Jesus is transfigured, 2-10. He instructs his disciples concerning the coming of Elijah, 11-13; casts out a deaf and mute spirit, 14-29; foretells his death and resurrection, 30-32; exhorts his disciples to humility, 33-37; bidding them not to prohibit those who are not against them, nor to give offense to any of the faithful, 38-50.
1 And he said to them, "Truly I say to you, that there are some of those who stand here who shall not taste death until they have seen the kingdom of God come with power."
2 And after six days, Jesus takes with him Peter, James, and John, and leads them up upon a high mountain separately by themselves, and he was transfigured before them. 3 And his clothing became shining, exceedingly white as snow, so as no fuller on earth can whiten them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah, with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tabernacles: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were greatly terrified. 7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my beloved Son. Hear him." 8 And suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no man anymore, except Jesus only with themselves.
9 And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen until the Son of man was risen from the dead. 10 And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning with one another what the rising from the dead should mean. 11 And they asked him, saying, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" 12 And he answered and told them, "Elijah truly comes first and restores all things. How is it written concerning the Son of man that he must suffer many things and be set at nothing? 13 But I say to you, that Elijah has indeed come, and they have done to him whatever they pleased, as it is written concerning him."
14 And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude around them and the scribes questioning with them. 15 And immediately, when they beheld him, all the people were greatly amazed and ran to him and saluted him. 16 And he asked the scribes, "What are you questioning with them?" 17 And someone from the multitude answered and said, "Master, I have brought to you my son who has a mute spirit. 18 And wherever he takes him, he convulses him, and he foams and gnashes with his teeth and pines away. And I spoke to your disciples so that they should cast him out, and they could not." 19 He answered him, and says, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me." 20 And they brought him to him. And when he saw him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming. 21 And he asked his father, "How long has it been since this came to him?" And he said, "From a child. 22 And it has often cast him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." 23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." 24 And immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief." 25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying to him, "You mute and deaf spirit, I charge you, come out of him and enter into him no more." 26 And the spirit cried, shook him severely, and came out of him. And he was as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead." 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why could we not cast him out?" 29 And he said to them, "This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting."
30 And they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and he did not wish that any man should know it. 31 For he taught his disciples and said to them, "The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men and they will kill him, and after he is killed, he will rise on the third day." 32 But they did not understand that saying and were afraid to ask him.
33 And he came to Capernaum. And being in the house, he asked them, "What was it that you disputed among yourselves on the way?" 34 But they held their peace, for on the way they had disputed among themselves who should be the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve and says to them, "If any man desires to be first, the same shall be last of all and servant of all." 36 And he took a child and set him in the midst of them, and when he had taken him in his arms, he said to them, 37 "Whoever receives one of such children in my name receives me, and whoever receives me does not receive me, but him who sent me."
38 And John answered him, saying, "Master, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him because he does not follow us." 39 But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him. For there is no man who does a miracle in my name who can lightly speak evil of me. 40 For he who is not against us is on our part. 41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.
42 "And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall into sin, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged around his neck and he were cast into the sea. 43 And if your hand causes you to fall into sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched, 44 'Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.' 45 And if your foot causes you to fall into sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter lame into life than with two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched, 46 'Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.' 47 And if your eye causes you to fall into sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be cast into hell-fire, 48 'Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.'
49 "For everyone shall be salted with fire and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, with what will you season it? Have salt in yourselves and have peace with one another."
Matthew Henry Commentary - Mark, Chapter 9[➚]
[v.1] - Gospel Link: Matthew 16:28; Luke 9:27.
[v.2-8] - Gospel Link: Matthew 17:1-8; Luke 9:28-36.
[v.9] - Gospel Link: Matthew 17:9.
[v.11-13] - Gospel Link: Matthew 17:10-12.
[v.11] - Reference, Malachi 4:5.
[v.12] - "How is it written...?" - From John Gill's Exposition: "The sense of Christ is, that John the Baptist, whom he means by Elias, comes first, and restores all things: and among the rest of the things he sets right, this is one, and not of the least; namely, that he gives the true sense of such passages of the sacred writings, which related to the contemptuous usage, rejection, and sufferings of the Messiah; as that in these he was the Lamb of God typified in the sacrifices of the law, who by his sufferings and death takes away the sin, of the world; and therefore he exhorted and directed those to whom he ministered, to look unto him, and believe in him; see John 1:29."
[v.13] - "it is written" - From John Gill's Exposition: "respects not what the Scribes and Pharisees, and the people of the Jews did to John at their pleasure; despising his ministry and message, rejecting the counsel of God delivered by him, and remaining impenitent and unbelieving, notwithstanding his powerful and awakening ministry, with many other things, which are no where written of him; but the words regard his coming, and the prophecies concerning him, and particularly, that under the name of Elijah, in Malachi 4:5 and which had had their accomplishment."
[v.14-27] - Gospel Link: Matthew 17:14-18; Luke 9:37-42.
[v.28] - Gospel Link: Matthew 17:19.
[v.29] - Gospel Link: Matthew 17:21.
[v.34-37] - Gospel Link: Matthew 18:1-5; Luke 9:46-48.
[v.38-40] - Gospel Link: Luke 9:49-50.
[v.41] - Gospel Link: Matthew 10:42.
[v.42] - Gospel Link: Matthew 18:6; Luke 17:2.
[v.43-48] - Gospel Link: Matthew 18:8-9.
[v.44] - Quoting Isaiah 66:24.
[v.46] - Quoting Isaiah 66:24.
[v.48] - Quoting Isaiah 66:24.
[v.50a] - See the comment for Matthew 5:13 concerning the salt.
[v.50b] - Gospel Link: Matthew 5:13; Luke 14:34-35.