Teks -- Matthew 17:12 (NET)

17:12 And I tell you that Elijah has already come. Yet they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. In the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.”

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Robertson: Mat 17:12 - Elijah is come already

Elijah is come already ( Eleias ēdē ēlthen ).

Thus Jesus identifies John the Baptist with the promise in Malachi, though not the real Elijah in person which John denied (Joh 1:21).

Robertson: Mat 17:12 - They knew him not

They knew him not ( ouk epignōsan auton ).

Second aorist active indicative of epiginōskō , to recognize. Just as they do not know Jesus now (Joh 1:26). They killed John as they will Jesus the Son of Man.

Wesley: Mat 17:12 - Elijah is come already

And yet when the Jews asked John, Art thou Elijah? He said, I am not, Joh 1:21. His meaning was, I am not Elijah the Tishbite, come again into the world. But he was the person of whom Malachi prophesied under that name.

Clarke: Mat 17:12 - Knew him not

Knew him not - Or, ουκ επιγνωσαν αυτον, They have not acknowledged him. That is, the Jewish rulers have not acknowledged him, did not receive him as the forerunner of the Messiah. But it appears that all the rest acknowledged him as such; and some, from the power and demonstration of his preaching, were inclined to think he was more, even the Messiah himself: see Luk 3:15.

Defender: Mat 17:12 - Elias is come already

John the Baptist had come "in the spirit and power of Elias [Elijah]" (Luk 1:17), as the forerunner of Christ at His first coming, and he had been slain. Elijah will actually return as prophesied, as the forerunner of Christ at His second coming, and he also will finally be slain (see note on Rev 11:3-12). Thus, John was a type of Elijah."

TSK: Mat 17:12 - and they // but // Likewise

and they : Mat 11:9-15, Mat 21:23-25, Mat 21:32; Mar 9:12, Mar 9:13, Mar 11:30-32; Luk 7:33; Joh 1:11; Joh 5:32-36; Act 13:24-28

but : Mat 11:2, Mat 14:3-10; Mar 6:14-28; Luk 3:19, Luk 3:20; Act 7:52

Likewise : Mat 16:21; Isa 53:3-12; Luk 9:21-25; Act 2:23, Act 3:14, Act 3:15, Act 4:10

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Poole: Mat 17:11-13

Ver. 11-13. Mark saith, Mar 9:12 , He answered and told them, Elias verily comes first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought. But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him. Our Saviour agreeth to the promise, but showeth their mistake as to the true sense of it. They understood the promise of Elijah the Tishbite: the promise referred only to one of his spirit, and such a one was come, that was John the Baptist, as the angel told Zacharias, Luk 1:17 , He shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias. Very much of the power and spirit of Elijah was evident in John. Elijah was full of zeal for God, 1Ki 19:10 : so was John the Baptist. Did Elijah freely reprove, not only Baal’ s priests, but even Ahab and Jezebel? John as freely reproved Herod and Herodias, and the Pharisees and Sadducees. Was Elijah an austere man? Such was John the Baptist. Did Elijah flee unto the wilderness to save his life? John Baptist, for some time, lived and preached there. Elijah living in a corrupt time, was a great means or instrument to restore decayed religion: so was John the Baptist, in the time wherein he lived. This notwithstanding, not the Jews only, but some Christians, and that not only papists, but some protestants, think, that besides the Elias which is long since come, there is another Elias, who shall come before the end of the world. They found their opinion upon this text in a great measure,

1. Because our Saviour here saith, ercetai prwton , he doth come first; and Mark saith, elywn prwton, apokayista , coming first, restoreth all things. Now John the Baptist was both come and gone; nor had he restored all things. Besides, they say, that John denied himself to be Elias, Joh 1:21 ; and it is plain, that not the scribes and Pharisees, but the disciples, only understood the prophecy of Elijah the Tishbite; and Malachi saith, that Elijah should come before the terrible day of the Lord, which day, they say, is the day of judgment, in the constant language of Scripture. But to all this is answered,

a) That the Baptist, Joh 1:21 , only denied himself to be that Elias about which they inquired, according to their tradition.

b) That it is true, that the disciples were led away with the Jewish tradition, and looked for Elijah the Tishbite, but Christ both here and elsewhere correcteth their error.

c) That not only the day of general judgment is called the terrible day of the Lord, but the gospel time, Mat 3:10 , when the axe was laid to the root of the tree, &c.; so Act 2:20 ; and the day of the Jews’ particular judgment, which some understand hinted in those texts.

d) That our Lord first repeateth the words of Malachi, and so he saith, Elias shall come, or is coming; and then he expounds the words of Malachi of John the Baptist.

e) That the words of Mal 4:6 are expounded by the angel, Luk 1:16,17 , and there applied to John the Baptist.

f) That John did fulfil the words of the prophet, by endeavouring the conversion of the Jews, and prevailing in a great measure.

g) That the last words in Malachi, lest I smite the earth with a curse, plainly show that the text in Malachi cannot be understood of the day of judgment.

And though the name of Elias be given to John, yet it is no more than the giving the name of David to the Messias, Eze 37:24 . So as there is no other Elijah to be expected, but the Elijah prophesied of by Malachi was (as our Saviour doth expound it) John the Baptist, whom Herod had beheaded.

They knew him not, their tradition blinded them so as they could not discern the prophecy of Malachi fulfilled in him, so did unto him whatsoever they listed; and, saith our Saviour, so shall they do with the Son of man, that is, with me, who am the Son of man.

Haydock: Mat 17:12 - So also shall the Son of man

So also shall the Son of man. Jesus in a most beautiful manner takes advantage of this conversation, to remind them of his future passion, and from the recollection of the sufferings of John, affords them comfort in his own. (St. John Chrysostom)

Gill: Mat 17:12 - But I say unto you // but have done unto him whatsoever they listed // likewise also shall the son of man suffer of them

But I say unto you,.... A way of speaking used by Christ, when he opposes and contradicts any of the tenets of the Scribes and Pharisees; see Mat 5:22 "that Elias is come already"; the person that was signified by, and prophesied of, under the name of Elias: for Christ refers not to the late appearance of Elias on the mount, but to the coming of a certain person some time ago; who came in the power and spirit of Elias, and was the forerunner and harbinger of him, the Messiah; as was said of him he should, "and they knew him not"; that is, the Scribes and Pharisees, who believed that Elias would come before the Messiah; and yet when he who was designed by him was come, they knew him not, they did not know him to be the Elias; they knew him under the name of John the Baptist, and seemed pleased with his ministry for a while, but afterwards rejected his doctrine and baptism, which is referred to in the next clause:

but have done unto him whatsoever they listed; they did not believe what he said, nor repent upon his preaching to them; they rejected the counsel of God he declared, not being baptized of him; they treated him with indignity and contempt, charging him with having a devil, and were well pleased when Herod put him to death; some of whom were doubtless among those that sat at meat with him; for whose sake, as well as for his oath's sake, he ordered the execrable murder to be committed:

likewise also shall the son of man suffer of them. Christ takes this opportunity to confirm what he had said in the preceding chapter, concerning his sufferings and death; and his meaning is, that as sure as John the Baptist had suffered indignities, and death itself, so sure should the son of man suffer like things; if not from the same individual persons, yet from that generation of men.