Matthew 17 · Verse 11

Matthew 17:11

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
Matthew 17:11, King James Version

Matthew 17:11 in other translations

BSBJesus replied, “Elijah does indeed come, and he will restore all things.
WEBJesus answered them, “Elijah indeed comes first, and will restore all things;
ASVAnd he answered and said, Elijah indeed cometh, and shall restore all things:
YLTAnd Jesus answering said to them, ‘Elijah doth indeed come first, and shall restore all things,
DARBYAnd he answering said to them, Elias indeed comes first and will restore all things.
BBEAnd in answer he said, Elijah truly has to come and put all things right:
WebsterAnd Jesus answered and said to them, Elijah truly will first come, and restore all things:

What does Matthew 17:11 mean?

Barnes' Notes
Verse 11. Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things, He did not mean by this that Elijah was yet to come for he directly tells them that he had come; but he meant to affirm that it was a true doctrine which the scribes taught, that Elijah would appear before the coming of the Messiah. To restore, means to put into the former situation. See Mt 12:13. Hence it means, to heal, to correct, to put in proper order. Here it means that Elijah would put things in a proper state; be the instrument of reforming the people; of restoring them, in some measure, to proper notions about the Messiah, and preparing them for his coming. Before the coming of John, their views were erroneous, their expectations worldly, and their conduct exceedingly depraved. He corrected many of their notions about the Messiah, Mt 3:1 and was the instrument of an extensive reformation; and thus restored them, in some degree, to correct notions of their own economy and of the Messiah, and to a preparation for his advent.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 11 Elias - shall first come, and restore all things - Or will reform, αποκαταστησει; this word our Lord quotes from the Septuagint; who render the Hebrew והשוב לב אבות על בנים vehesheb leb aboth al banim, he will cause the heart of the fathers to turn to the children, by, ος αποκαταστησει καρδιαν πατρος προς υιον, who will convert, or restore, the heart of the father to the son. We are not therefore to understand the version of the Septuagint quoted by our Lord in any other sense than the Hebrew will allow. No fanciful restoration of all men, devils and damned spirits, is spoken of as either being done, or begun, by the ministry of John; but merely that he should preach a doctrine tending to universal reformation of manners, and should be greatly successful: see Mat 3:1-7, and especially Luk 3:3-15, where we find that a general reformation had taken place, 1. among the common people; 2. among the tax-gatherers; and 3. among the soldiers. And as John announced the coming Christ, who was to baptize with the Holy Ghost, i.e. to enlighten, change, and purify the heart, that the reform might be complete, both outward and inward, he may be said, in the strictest sense of the word, to have fulfilled the prophecy: and that he was the Elijah mentioned by Malachi, the words of Gabriel to the virgin Mary prove; Luk 1:17. And he (John) shall go before him (Christ) in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, etc.; and that his ministry was powerfully effectual for this purpose, we have already seen.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 17:1-13

Now the disciples beheld somewhat of Christ's glory, as of the only begotten of the Father. It was intended to support their faith, when they would have to witness his crucifixion; and would give them an idea of the glory prepared for them, when changed by his power and made like him. The apostles were overcome by the glorious sight. Peter thought that it was most desirable to continue there, and to go no more down…

Read the full comment on Matthew 17:1-13 →

Matthew 17:11 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ὉHo<the>G3588
δὲdeAndG1161
ἀποκριθεὶςapokritheisansweringG611
εἶπενeipenHe saidG2036
ἨλίαςĒliasElijahG2243
μὲνmenindeedG3303
ἔρχεταιerchetaicomesG2064
πρῶτονprōtonfirstG4413
καὶkaiandG2532
ἀποκαταστήσειapokatastēseiwill restoreG600
πάντα·pantaall things;G3956

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 17:11

  • Acts 3:21

    Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

  • Luke 1:16-17

    And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

  • Malachi 4:6

    And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

  • Luke 3:3-14

    And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
and restore.
Mal 4:6; Lu 1:16,17; 3:3-14; Ac 3:21

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 17:10

    And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?

  • Matthew 17:11

    And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.

  • Matthew 17:12

    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.

Read all of Matthew 17

Matthew 17:11 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y respondiendo Jesús, les dijo: A la verdad, Elías vendrá primero, y restituirá todas las cosas.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et lui, répondant, leur dit: En effet, Élie vient premièrement, et il rétablira toutes choses;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Er aber antwortete und sprach zu ihnen: Elias zwar kommt zuerst und wird alle Dinge wiederherstellen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		At ille respondens, ait eis: Elias quidem venturus est, et restituet omnia.