And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, except Jesus only with themselves.
All Commentaries on Mark 9:8 Go To Mark 9
John Chrysostom
AD 407
He does not however show His glory in a house, but He takes them up into a high mountain, for the loftiness of the mountain was adapted to shewing forth the loftiness of His glory.
It is not therefore fitting that in the kingdom of God any change of feature should take place, either in the Saviour Himself, or in those who are to bemade like unto Him, but only an addition of brightness.
He brings Moses and Elias before them; first, indeed, because the multitudes said that Christ was Elias, and one of the Prophets. He shows Himself to the Apostles with them, that they might see the difference between the Lord, and His servants. And that they might know that He holds the power of life and of death, He brings before them both Moses who was dead, and Elias who had not yet suffered death. Furthermore He signified by this that the doctrine of the Prophets was the schoolmaster to the doctrine of Christ. Healso signified the junction of the New and Old Testament, and that the Apostles shall be joined in the resurrection with the Prophets, and both together shall go forth to meet their common King. It goes on, “And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles, one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.”.
It goes on, “For they were sore afraid. "But this fear of theirs was one by which they were raised from their usual state of mind to one higher, and they recognised that those who appeared to them were Moses and Elias. The soul also was drawn on to a state of heavenly feeling, as though carried away from human sense by the heavenly vision.
The voice proceeded from a cloud in which God is wont to appear, that they might believe that the voice was sent forth from God. But in that He says, “This is My beloved Son,” He declares that the will of the Father and the Son is one, and that, save in that He is the Son, He is in all things One with Him who begot Him.There follows: “And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves; "for as soon as the Son was proclaimed, at once the servants disappeared, lest the voice of the Father should seem to have been sent forth to them.
Or else, white garments are the writings of Evangelists and Apostles, the like to which no interpreter can frame.
