Psalm 16:11,  LXX "Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou wilt fill me with joy with thy countenance: at thy right hand there are delights for ever."

Psalm, KJV; 16:11" Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."

Cross references :

Acts 2:28 "You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.' "

Psalm 21:1-8 ,  LXX  vs.1  To the chief musician: A Psalm of David.

Vs.1 "The king shall rejoice in Thy strength, O LORD; and in Thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

2  Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withheld the request of his lips. Selah

3  For Thou goest before him with the blessings of goodness; Thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.

4  He asked life of Thee and Thou gavest it to him, even length of days for ever and ever.

5  His glory is great in Thy salvation; honor and majesty hast Thou laid upon him.

6  For Thou hast made him most blessed for ever; Thou hast made him exceeding glad with Thy countenance.

7  For the king trusteth in the LORD, and through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved.

8  Thine hand shall find out all Thine enemies; Thy right hand shall find out those that hate Thee."

John 17:5 "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thy own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."

Proverbs 12:28, LXX ; "In the ways of righteousness is life; but the ways of the revengeful lead to death."

Proverbs 15:24, LXX; "The thoughts of the wise are ways of life, that he may turn aside and escape from hell."

Proverbs 16:17, LXX (Thomson version) ; "The paths of life turn aside from evils : and the ways of righteousness are length of life.

He who receiveth instruction shall enjoy good : and he who regardeth reproofs shall be wise.

He who watcheth his own ways preserveth his soul: and he who loveth his life will be sparing of his mouth."

Spurgeon ; "If you take these words as referring to Christ, they must apply to Him as a man. As a man, He was to die; His soul was to be, for a little while, separated from His body; yet, even as a man, He spoke with perfect confidence to His Father. You remember that His dying words were, "Father, into thy hands I commend My Spirit;" "and having said this, He gave up the ghost." He spoke with the full assurance that His Father would show Him "the path of life.".

"How it came to pass that the Spirit of God wrought upon that precious body, and raised Jesus from the dead, we cannot tell, for the work of the Spirit is secret and mysterious; but those blessed eyes of Jesus opened again, and the pulses of his human heart began to beat once more, and he stood upon those dear feet that had been pierced by the nails, and he unwound the napkin from his head with those very hands that had been fastened to the cross, but which would never again suffer pain, for he had risen from the dead no more to die. As the firstborn from the dead, his Father had showed to him 'the path of life.'

Then, after tarrying here a little longer, that his re-united soul and body might dwell, for forty days or so, in the midst of his disciples, that they might be quite sure that it was his own body that had risen from the dead, and his own soul that communed with them, he led them out to Olivet, and once again his Father showed him "the path of life."

"Thence he arose ascending high,

And showed our feet the way."

His disciples beheld him ascend whilst he was blessing them; and they gazed upon him, as he ascended, until a cloud hid him from their astonished gaze; and we are expressly told that, at the appointed time, he shall come again in like manner as they saw him go up into heaven. Truly, in him was fulfilled the psalmist's confident declaration, "Thou wilt shew me the path of life." We can easily imagine that, as he passed through that cloud, the angels came to meet him; squadrons of bright beings from the courts of heaven hurried down to do him homage, and to escort him back to the glory which he had with the Father ere he came to sojourn here below. It seems to me to be not merely poetry, but a matter of fact, that they did then sing, "Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in;" and he did enter the gates, and went straight to the throne which his Father had appointed as the grand reward of his victory, and there he sitteth, and will continue to sit until his foes are made his footstool.

Thus, you see that our text is true concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, and it is also true concerning all who are in Christ; and each of us, who is trusting in him, may with the hand of faith grasp this divine assurance, "Thou wilt shew me the path of life." I feel quite enamored of this portion of my text, and would be perfectly content if I had only to preach from it. Thou, O my God, thou who knowest everything, thou wilt show me they path of life!

There is no other guide like thee, my God. I trust no priest, no man like myself, nor even an angel. Thou, who didst lead thy people through the wilderness by the cloudy, fiery pillar, thou wilt show me ?the path of life.' "

Adam Clarke ; " Thou wilt show me the path of life "I first shall find the way out of the regions of death, to die no more. Thus Christ was the first fruits of them that slept." And again.

"Therefore, my heart is glad."
Wicked men rejoice in appearance? but David rejoiced in heart. He was all happy. His heart, glory, flesh, spirit, soul, body-all were overjoyed? and the reason was the prospect of his resurrection.

