One important thing to note is that, in the Greek, verses 17 and 18 form one sentence, with verse 17 as a dependent clause and verse 18 as the main clause of the sentence. If this is retained in translation (as in Revised Standard Version and other formal translations), the sentence becomes too long, and at least in English it does not conform to good style. Most modern English translations divide these verses into two separate sentences, thus making the sentences shorter and making the translation conform to natural style as well. In certain languages, though, where dependent clauses always come before the main clause, it may be helpful to maintain verses 17 and 18 as one long sentence.
Since verse 17 is a dependent clause in the Greek, it has to be related to verse 18 in some way. And since the focus of verse 18 is the presence of the disciples at the scene, this should also be the focus of verse 17. This feature is captured in Good News Translation by starting verse 17 with “We were there when….” Another way is to combine these two verses in order to come up with a clearer and more natural translation. For example, the place setting of the whole episode is given in verse 18, “the holy mountain.” In many languages this place setting needs to be put at the beginning of the episode. A possible restructuring is as follows:
• We were with him on the holy mountain when he was given honor and glory by God the Father. At that time the voice came to him from the Supreme Glory, saying, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased!” We ourselves heard this voice coming from heaven.
The Transfiguration scene is now described. First, Jesus received honor and glory from God. These two words are paired in many parts of the Bible (for instance, Psa 8.5; Rom 2.7; 1 Tim 1.17; 1 Peter 1.7; Rev 4.9). Various possibilities of interpreting these are as follows:
1. Taken separately, honor refers to the exalted status that Jesus received as a result of being named as the beloved Son of God, and glory refers to the radiance of his appearance when he was transfigured before the disciples (Mark 9.3).
2. Taking the two terms together, glory can be interpreted as describing honor, hence “great honor,” or “honored greatly.”
3. Glory can be understood as a way of honoring Jesus, which means that God conferred honor on Jesus by glorifying his appearance, that is, by making his appearance glow with heavenly light.
4. A fourth possibility is to take glory as meaning “praise” and therefore having the same meaning as honor.
Of these possibilities, the first two seem to be the most likely alternatives. The expression he received glory and honor, or even the form “was given” (Good News Translation), may be rendered in the active form in many languages; for example, “God the Father honored him and caused him to be radiant (or, show glory).” However, if the second alternative is chosen above, we may render this as “God the Father honored him greatly.”
It is therefore clear that the source of honor and glory is God himself. This is an important declaration in view of the Greek background of the readers, since in those days there was popular belief in the idea of a “divine man.” Jesus was not such a “divine man” but true God who became a real human being and was invested by God with honor and glory because of the task he was sent to perform. God the Father will be expressed in a number of languages as “God who is the Father.”
In certain languages it will be helpful to insert the words “At that time” before the phrase the voice was borne to him and say “At that time the voice came…,” “It was at that time that the voice came…,” or “When we were there the voice came….” In many languages it will be difficult to translate the voice was borne to him, or even “the voice came to him” (Good News Translation). In such cases it will be helpful to introduce the information that Jesus heard the voice (see below), and say “when he heard the voice from God the Supreme Glory saying….”
The term Majestic Glory (Good News Translation “Supreme Glory,” Jerusalem Bible “Sublime Glory,” New English Bible “sublime Presence”) is a euphemism for God and is used in order to avoid mentioning the divine name. In some writings during the first and second centuries B.C. (the intertestamental period), God is called the “Great Glory,” as in Testament of Levi 3.4; 1 Enoch 14.20. A meaningful translation of this term can be used provided it is understood by the readers as a reference to God. Another possible way is to include the name of God in the translation; for example, “God the Supreme Glory,” “God the Sublime Presence,” or “God the Sublime Glory.”
God’s declaration is called literally the voice. The quotation is taken from Matt 17.5 minus the last part (“Listen to him”). In Matthew’s setting the saying was addressed to the disciples and not to Jesus; here it is stated that the voice came to Jesus himself. Most commentators are of the opinion that there is a conscious echo here of Psa 2.7, where the words of the Lord God are addressed to the king. This psalm has been interpreted as a messianic psalm, and the king in the psalm has been identified with the Messiah.
“This is my Son, my Beloved” is the wording in many important Greek manuscripts, as the Revised Standard Version footnote makes clear, while some others have my beloved Son. In translating this, however, there may not be that much difference between the two versions of the text, since they practically come out the same in the translation. In many languages, for instance, it is not natural to say “my son, my beloved,” but it is perfectly natural to say “my beloved son” or “my son whom I love.” The adjustments made will be translational decisions rather than decisions based on the text and its interpretation.
Some scholars interpret this part of the quotation in the light of Old Testament passages. For example, if interpreted in the light of Gen 22.2 (“your only son”), it will indicate the uniqueness of Jesus’ divine sonship. If, however, it is interpreted in the light of Isa 42.1 (“my chosen”), then it emphasizes Jesus’ election to the messianic office. No matter how valid these opinions are, it is still an essential part of the translation task to remain faithful to the text through the use of valid principles of translation and interpretation, and to avoid any translation that is not based on the text.
The second part of the quotation, with whom I am well pleased, is taken from Isa 42.1. The verb is in the aorist tense, indicating past completed action, which means that God’s pleasure in choosing Jesus has already occurred in God’s eternal time, before it was declared publicly at the Mount of Transfiguration. A further point to note is that in the Greek the pronoun I is in the emphatic position; it is God and God alone who chooses Jesus and pronounces good pleasure on his chosen one. The unspoken argument is that, if this is the case, then everything said about Jesus, including his imminent return, is not a human legend but is firmly grounded on God’s will and purpose. In many languages it will be helpful to divide this final complex sentence into two sentences and say “This is my son whom I love. I am very pleased with him.”
An alternative translation model for this verse, using information from verse 18, is the following:
• We were with him on the holy (or, sacred) mountain when God the Father honored him and caused him to be radiant (or, show dazzling light). When we were there he heard the voice from God, the Supreme Glory, saying, “This is my own son whom I love. I am very pleased with him.”
Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Second Letter from Peter. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .