And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying,
Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
All Commentaries on Matthew 17:9 Go To Matthew 17
John Chrysostom
AD 407
When the Lord threatens, He shows a dark cloud, as on Sinai ; but here where He sought not to terrify but to teach, there appeareda bright cloud.
Neither Moses, nor Elias speak, but the Father greater than all sends a voice out of the cloud, that the disciples might believe that this voice was from God. For God has ordinarily shown Himself in a cloud, as it is written, “Clouds and darkness are round about Him;” and this is what is said, “Behold, a voice out of the cloud.”.
Fear not then, Peter; for if God is mighty, it is manifest that the Son is also mighty; wherefore if He is loved, fear not thou; for none forsakes Him whom Heloves; nor dost thou love Him equally with the Father. Neither does He love Him merely because He begot Him, but because He is of one will with Himself; as it follows, “In whom I am well pleased;” which is to say, in whom I rest content, whom I accept, for all things of the Father He performs with care, and His willis one with the Father; so if He will to be crucified, do not then speak against it.
But when before in Christ’s baptism, such a voice came from heaven, yet none of the multitude then present suffered any thing of this kind, how is it that the disciples on the mount fell prostrate? Because in sooth their solicitude was much, the height and loneliness of the spot great, and the transfiguration itself attended with terrors, the clear light and the spreading cloud; all these things together wrought to terrify them.