1. "My flesh shall rest or dwell in hope." 1. In this world, as
in an inn? 2. In the grave, as in a repository? 3. In heaven,
as in an endless mansion.

2. "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell." Thou wilt not suffer
death to have a final triumph? my flesh shall revive.

3. "Neither wilt thou suffer thy HOLY ONE to see corruption,"
meaning the Messiah, who should descend from his family. Christ's
resurrection is the cause and pledge of ours.

7. He is thankful for the promise of a future life, which is
here illustrated:-

1. From the quantity: "Fulness of joy."

2. From the quality: "Pleasures."

3. From the honour: "At thy right hand."

4. From the perpetuity: "For evermore."

5. From the cause: "Thy presence." The sight of God, the
beatific vision. 'Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy
presence is fulness of joy? at thy right hand there are pleasures
for evermore.'"

John Gill ; "Ver. 11. Thou wilt show me the path of life, &c.] Not the way of life and salvation for lost sinners, which is Christ himself; but the resurrection of the dead, which is a passing from death to life; and was shown to Christ, not doctrinally, or by illuminating his mind, and leading him into the doctrine of it, for so he himself has brought it to light by the Gospel; practically and experimentally, by raising him from the dead, or by causing him to pass from death to life; and he was the first to whom the path of life was shown in this sense, or he that who ever trod in it, and so has led the way for others: hence he is called the First-fruits of them that slept, the firstborn and first begotten from the dead; for though others were raised before, yet not to an immortal life, never to die more, as he was; now the view, the faith, and hope of this, of not being left in the grave so long as to see corruption, and of being raised from the dead to an immortal life, caused joy and gladness in Christ, at the time of his sufferings and death, as well as what follows;

in thy presence [is] fulness of joy: Christ, being raised from the dead, ascended to heaven, and was received up into glory into his Father's presence, and is glorified with his own self, with his glorious presence, for which he prayed,  John 17:5; and which fills his human nature with fulness of joy, with a joy unspeakable and full of glory; see  Acts 2:28; and as it is with the head it will be with the members in some measure; now the presence of God puts more joy and gladness into them than anything else can do; but as yet their joy is not full; but it will be when they shall enter into the joy of their Lord, into the presence of God in the other world then everlasting joy will be upon their heads;

at thy right hand [there are] pleasures for evermore; Christ being entered into heaven is set down at the right hand of God in human nature, an honour which is not conferred on any of the angels,  Hebrews 1:13; where the man Christ Jesus is infinitely delighted with the presence of God, the never fading joys of heaven, the company of angels and glorified saints;" . "he prolongs his days and sees his seed, souls called by grace, and brought to glory one after another, until they are all brought in, in whom is all his delight; and which was the joy set before him at the time of his sufferings and death: or the words may be rendered "in thy right are pleasant things for ever" .. and may design those gifts and graces, which Christ, being exalted at the right hand of God, received from thence and gives to men, for the use and service, of his church and people, in the several successive ages of time; and so Aben Ezra takes the words to be an allusion to a man's giving pleasant gifts to his friend with his right hand."

Amos 9:11-12 LXX, (Vaticanus/ Alex.) "In that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David which hath fallen, I will rebuild those parts of it which have fallen to decay, and repair what have been demolished. I will indeed rebuild it as in the days of old,:

Vs 12 that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the nations who are called by My name, saith the Lord God Who doth all these things. " [my ft]

[ft] The Septuagint ( or a variant Hebrew that the Septuagint was closer to) was applied by the Apostle James from Amos 9:11-12, as Hengstenberg notes ; "The translation of the Seventy (Greek=Septuagint) plainly lies at the foundation. The citation of the twelfth verse as good as verbally corresponds with the Seventy. It follows them in their important deviation from the Hebrew text. Instead of  'that they may possess the remnant of Edom,' they have, "that the residue of men might seek after Me" (for which Luke has the Lord, which is also found in the Cod. Alex.") Regarding the last phrase in verse 11 the Pulpit commentary suggests that the phrase be interpreted from the Septuagint as: "...I will build it up as are the days of eternity." This seems to signify that the building is to last forever."

Cross references :

Acts 15:16-17(quoting the LXX or a Hebrew text identical with the LXX ),

verse 16 ; "After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:

Vs. 17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things."

Isa 9:6-7  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Vs 7  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Isaiah 11:10, DSS  "There shall be in that day a root of Jesse that shall stand as an ensign of the people to Him shall the Gentiles pursue and His resting place shall be glory."

