But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
But {G1161} I say {G3004} unto you {G5213}, That {G3754} Elias {G2243} is come {G2064} already {G2235}, and {G2532} they knew {G1921} him {G846} not {G3756}, but {G235} have done {G4160} unto {G1722} him {G846} whatsoever {G3745} they listed {G2309}. Likewise {G3779} shall {G3195} also {G2532} the Son {G5207} of man {G444} suffer {G3958} of {G5259} them {G846}.
on the other hand, I tell you that Eliyahu has come already, and people did not recognize him but did whatever they pleased to him. In the same way, the Son of Man too is about to suffer at their hands."
But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him whatever they wished. In the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.”
but I say unto you, that Elijah is come already, and they knew him not, but did unto him whatsoever they would. Even so shall the Son of man also suffer of them.
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Isaiah 53:3
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were [our] faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. -
Isaiah 53:12
Therefore will I divide him [a portion] with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. -
Matthew 16:21
¶ From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. -
Mark 6:14
¶ And king Herod heard [of him]; (for his name was spread abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. -
Mark 6:28
And brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother. -
Acts 13:24
When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. -
Acts 13:28
And though they found no cause of death [in him], yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.
In Matthew 17:12, Jesus addresses His disciples' question regarding the scribes' teaching that Elijah must come before the Messiah. He reveals that the prophetic Elijah has already appeared in the person of John the Baptist, who was rejected and suffered greatly. Jesus then draws a direct parallel, prophesying that He, the Son of Man, will likewise suffer at the hands of men.
Context
This verse follows immediately after the Transfiguration of Jesus, where Moses and Elijah appeared with Him. As they descended from the mountain, the disciples asked Jesus, "Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?" This question stemmed from the prophetic expectation in Malachi 4:5-6. Jesus' response clarifies that John the Baptist fulfilled this role, though unrecognized and ill-treated by the religious establishment, setting a grim precedent for His own destiny.
Key Themes
Linguistic Insights
The KJV phrase "whatsoever they listed" uses an archaic meaning of 'listed,' which means "desired" or "wished." It conveys that John's persecutors acted according to their own arbitrary will and malicious desires, rather than according to God's will or justice.
Practical Application
This verse serves as a powerful reminder that God's plans unfold, often in ways unexpected by human understanding. It encourages believers to: