2 Peter 1:17. λαβὼν γὰρ … δόξαν] γάρ: “that is;” explanation of the immediately preceding: ἐπόπται γενηθέντες. The participle does not require any such supplement as ἦν or ἐτύγχανε, nor is it put instead of the finite verb. For the principal thought is, not that Christ was transfigured, but that Peter was a witness of this transfiguration, which was typical of the δύναμις καὶ παρουσία of Christ. The finite verb belonging to the participle λαβών is wanting. Its absence is most naturally accounted for by supposing, that the addition of φωνῆς ἐνεχθείσης κ.τ.λ. caused the author to forget to notice that he had not written ἔλαβε γάρ. How after writing λαβών he intended to proceed, cannot be definitely said; what is wanting, however, must be supplied from that which goes before, not from what follows. Winer, p. 330 [E. T. 442], incorrectly supplies the necessary complement from 2 Peter 1:18, since he says that Peter should have continued: ἡμᾶς εἶχε ταύτην τὴν φωνὴν ἀκούσαντας, or in a similar manner. But it is still more arbitrary to borrow the supplement from 2 Peter 1:19 (as is done by Dietlein and Schott).

παρὰ θεοῦ πατρός] πατήρ is applied here to God in His relation to Christ, with reference to the subsequent ὁ υἱός μου.

τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν] “Honour and glory,” as in Romans 2:7; Romans 2:10; δόξα denotes not the brightness of Christ’s body at the transfiguration (Hornejus, Gerhard, etc. Steinfass would understand both expressions of the shining figure of Christ). Hofmann is unwarranted in finding in λαβὼν κ.τ.λ. a confirmation of his opinion that it is the resurrection and ascension that are here referred to, inasmuch as God first conferred honour and glory upon Christ, by raising Him from the dead and exalting Him. To this it may be said that by every act of God which testified to His glory, Christ received τιμὴ καὶ δόξα, i.e. “honour and praise.”

φωνῆς ἐνεχθείσης αὐτῷ τοιᾶσδε] states through what Christ received “honour and praise:” the expression φωνὴ φέρεταί τινι, here only; Luke 9:35-36, φωνὴ γίγνεται; so also Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22 (cf. John 12:28; John 12:30); αὐτῷ: the dative of direction, not: in honorem ejus (Pott).

ὑπὸ τῆς μεγαλοπρεποῦς δόξης] ὑπό is neither equivalent to “accompanied by” (Wahl), nor to “from … out of” (Winer, 5th ed. p. 442 f.): the preposition, even where in local relations it inclines to these significations, always maintains firmly its original meaning: “under;” here, as generally in passives, it signifies “by;” thus, too, Winer, 6th ed. p. 330 [E. T. 462], 7th, 346: “when this voice was borne to Him by the sublime Majesty.” ἡ μεγαλοπρεπὴς (ἅπ. λεγ.) δόξα means neither heaven nor the bright cloud (Matthew 17:5);[50] it is rather a designation of God Himself (Gerhard, de Wette-Brückner, Wiesinger, Fronmüller, Hofmann); similarly as, in Matthew 26:64, God is called by the abstract expression Ἡ ΔΎΝΑΜΙς. With ΜΕΓΑΛΟΠΡΕΠΉς, cf. Deuteronomy 33:26, LXX.

ΟὟΤΌς ἘΣΤΙΝ Ὁ ΥἹΌς ΜΟΥ Ὁ ἈΓΑΠΗΤΌς] So in Matthew; only with the addition ΑὐΤΟῦ ἈΚΟΎΕΤΕ, and instead of ΕἸς ὍΝ: “ἘΝ ᾯ” In Mark 9:7 and Luke 9:35 (where, instead of ἈΓΑΠΗΤΌς, there is “ἘΚΛΕΛΕΓΜΈΝΟς”), the words ΕἸς ὋΝ ἘΓῺ ΕὐΔΌΚΗΣΑ are entirely wanting. The reading adopted by Tisch. 7: Ὁ ΥἹΌς ΜΟΥ Ὁ ἈΓΑΠΗΤΌς ΜΟΥ ΟὟΤΌς ἘΣΤΙ, corresponds to none of the accounts in the Gospels; cf. with it the O. T. quotation from Isaiah 42:1 in Matthew (Matthew 12:18): Ὁ ΠΑῖς ΜΟΥ … Ὁ ἈΓΑΠΗΤΌς ΜΟΥ, ΕἸς ὋΝ ΕὐΔΌΚΗΣΕΝ Ἡ ΨΥΧΉ ΜΟΥ.