Jeremiah 23:5 LXX (Thomson version) ; "Behold the days are coming, saith the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous shoot who shall reign as king and shall understand and execute judgment and justice on the earth."

 Ezekiel 34:20-30 LXX  [20] Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold I will judge between the strong sheep and the weak. [21]You have pushed with your sides and your shoulders, and have butted with your horns and bruised all the weak: [22] but I will save My sheep and they shall no more be for a prey; and I will judge between ram and ram. [23] And I will set up over them one shepherd who shall feed them, even My servant David, who shall be their shepherd: [24] and I the Lord will be their God; and David shall be chief among them. I the Lord have spoken; and with this David I will make a covenant of peace [25] and remove the wild beasts entirely out of the land; so that they [the flock] may dwell in the desert and sleep in the woods. [26] And I will place them around My mountain, and give them the rain-the rain of blessing; [27] and the trees securely and know that I am the Lord, when I have broken their yoke. And I will rescue them out of the hand of them who enslaved them, [28] and they shall no more be a prey to the nations, nor shall the wild beasts of the earth any more devour them, so they shall dwell secure and none shall make them afraid. [29] I will indeed raise up for them a plant of peace, and they shall no more be consumed with famine in the land; nor shall they any more bear the revile of nations; [30] and they shall know that I am the Lord their God, and that they are My people. 0 house of Israel, saith the Lord, you are My sheep, even the sheep of My flock, and I, the Lord, am your God, saith the Lord God."

 The Church is begotten again at Christ's resurrection as we are instructed in 1 Peter 1:3 [ft]

[ft] 1 Peter 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,"

which is prophesied in Amos 9:11-15. Verse 14 says in part ; "And I will turn the captivity of my people Israel." confirming the conversion effect of the resurrection of Christ, spoken of as the raising up of the tabernacle of David.[ft]

[ft] The same word used for turn in verse 14 is used elsewhere in this context. The greek word used for turn is epistrefw, epistrepho {ep-ee-stref'-o}, meaning to repent and be converted as is used in the following examples:Acts 3:19 "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; Luke 22:32 "But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Luke 8:55 "And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat."  Note that here the word is used in the resurrection from the dead context concerning her spirit!" Acts 11:21 "And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord."

God was going to rebuild the royal dynasty , the Kingdom of God, with the resurrected Jesus Christ as it's King!

In the Dead Sea Scrolls Midrash (Jewish commentaries) "On the Last Days" the ancient commentator states "... 'I will raise up the tent of David that is fallen.' ; That is to say, the fallen tent of David is He who shall arise to save Israel."

Israel was saved by the Messiah ; Jesus or Jeshua (God's Salvation) that arose from Israel when He was risen for Israel.

F.F. Bruce points out the superiority (more accurate) LXX against the Hebrew MT ; " .The primary sense of the MT is that the fallen fortunes of the royal house of David will be restored and it will rule over all the territory which had been included in David's empire. But James's application of the prophecy finds fulfillment of its first part (the rebuilding of the tabernacle of David) in the resurrection and exaltation of Christ, the Son of David,  and the reconstitution of His disciples as the new Israel, and the fulfillment of its second part in the presence of believing Gentiles as well as believing Jews in the Church . ."

"Certainly the LXX version of the second part lends itself to James's application more than MT would."

John Gill  " 'In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen..' "... by the tabernacle of David (is) to understand the dead body of the Messiah to be raised, whose human nature is by the New Testament writers called a tabernacle, Heb 8:2 a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man."see Hebrews 9:11-12; [ft]

[ft2] Hebr. 9:11 "But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; vs.12  Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption."

and see John 1:14;[ my ft3]

[ft3 "14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt ( tabernacled) among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

for, having mentioned that passage in Jeremiah 30:9; "they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their King, whom I will raise up unto them", add, whom I will raise up out of the dust; as it is said, "I will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen down";...

Calvin ; "... for Christ at length appeared, on Whose head rests the true diadem or crown, and Who has been elected by God and is the legitimate king, and Who, having risen from the dead, reigns and now sits at the Father's Right hand, and His throne shall not fail to the end of the world; nay, the world shall be renovated, and Christ's kingdom shall continue, though in another form, after the resurrection, as Paul shows to us; and yet Christ shall be really a King for ever."

