Exegesis of Luke 9:28-36

Behold, the glory of the Lord shone around them!

It is hard to look past it in the Gospel of Luke because δόξα is at every turn: at the birth of Jesus, during his transfiguration, and in his resurrection. The shepherds saw it when the Angel of the Lord appeared to them (2:9). The heavenly host heralded it (2:14); Zechariah finally proclaimed it (2:32); the Father and Holy Spirit showered him with it in the river (3:22); Jesus, Moses, and Elijah appeared in it (9:31,32); and the disciples rejoiced in it (19:38), all before the Christ reached his final glory (24:26). The common denominator in all these events is Christ’s humility before them.

The pericope on the transfiguration of the Lord is in itself about much more than glory, but, behold, you can’t look past it. The transfiguration is quite literally a watershed moment in Luke’s Gospel. Jesus has taken his three chosen witnesses up the mountain so that the Father can unveil in no uncertain terms just who the Chosen One is. The disciples already had a pretty good idea that Jesus was The Man after watching him cast out demons (4:31-37; 8:26-39), cleanse the sick (5:12-16; 7:1-10), give new limbs to the lame (5:17-26; 6:6-11), raise the dead (7:11-17), calm the storm (8:22-25), and feed the masses in a New Moses moment (9:10-17). The miracles had caught everyone’s attention, including King Herod, who even began desiring to see Jesus (9:7-9). Interestingly, despite Peter’s confession and the revelation on the mountain, the disciples will not connect the dots until after Jesus marches down the mountain, finally leading Israel out of the captivity of sin during the greatest exodus into eternal glory.

The synoptics are all in agreement on the basic details of this mountaintop experience. Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him up a mountain, where Jesus became radiantly white. Moses and Elijah are seen speaking with Jesus. Peter says, it is good that we are here; let’s pitch three tents. The cloud appears, and a voice is heard, saying, “This is my Son!” And, after the glory of the Lord shone around them, only Jesus is seen.

Unlike his counterparts, Luke introduces new parallels in this pericope, not only to the Old Testament, but to his book. There is the appearance of Moses, Elijah, and the cloud on the mountain, all of which shine another light on the Sinai theophany seen in Exodus 24. There also is a fascinating parallel between chapters nine and twenty-two and twenty-three, in which Jesus sends out the twelve (9:1-6, 22:35-38), Herod seeks Jesus (9:7-9, 23:6-16), Jesus breaks bread (9:10-17, 22:7-19), Peter confesses (9:20-22, 22:31-34), disciples face trials (9:23-27, 22:28-30), Jesus prays on mountains (9:28-36, 22:39-46), Jesus descends mountains and performs miracles (9:37-43, 22:47-53), the Son is delivered (9:43-45, 22:21-23), and disciples bicker over greatness (9:46-48, 22:24-27). And the transfiguration, which prepares Jesus for his final journey to Jerusalem, is right in the middle of it all.

Textual Notes

28 “And it came to pass, about eight days after these assertions, having taken Peter and John and James, he went up on the mountain to pray.”

Ἐγένετο δὲ/καὶ ἐγένετο — The simple aorist phrase “and it came to pass” is a favorite marker of the writers of Genesis, Samuel, Kings, and Luke. Those six books use this phrase at least 238 times, which is more than half of all uses in the Bible. Luke himself begins a sentence with it at least 43 times in his Gospel, including three times in the nine verses of this pericope, whereas the rest of the New Testament writers combined used it only 25 times. Literally, it could be rendered “and it happened.” But the King James phrasing remains a favorite way to express it. Lenski finds the expression to be “weighty and a mark of the so-called sacred style.”

μετὰ τοὺς λόγους τούτους — Luke’s narrative makes it clear that “these assertions” (BDAG, 600) are those made by Jesus in the narratives of 9:18-27. Here, the word λόγους could be rendered as words, statements, reckonings, and utterings. But all of these miss the mark, given what Jesus asserted with the disciples about a week earlier when Peter provided his great confession (9:20), and Jesus foretold his suffering, rejection, death, and resurrection (9:22) before illustrating what is at stake in discipleship (9:24, 26) and ultimately true glory. These are not just words or statements; they are confident statements of fact.