The construction of ΕὐΔΟΚΕῖΝ with ΕἸς does not occur elsewhere in the N. T.; there is no warrant for the assertion that ΕἸς points “to the historical development of the plan of salvation”(!) (Dietlein).

[50] Schott, indeed, interprets ὑπό correctly, but yet thinks that τῆς μεγαλ. δόξης means the cloud; “not indeed the cloud in itself, but as the manifestation which God gave of Himself”(!).

2 Peter 1:17. λαβὼν. It is well-nigh impossible to say what is the case agreement of the participle here. It is at least certain that the subject is Jesus. Dietlein, Schott, Ewald, and Mayor agree that the writer intended to go on, ἐβεβαίωσεν τὸν προφητικὸν λόγον for which he substitutes καὶ ἔχομεν βεβαιότερον, after the parenthetic 18th verse. παρὰ Θεοῦ πατρός. See Hort’s note, 1 Peter 1:2. The usage (without the article) indicates the growth of a special Christian terminology. The two words are treated as one proper name. τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν. A frequent combination, cf. Psalm 8:6, Job 40:10, 1 Peter 1:7, Romans 2:7; Romans 2:10, 1 Timothy 1:17, Hebrews 2:7; Hebrews 2:9. τιμή is the personal honour and esteem in which Jesus is held by the Father, cf. Hort’s note on 1 Peter 1:7. “Honour in the voice which spoke to Him; glory in the light which shone from Him” (Alford). φωνῆς … τοιᾶσδε. This is the only instance of τοιόσδε in N.T. = “to the following effect”. ὑπὸ τῆς μεγαλοπρεποῦς δόξης. Retaining reading ὑπὸ, we may regard μεγ. δόξα as a vehicle of expression. The voice expresses its significance. It is not a mere accompanying phenomenon of the voice. cf. the instrumental dative in 2 Peter 1:21 after ἠνέχθη. μεγ. δόξης corresponds to “the bright cloud” (νεφέλη φωτεινὴ) of the Synoptics. οὐρανός is used in 2 Peter 1:18 to describe the source from which the voice came; “the sky,” cf. 2 Peter 3:12-13. εἰς ὃν ἐγὼ εὐδόκησα. Moulton (Proleg. p. 63) points out that tendency in N.T. is for εἰς to encroach on the domain of ἐν. cf. John 1:18, ὁ ὤν εἰς τὸν κόλπον (ib. p. 235).

17. For he received from God the Father honour and glory] The Greek construction is participial, For having received …, the structure of the sentence being interrupted by the parenthetical clause which follows, and not resumed. The English version may be admitted, though it conceals this fact, as a fair solution of the difficulty. “Honour and glory.” The two words are naturally joined together as in Romans 2:7; Romans 2:10; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 2:7; Hebrews 2:9; Revelation 4:9; Revelation 4:11; Revelation 5:12. If we are to press the distinctive force of each, the “honour” may be thought of as referring to the attesting voice at the Transfiguration, the “glory” to the light which enveloped the person of the Christ, like the Shechinah cloud of 1 Kings 8:10-11; Isaiah 6:1; Isaiah 6:4; Matthew 17:1-5; Mark 9:2-7; Luke 9:28-36.

when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory] Literally, when such a voice as this was borne to Him. The choice of the verb instead of the more usual word for “came,” connects itself with the use of the same verb in St Luke’s account of the Pentecostal gift (Acts 2:2), and the Apostle’s own use of it in 2 Peter 1:21 in connexion with the gift of prophecy. The word for “excellent” (more literally, magnificent, or majestic, as describing the transcendent brightness of the Shechinahcloud), not found elsewhere in the New Testament, is, perhaps, an echo from the LXX. of Deuteronomy 33:26, where God is described as “the excellent (or majestic) One of the firmament.” The corresponding noun appears in the LXX. of Psalm 21:5, where the English version has “majesty.” The Greek preposition has the force of “by” rather than “from” the glory, the person of the Father being identified with the Glory which was the token of His presence.

