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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comRobertson Word Pictures - Luke 9:28 - 9:28
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
About eight days (hōsei hēmerai oktō). A nominativus pendens without connexion or construction. Mar 9:2 (Mat 17:1) has “after six days” which agrees with the general statement.
Into the mountain (eis to oros). Probably Mount Hermon because we know that Jesus was near Caesarea Philippi when Peter made the confession (Mar 8:27; Mat 16:13). Hermon is still the glory of Palestine from whose heights one can view the whole of the land. It was a fit place for the Transfiguration.
To pray (proseuxasthai). Peculiar to Luke who so often mentions Christ’s habit of prayer (cf. Luk 3:21). See also Luk 9:29 “as he was praying” (en tōi proseuchesthai, one of Luke’s favourite idioms).
His countenance was altered (egeneto to eidos tou prosōpou autou heteron). Literally, “the appearance of his face became different.” Mat 17:2 says that “his face did shine as the sun.” Luke does not use the word “transfigured” (metemorphōthē) in Mar 9:2; Mat 17:2. He may have avoided this word because of the pagan associations with this word as Ovid’s Metamorphoses.
And his raiment became white and dazzling (kai ho himatismos autou leukos exastraptōn). Literally, And his raiment white radiant. There is no and between “white” and “dazzling.” The participle exastraptōn is from the compound verb meaning to flash (astraptō) out or forth (ex). The simple verb is common for lightning flashes and bolts, but the compound in the lxx and here alone in the N.T. See note on Mar 9:3 “exceeding white” and the note on Mat 17:2 “white as the light.”