65. Coming Down the Mountain
9And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man should have risen from the dead.a 10So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.11And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”b
12And Jesus replied, “Elijah does come first to prepare the way for the Son of Man, who must suffer many things and be rejected. 13But I tell you that Elijah has come,c and they did to him whatever they pleased.”
(Mk. 9:9–13)
a “until the Son of Man should have risen from the dead.”—This is Jesus' first mention of the fact that he will die and rise from the dead. It must have shocked the apostles exceedingly.
b “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?”—The scribes and rabbis had collected many prophecies scattered throughout the Jewish Scriptures that described a coming Messiah who would deliver them from their bondage and inaugurate a new age of righteousness. Furthermore, they believed that this “anointed one” would be preceded by one who would come to prepare the way for this Messiah. In this regard they looked to the prophecy of Malachi who said, "Behold, I shall send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord." (Mal. 4:5)
c “I tell you that Elijah has come”—Peter and the apostles have recently confessed their belief that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. (Ch. 63) Here Jesus identifies John the Baptist as his forerunner, the Elijah of Malachi's prophecy. (See fn. b above.)
Mk. 9:9 And as / As soon as (RSV)
Mk. 9:12 to prepare the way for / to restore all things for • for the Son / and how it is written of the Son (RSV) • Man, who must suffer / man, that he should suffer (RSV) • be rejected. (Mof) / be treated with contempt. (RSV)
Mk. 9:13 pleased. / pleased as it is written of him. (RSV) (158:2/1754)
