And presently all the people, seeing Jesus, were astonished and struck with fear: and running to him, they saluted him.
και ελθων προς τους μαθητας ειδεν οχλον πολυν περι αυτους και γραμματεις συζητουντας αυτοις
6 Church Fathers comment on this verse
The crowd observed Him and embraced Him as though He had come back from a great distance. They greeted Him warmly, captivated by His presence. Many believed that His appearance, transformed by the brilliance of the Transfiguration, attracted the people to Him, prompting their heartfelt welcomes.
When the crowds spotted Jesus descending from the mountain, they hurried to approach Him and offered their greetings. Meanwhile, the argument with the teachers of the law was still taking place.
In this moment, Jesus arrives, and the crowd rushes to welcome Him. However, the father of the boy tormented by evil spirits, as noted in Mark 1:23, initially implores Jesus from a distance to notice his sorrowful son. Drawing nearer, he kneels and articulates the profound distress of his afflicted child, pleading for compassion and mentioning that Jesus' disciples were unable to cure him.
Amidst the disputes, Christ emerged, captivating the crowd even further as His countenance radiated the brilliance of His transfiguration.
When the multitude beheld Him, they were filled with wonder: wonder at what? Likely at the timely arrival of Jesus, rather than any mention of radiance, which is absent from the Gospel narrative. The disciples were genuinely troubled by their failure to expel the unclean spirit, and the scribes exacerbated their distress, slandering the Lord and inciting the crowd against Him. In that moment, the Lord appeared unexpectedly; those who revered Him were astonished by His timely presence, meant to resolve the conflict that had arisen between the scribes and the disciples. The term astonished might not fully capture the people's reaction to His coming; the original Greek conveys a sense of amazement mixed with fear.
Just as a glimpse of God’s glory transformed Moses’ face upon his return from Sinai (Ex. 34:29-30), instilling apprehension in others, it is reasonable to consider that the Lord's face after the transfiguration bore the evidence of this divine transformation, evoking a mix of awe and fear among the people. Yet, the Lord’s characteristic gentleness quickly assuaged their fears, prompting the crowd, upon recognizing His timely arrival, to approach Him boldly and salute Him, demonstrating their reverence and dedication.
The following day, after the radiant transfiguration, Jesus Christ descended from the mountain and observed His disciples engaged in a dispute with a multitude of people and scribes. The unexpected sight of Him amazed the crowd, or perhaps ‘His appearance, enhanced by the illumination of the transfiguration’ (Blessed Theophylact), captivated their attention; many rushed to greet Him eagerly.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 15 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS