Matthew 17:8
ESV
And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
NIV
When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
NASB
And raising their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.
CSB
When they looked up they saw no one except Jesus alone.
NLT
And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.
KJV
And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.
NKJV
When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
What does Matthew 17:8 mean?
We're not told how long the transfiguration of Jesus lasted. Was it five minutes or five hours? After being addressed by the voice of God from a bright cloud, the three disciples fell on their faces in terror. By the time Jesus told them to rise, everything has returned to normal. Only Jesus remains and He has returned to His fully human appearance as the Son of Man (Matthew 17:1–7).Still, Peter, James, and John know what they saw. They never forgot the image of Jesus radiating the glory of heaven, clothed in dazzling white with His face shining like the sun as He spoke with the long-dead Moses and Elijah. They certainly never forgot the voice of God the Father declaring that Jesus is His beloved Son and commanding them to listen to Him.
As convincing as the experience was, the following chapters will show that their faith in Jesus still had plenty of room to grow. They still did not understand what Jesus must do next.