ὡσεὶ ἡμέραι ὀκτὼ — It is noteworthy that Luke’s numbering of this event is different than the six days Matthew and Mark reported (Mt 17:1; Mk 9:2). Luke had set out to provide facts (1:3-4) in his gospel, yet here, he says this happened “about eight days” later, which heightens his theology. Some commentators see this as a generalizing redaction, or a reference to the Feast of Tabernacles, which was celebrated with “messianic expectations.” Patrick Bayens concluded that “the indefiniteness on the part of the history-minded Luke here tends to lend a degree of mysterious to the account, which in turn serves to heighten the drama of what is to follow.” Ambrose proposed that Matthew and Mark’s timetable is a link to the six-day creation. The best answer might come from Arthur Just, who suggests it is a reference to the new creation.”

παραλαβὼν Πέτρον καὶ Ἰωάννην καὶ Ἰάκωβον — There is no disagreement in the synoptics on whom Jesus led up the mountain: Peter, James and John are listed in order in every account of the transfiguration. Matthew identifies John as James’ brother (17:1), making them the sons of Zebedee (Mark 1:19). It’s neither the first nor last time Jesus selects these three to be witnesses to something extraordinary. They witnessed Jesus raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Lk 8:51), and his prayer in the garden of Gethsemane (Mt 26:37). They will all provide strong “eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Pt 1:16), so that “every word is established” (Dt 19:15; Mt 18:16; 2 Cor 13:1).

ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὄρος προσεύξασθαι — The aorist infinitive προσεύξασθαι expresses the purpose of Jesus’ journey: to pray. Luke, like the other synoptic accounts, doesn’t identify the mountain. Scholars list the traditional site for the transfiguration as Mount Tabor, but others have suggested it is Mount Hermon. R.C.H. Lenski finds flaws with both locations. Since Peter made his great confession in the region of Caesarea Philippi (Mt 16:13; Mk 8:27) just a week earlier, Lenski argued that Tabor is much too far south and Hermon is too far north. Regardless, the best answer is, it’s a mountain, perhaps just north of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus frequently retreats to the mountains (Lk 6:12, 9:28, 19:37, 21:37, 22:39), which are often connected to God’s “superiority ... loftiness ... nearness ... places of encounter.” Interestingly, the LXX translation of Exodus 24:15 reads “ἀνέβη Μωυσῆς καὶ ᾿Ιησοῦς εἰς τὸ ὄρος.”

29 “And it came to pass, while he was praying, the appearance of his face became distinct and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.”

ἐν τῷ προσεύχεσθαι αὐτὸν — The present tense articular infinitive connects the action to the subject: Thus, the transfiguration began while Jesus was praying.

τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ ἕτερον καὶ ὁ ἱματισμὸς αὐτοῦ λευκὸς ἐξαστράπτων — English translations often fall flat by saying Jesus’ face “was altered, and his clothes became dazzling white.” ἕτερος describes distinction (BDAG, 399). λευκὸς is not just white, but is as brilliant as light (BDAG, 593), including sunlight. It is worth noting, Jesus is The Light of the world (Jn 8:12) and in Him there is no darkness at all (1 Jn 1:15). It’s also noteworthy that more than half — 14 of 23 — of the scriptural uses of the masculine adjective λευκὸς are found in Revelation, where it almost universally conveys purity. Luke also is the only NT writer who uses the word ἐξαστράπτων, a present tense participle of ἀστράπτω, which basically means to flash or gleam like lightning. In each case (Lk 9:29, 17:24, 24:4; Acts 9:3, 22:6), ἀστράπτω is associated with a dazzling brilliance of light that announces the coming of the Son of Man, the resurrection, and Saul’s transformation from unbelief to belief on the road to Damascus. Allison Trites argues that Luke’s use of ἐξαστράπτων is a “deliberate attempt” to link the transfiguration with other events, most notably the parousia in 17:24 and Satan’s fall from heaven in 10:18.

30-31 “And shazam, two men were talking to him, who were Moses and Elijah, who, having appeared in glory, began speaking about his exodus, which he was about to fulfill in Jerusalem.”

ἰδοὺ ἄνδρες δύο — In this case, translating ἰδοὺ as “behold” is an injustice for this disjunctive participle, especially given the context of this extraordinary event. Moses died 1,400 years before Jesus was born, and Elijah was caught up to heaven some 850 years earlier. Now, they are standing with the Chosen One (9:35), all appearing in glory on the mountain. Traditionally, Moses and Elijah in this passage are interpreted as being representatives of the law and the prophets. That can’t be dismissed, but Bayens offers an alternative explanation: Moses doesn’t just represent the law: He is a leader of the exodus, an end-time deliverer. Similarly, Elijah isn’t just a representative of the prophets. Bayens argues that, “If one is emblematic of the prophetic line it is Moses (cf. Deut. 34:10), not Elijah.” Instead, Bayens presents an uncommon argument that Elijah’s presence for the transfiguration should be seen in light of Malachi 4:5:

“The long discussion in Matthew and Mark following the transfiguration concerning the role of Elijah before the End is absent in Luke. For him, as with the Gospel writer John, John the Baptist is not regarded as a returned Elijah (“his ministry is in the spirit and power of Elijah”, Lk. 1:17), nor really is he a Restorer. That function belongs to Jesus. As with Moses, Jesus is at one with Elijah but does not replace him. He is not a new Elijah, but is rather a fulfillment of the old. He was sent to complete history and fulfill the promises given to Israel (Lk. 24:44). Jesus and Elijah’s shadows converge (as Jesus and Moses), but it is Jesus alone (Lk. 9:36) who must complete the exodus (9:31) and bring both history and God’s dealings with Israel to fulfillment. Elijah, like Moses, points to Jesus: the End-time has indeed arrived ...”

ἄνδρες δύο συνελάλουν αὐτῷ, οἵτινες ἦσαν Μωϋσῆς καὶ Ἠλίας — Luke’s Greek is undoubtably awkward here. The nominative relative pronoun οἵτινες is linked to ἄνδρες δύο, the subject of this sentence. The third-person plural imperfect active συνελάλουν should be rendered as continuous; therefore, they “were speaking” to Jesus, but an inceptive rendering, would work, too. Their conversation is about τὴν ἔξοδον αὐτοῦ — “his exodus.” This could be rendered as “his going away,” or even “his death” (BDAG, 350-351). Given the parallelism throughout Luke’s Gospel, it seems more clear that they are discussing the ultimate exodus — the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, who frees the world from captivity to sin.

οἳ ὀφθέντες ἐν δόξῃ — Who is appearing in glory? Again, the Greek is awkward, but given the nominative case, this also has to be pointing back to the two men, Moses and Elijah. This could well be another parallelism considering that when Moses came down from the mountain, his face radiated the glory of God so brightly he had to veil his face (Ex 34:33-35). Later, Elijah was taken into heaven in such magnificent glory that Elisha could hardly bear to witness it (2 Kg 2:12).

ἤμελλεν πληροῦν — μέλλω can mean something will take place, or is inevitable (BDAG, 627). πληρόω means to fill, to complete, to bring to completion, or to fulfill (BDAG, 828). With the imperfect indicative active followed by the present infinitive, it would be best to render this as Jesus is about to do something. Luke has already told us what that is: “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (Lk 9:22).

32 “And Peter and the ones with him were feeling burdened by sleep, but having become fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing by him.”

βεβαρημένοι ὕπνῳ — βαρέω can be translated as to press down, weigh down, or burden; it also is used to express physical or mental weariness (BDAG, 166). In this construction, the perfect passive plural participle takes on a middle voice with an adjectival meaning. Thus, they were so tired they couldn’t keep their eyes open.

διαγρηγορήσαντες — The root of this participle, διαγρηγορέω, can be rendered two ways: to keep awake and to awaken fully (BDAG, 227). Because this is an aorist and we have the subsequent reference to the disciples’ ignorance of what Jesus was about to do, the latter rendering appears more probable: They were all awakened at the same time.

τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς δύο ἄνδρας τοὺς συνεστῶτας αὐτῷ — Whereas Moses and Elijah appeared in radiant glory two verses earlier, Luke turns the focus to Jesus alone receiving glory. Trites argues that Luke is connecting the temptation (Lk 4:5-6) with the transfiguration here. “Luke clearly contrasts the proffered devilish glory with the divine glory that was evident in Christ’s ‘glorification’ ...”

33 “And it came to pass as they were separating from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good we are here! Now we should make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah, not knowing what he was saying.”