This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased] The words are given, with one slight variation not perceptible in the English, as we find them in Matthew 17:5. It is obvious, assuming the genuineness of the Epistle, that we have here a testimony of great value to the truth of the Gospel records. As there is no reference to any written record of the words, and, we may add, as St Peter omits the words “Hear ye Him,” which St Matthew adds, the testimony has distinctly the character of independence. Had the Epistle been the spurious work of a pseudonymous writer, it is at least probable that they would have been given in the precise form in which they are found in one or other of the Gospels. St Mark and St Luke, it may be noted, omit the words “in whom I am well pleased.” The tense used in the Greek of these words is past, and not present, implying that the “delight” with which the Father contemplated the Son had been from eternity. The whole passage has a special interest, as pointing to the place which the Transfiguration occupied in the spiritual education of the three disciples who witnessed it. The Apostle looked back upon it, in his old age, as having stamped on his mind ineffaceably the conviction that the glory on which he had then looked was the pledge and earnest of that hereafter to be revealed. Comp. the probable reference to the same event in John 1:14.

2 Peter 1:17. Λαβὼν, having received) The participle is put for the indicative. He received, by the testimony of His Father.—τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν, honour and glory) divine. The word glory is immediately after repeated.—φωνῆς ἐνεχθεισης, when a voice was borne) This is emphatically repeated in the next verse.—αὐτῷ) to Him alone.—τῆς μεγαλοπρεποῦς δόξης, the magnificent Glory) So God Himself is termed.

Verse 17. - For he received from God the Father honour and glory. The construction here is interrupted; the literal translation is, "Having received," etc., and there is no verb to complete the sense. Winer supposes that the apostle had intended to continue with some such words as, "He had us for witnesses," or, "He was declared to be the beloved Son of God," and that the construction was interrupted by the direct quotation of the words spoken by the voice from heaven ('Grammar,' 3:45, b). (For a similar anacoluthon, see in the Greek 2 Corinthians 5:6.) "Honour" seems to refer to the testimony of the voice from heaven; "glory," to the splendour of the Lord's transfigured Person. When there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory; more literally, when such a voice was borne to him. The same verb is used in Acts 2:2 of "the rushing mighty wind" which announced the coming of the Holy Ghost; and in 1 Peter 1:13 of "the grace which is being brought." It is repeated in the next verse. It seems intended to assert emphatically the real objective character of the voice. It was not a vision, a dream; the voice was borne from heaven; the apostles heard it with their ears. The preposition ὑπό must be rendered "by," not "from." The "excellent" (rather, "majestic," or "magnificent") glory was the Shechinah, the visible manifestation of the presence of God, which had appeared in ancient times on Mount Sinai, and in the tabernacle and temple above the mercy-seat. God was there; it was he who spoke. For the word rendered "excellent" (μεγαλοπρεπής) compare the Septuagint Version of Deuteronomy 33:26, ὁ μεγαλοπρεπὴς τοῦ στερεώματος, literally, "the Majestic One of the firmament;" where our Authorized Version gives a more exact translation of the Hebrew, "in his excellency on the sky" (see also the 'Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians,' chapter 9, where the occurrence of the same remarkable words, μεγαλοπρεπὴς δόξα, suggests that Clement must have been acquainted with this Epistle). This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Our translation makes these words correspond exactly with the report given by St. Matthew in his account of the Transfiguration, except that "hear ye him" is added there. In the Greek there are some slight variations. According to one ancient manuscript (the Vatican), the order of the words is different, and there is a second pen, "This is my Son, my Beloved." All uncial manuscripts have here, instead of the ἐν ω΅ι of St. Matthew's Gospel, εἰς ο{ν ἐγὼ εὐδόκησα. The difference cannot be represented in our translation. The construction is pregnant, and the meaning is that from all eternity the εὐδοκία, the good pleasure, of God the Father was directed towards the Divine Son, and still abideth on him. The same truth seems to be implied in the aorist εὐδόκησα (comp. John 17:24, "Thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world"). An imitator of the second century would certainly have made this quotation to correspond exactly with the words as given in one of the synoptic Gospels. 2 Peter 1:17When there came (ἐνεχθείσης)

Lit., having been borne. Compare come (Rev., 2 Peter 1:18); moved (2 Peter 1:21); and rushing wind, lit., a wind borne along (Acts 2:2).

From (ὑπὸ)

Lit., by.

Excellent (μεγαλοπρεποῦς)

Or sublime. Only here in New Testament. In Septuagint (Deuteronomy 33:26), as an epithet of God, excellency. The phrase excellent glory refers to the bright cloud which overshadowed the company on the transfiguration mount, like the shekinah above the mercy-seat.

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