Bible Strands
Matthew 17:8
And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The disciples have just been touched by Jesus and commanded to rise after witnessing a mountain vision. The narrative moment captures the instant they shift their attention from the visionary event to their physical surroundings.
The words — ἐπὶραντες (eparantes) literally means "having lifted up," describing the disciples raising their gaze, while εἰ (ei) functions in this context as "only" or "except." Paired with εἶδον (eidon, "they saw"), these terms mark the sudden visual transition from a crowded scene to a solitary figure.
The thread — The identical sequence of vanished companions leaving only Jesus occurs in Mark 9:8 and Luke 9:36. Acts 12:10 repeats the motif of an iron gate opening without human intervention, though it operates within a separate narrative framework.
Why it lands — The text states that the disciples saw no one but Jesus, establishing the factual conclusion of the vision. It requires the reader to direct undivided attention to Christ rather than lingering on the surrounding phenomena.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.
Cross-references
- Mark 9:8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they saw no one with them except Jesus.
- Luke 9:36 After the voice had spoken, only Jesus was present with them. The disciples kept this to themselves, and in those days they did not tell anyone what they had seen.
- Acts 12:10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city, which opened for them by itself. When they had gone outside and walked the length of one block, the angel suddenly left him.