ἐπιστάτα — Luke is the only writer who uses the vocative title master (5:5; 8:24, 45; 9:33, 49; 17:13) for Jesus (BDAG, 381). Matthew calls Jesus “Lord” (Mt 17:4), and Mark uses the term rabbi (Mk 9:5).

καλόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ὧδε εἶναι — There is more than one way to translate this sentence. καλόν can mean beautiful, good, useful, noble, praiseworthy, excellent, advantageous (BDAG, 504, 505). Lenski uses excellent. Just follows the more common translation of good. Bayens leans on BDAG favoring advantageous, for its sense of “for our well-being.” In modern vernacular, saying “it is good” expresses it all the same.

ποιήσωμεν — This aorist subjunctive is more likely horatory than deliberative, thus it should be translated as let us do this one time.

σκηνὰς τρεῖς — The σκηνὰς could mean multiple things: huts made from brush, tents, or even an earthly tabernacle or eternal dwelling (BDAG, 928). The latter is probably most unlikely, even as Luke’s OT parallelism shines forth with God’s glory and presence. But since they are on a high mountain (Mt 17:1, Mk 9:2), they likely won’t have access to the material necessary for huts; therefore, Peter is likely suggesting the disciples erect three tents.

μὴ εἰδὼς ὃ λέγει — It should not be surprising that Peter did not know what he was saying. Lenski argues that “Peter was just talking foolishly, just babbling as it were.” Even after confessing that Jesus was The Christ, even after seeing Jesus standing in glory, and even after watching him heal a boy with an unclean spirit that other disciples couldn’t cast out, the twelve still didn’t understand who Jesus was (Lk 9:45). They will bicker among themselves twice over who the greatest is (9:46; 22:24). Jesus will have to admonish Simon Peter to sheath his sword (Jn 18:11). Perhaps most notably, the disciples understanding of glory still is limited to an earthly understanding of high renown, honor, magnificence, great beauty.

34 “And as he was saying these things, a cloud came and was enveloping them, and they became afraid as they entered into the cloud.”

ἐγένετο νεφέλη καὶ ἐπεσκίαζεν αὐτούς — The aorist ἐγένετο emphasizes the sudden appearance of the cloud. Although they on a high mountain, the OT parallel to the presence of God is too great to ignore. There are at least 126 references to the νεφέλη in the LXX. Notably, “the Lord went before them in a cloud” (Ex 13:21), was present when the Israelites needed to see it (Ex 16:10), left them in fearful awe (Ex 19:16), and would return (Is 4:5). With the imperfect ἐπεσκίαζεν, it would be best to use the continuous meaning of “was enveloping them.” ἐπεσκίαζεν could be rendered as “overshadowing,” too, but Scripture more often uses this word in a positive way, like in Luke 1:35, where the angel announces to Mary that the Holy Spirit will envelop her. Overshadowing carries a darker, negative sense. In the OT, Psalmists use the word to convey how the Lord covers them in protection (Ps 91:4, 140:7). The theophany of the cloud’s presence would certainly strike fear in the disciples. But in a more positive connotation, ἐφοβήθησαν can mean they recognize the holy and righteous Lord God Almighty is now in their midst, creating a profound measure of respect or fear of offending Him (BDAG, 1061).

ἐν τῷ εἰσελθεῖν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν νεφέλην — Nestle-Aland’s Novum Testamentum Graece lists three variants of the clause “as they entered the cloud.” P75, the oldest manuscript, isn’t at all specific. Another variant, P45, uses the word ἐκεῖνος, making it unclear who those are. The most difficult variant is what Nestle-Aland uses; therefore, everyone entered the cloud.

35 “And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, the Chosen One; to him, listen!”

φωνὴ ἐγένετο ἐκ τῆς νεφέλης λέγουσα· οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου — To the reader who has been following along, the voice is unmistakable. It is the same one we heard at the baptism of Jesus (Lk 3:22; Mt 3:17; Mk 1:11). Unlike the baptismal account, οὗτός is used instead of the second-person σύ; in other words, this time the voice is directed to the disciples, not Jesus. The words υἱός μου also have an OT parallel (Ps 2:7; 2 Sam 7:14).

