s Divinity
Lectio 1
Lecture 1
Transfiguratio
The Transfiguration
17:1 Et post dies sex asumpsit Iesus Petrum, et Iacobum, et Ioannem fratrem eius, et ducit illos in montem excelsum seorsum, [n. 1418]
17:1 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]
17:2 et transfiguratus est ante eos. Et resplenduit facies eius sicut sol, vestimenta autem eius facta sunt alba sicut nix. [n. 1421]
17:2 and he was transfigured before them. And his face shone as the sun and his garments became white as snow. [n. 1421]
17:3 Et ecce apparuit illis Moyses et Elias cum eo loquentes. [n. 1428]
17:3 And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking with him. [n. 1428]
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]
17:4 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]
17:5 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]
17:5 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]
17:6 Et audientes discipuli ceciderunt in faciem suam, et timuerunt valde. [n. 1439]
17:6 And hearing this, the disciples fell upon their face, and were very much afraid. [n. 1439]
17:7 Et accessit Iesus, et tetigit eos, dixitque eis: surgite, et nolite timere. [n. 1442]
17:7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said to them: arise, and fear not. [n. 1442]
17:8 Levantes autem oculos suos neminem viderunt nisi solum Iesum. [n. 1443]
17:8 And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one but only Jesus. [n. 1443]
17:9 Et descendentibus illis de monte, praecepit eis Iesus dicens: nemini dixeritis visionem, donec Filius hominis a mortuis resurgat. [n. 1444]
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]
17:10 Et interrogaverunt eum discipuli dicentes: quid ergo scribae dicunt, quod Eliam oporteat primum venire? [n. 1445]
17:10 And his disciples asked him, saying: why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? [n. 1445]
17:11 At ille respondens ait eis: Elias quidem venturus est, et restituet omnia. [n. 1447]
17:11 But answering he said to them: Elijah indeed will come, and restore all things. [n. 1447]
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]
17:12 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]
17:13 Tunc intellexerunt discipuli, quia de Ioanne Baptista dixisset eis. [n. 1452]
17:13 Then the disciples understood that he had spoken to them of John the Baptist. [n. 1452]
1417. In parte praecedenti ostendit virtutem doctrinae evangelicae etc., hic ostenditur finis, qui est gloria futura:
1417. In the preceding part, he showed the power of the evangelical teaching; here the end is shown, which is future glory.
et circa hoc duo facit.
And concerning this he does two things:
Primo ostendit quomodo demonstrata est in transfiguratione;
first, he shows how it was revealed in the transfiguration;
secundo quomodo perveniri possit ad eam, in XVIII cap. in illa hora et cetera.
second, how one can arrive at it, at at that hour (Matt 18:1).
Circa primum duo [sic].
Concerning the first, two things:
Primo demonstratur futura gloria;
first, the future glory is revealed;
secundo praecipit celationem;
second, he commands that a secret be kept;
tertio ponit dubitationem.
third, a doubt is set down.
Secunda ibi et descendentibus illis de monte etc., tertia ibi et interrogaverunt eum discipuli et cetera.
The second is at and as they came down from the mountain; the third, at and his disciples asked him.
Circa primum tria.
Concerning the first, three things:
Primo ponuntur circumstantiae transfigurationis;
first, the circumstances of the transfiguration are set down;
secundo transfiguratio;
second, the transfiguration;
tertio effectus.
third, the effect.
Secunda ibi et transfiguratus est ante eos; tertia ibi et audientes discipuli ceciderunt in faciem suam.
The second is at and he was transfigured before them; the third, at and hearing this, the disciples fell upon their face.
Ponit autem tres circumstantias, scilicet tempus; discipulos; locum.
And he sets down three circumstances, namely the time; the disciples; the place.
1418. Tempus ponit, cum dicit post dies sex.
1418. He sets down the time, when he says, and after six days.
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 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 quid est quod hic habetur post sex dies, in Luca habetur, post octo dies?
But why does it say here, and after six days, while in Luke it says, eight days after these words?(Luke 9:28).
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.
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.