ὁ ἐκλελεγμένος — Simply, ἐκλέγομαι is defined as to choose or pick, but it also can mean to select someone for oneself with significant preference (BDAG, 305). In Scripture, those chosen are done so almost universally in a divine passive sense. Most notable is the phrase ἐκλέξηται κύριος ὁ θεὸ. Here, the perfect passive participle, coupled with the voice from the cloud, absolutely lends itself to the Chosen One. Luke uses the word four times, always with a sense of honor (6:13, 9:35, 10:42, 14:7). John employs it four times, always with the divine passive (6:70, 13:18, 15:16, 15:19).

αὐτοῦ ἀκούετε — With this word order, Luke gives extra emphasis to whom we are to listen. Matthew and Mark list ἀκούετε first. The present tense imperative connotes a command to continual hearing. The identification of the αὐτοῦ is unmistakable. Only Jesus is left standing in the picture; Moses, Elijah, and the cloud have all disappeared.

36 “And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent, and announced to no one in those days of anything they had seen.”





ἐν τῷ γενέσθαι τὴν φωνὴν εὑρέθη Ἰησοῦς μόνος — Literally, this could read, when the voice had happened Jesus was found alone. No longer do we see Moses. No longer do we see Elijah. There is now only Jesus, which is the entire purpose of Luke’s Gospel.


καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐσίγησαν καὶ οὐδενὶ ἀπήγγειλαν ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις οὐδὲν ὧν ἑώρακαν — Peter, who had been babbling just a short time earlier, has suddenly become speechless. With a third-person plural perfect of ὁράω, Luke reports they don’t tell anyone about what they had seen and heard. Either the disciples don’t understand what to make of any of the events Jesus had them witness, or perhaps they remain silent in light of Jesus’ admonition a week earlier not to tell anyone that they think Jesus is “The Christ of God” (Lk 9:20).
Application of the Text


Scholars find this pericope to be “a remarkably puzzling episode.” Some view it as a “misplaced resurrection story,” or even myth. Other critics challenge the historical authenticity Luke records because Peter was “sleepy.” When faced with the extraordinary, miraculous events, some people also just refuse to believe.


The transfiguration is an important stopping point in Luke’s narrative. Jesus was glorified at his birth by the angels who herald the God who humbled himself. Jesus is glorified on the mountain before he begins his descent to Jerusalem, where he will face the worst tribulation of his life. Jesus will be gloried at his resurrection for restoring creation. And he will be glorified at his ascension as his body overcomes the humiliation of death.


Similarly, the transfiguration is a stopping point in the church year. The Lukan pericope will be read this year on the Sunday after Epiphany, before the “descent into the rigors of Lent and Holy Week.” The transfiguration reminds us that Jesus is in fact God’s Chosen One. Jesus is not the new Moses, who himself was humbled (Nu 12:3); Jesus didn’t come to bring us new law. Jesus is not the new Elijah, who humbled himself by relying solely on the Lord to provide. If there was any doubt about who Jesus was before he led three of his disciples up a mountain to pray, there shouldn’t be any longer. Moses and Elijah fade away from the picture, and the theophany moments make it clear: Jesus is the Son of God, the Chosen One.


Luke’s account of the transfiguration establishes another great building block in the foundation of faith by declaring who Jesus is without inference from deeds (miracles). He is the Chosen One. As Peter and John both proclaimed, “We have seen his glory (Jn 1:14). ... You will do well to pay attention (2 Pe 1:19).”


Now as Luther reminds us, “All who want to be saved should listen to this proclamation. For the proclamation and the hearing of God’s Word are the Holy Spirit’s tools” (FC, 554.51).
Bibliography


Bayens, Patrick J. The Message of the Transfiguration in the Gospel According to St. Luke. (Fort Wayne: Concordia Theological Seminary, 1977).


Just, Arthur A., ed. 2003. Luke. Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. New Testament, III (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2003).


Just, Arthur. Luke 1:1-9:51. (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1996).


Lenski, R.C.H. The Interpretation of St. Luke’s Gospel. (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1946).


Liddell, Henry George, and Robert Scott. Greek-English Lexicon (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1882).


Martin, Thomas W. “What Makes Glory Glorious? Reading Luke’s Account of the Transfiguration Over Against Triumphalism,” Journal for the Study of the New Testament, v. 29.1 (2006): 3-26.





Trites, Allison A. The Transfiguration in the Theology of Luke: Some Redactional Links in The Glory of Christ in the New Testament, ed. L.D. Hurst and N.T. Wright (New York: Oxford University Press, 1987).