".And the Prophet, by saying, "as in ancient days", confirms this truth, that the dignity of the kingdom would not continue uniform, but that the restoration would yet be such as to make it clearly evident that God had not in vain promised an eternal kingdom to David. Flourish then shall the kingdom of David for ever. But this has not been the case; for when the people returned from exile, Zerobabel, it is true, and also many others, obtained kingly power; yet what was it but precarious? They became even tributaries to the kings of the Persian and of the Medes. It then follows, that the kingdom of Israel never flourished, nor had there existed among the people anything but a limited power; we must, therefore, necessarily come to Christ and his kingdom. We hence see that the words of the Prophet cannot be otherwise understood than of Christ."

"By these words the Prophet shows that the kingdom under Christ would be more renowned and larger than it had ever been under David. Since then the kingdom had been greatest in dignity, and wealth, and power, in the age of David, the Prophet here says, that its borders would be enlarged;.."

J.R. Thomson (Pulpit Commentary) :

"I. THE MOST GLORIOUS FULFILMENT OF THIS PROPHECY WAS IN THE ADVENT OF THE DIVINE SON OF DAVID. Jesus was recognized by the people as the descendant and successor of their national hero. They shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" He himself made the claim, only that he asserted that he was not only David's Son, but also David's Lord. Like David, he was "after God's heart;" like David, he sang praises unto God in the midst of the Church; like David, he overcame the enemies of Jehovah and of his people; like David, he reigned over the nation of Israel But unlike David, he was Divine in his nature and faultless in his character; unlike David, he was rather a spiritual than a worldly Conqueror; unlike David, he was King, not over one people, but over all mankind. In Christ the true Israel has found more than the Israel "according to the flesh" lost in David's removal.

II. THE MAIN PROOF OF THIS FULFILMENT OF PROPHECY IS TO BE FOUND IN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MESSIAH'S SPIRITUAL KINGDOM. Time has given an interpretation to this language which was impossible beforehand. How truly the house of David has been more than rebuilt, the kingdom of David more than re-established, is apparent to every observer of what has occurred in the Christian centuries. The kingdom of the Redeemer is:

1. Spiritual. In which respect it is more admirable and more glorious than that of David, which was founded upon the sword, and whose sway was over, not the heart, but the outward life.

2. Universal. For whilst David reigned over a strip of Syrian territory, Christ's empire is vast, and is widening year by year. "The kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ."

3. Everlasting. The few brief glorious years of David's reign were prophetic of that sway which shall endure forever. Of Christ's kingdom "there shall be no end."

Psalm 89:27 ; (LXX/Dead Sea Scrolls) ; " I also will set Him as My Firstborn; high above all the kings of the earth."  

[My ft] the words ; I also" and "My" are found in the Dead Sea Scroll. Most versions assume (supply) the word "my" in italics. There are much further and extensive remarks and commentaries on the versus of Psalm 89 in the "Exaltation" portion of this study.

Cross references:

Psalm 2:6-8, LXX (Thomson version) ; vs.6 ; "But as for me, by Him I am appointed king on Sion, His holy mountain.

Vs.7 I proclaim the decree of the Lord;  to me the Lord said: Thou art My son, this day I have begotten thee,

Vs. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give thee nations for thine inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession."

Romans 8:29 "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."

Isaiah 49:7 LXX (Thomson version) ; " Thus saith the Lord Who delivered thee- the God of Israel: Hallow him who depised his life, him who was abhorred by the nations, the slaves of the princes. Kings shall see him and chiefs shall rise up and they shall worship him for the sake of the Lord because the Holy One of Israel is faithful, therefore I have chosen thee."

Collossions 1:15-19; "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation:

 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are upon earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

 18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he may have the preeminence.

 19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;"

Hebrews 1:1-10  vs.1 God, who at many times and in many ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,  ² Hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;  ³ Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;  ⁴ Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.  ⁵ For to which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?  ⁶ And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.  ⁷ And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.  ⁸ But to the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.  ⁹ Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy companions.  ¹⁰ And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thy hands:"

"M. J. Harris, Colossians and Philemon , expresses the meaning of the word "firstborn": "The 'firstborn' was either the eldest child in a family or a person of preeminent rank. The use of this term to describe the Davidic king in Ps 88:28 LXX (=Ps 89:27 EVV), 'I will also appoint him my firstborn (prwtotokon), the most exalted of the kings of the earth,' indicates that it can denote supremacy in rank as well as priority in time. But whether the prwto,- element in the word denotes time, rank, or both, the significance of the tokosj element as indicating birth or origin (from tiktw, give birth to) has been virtually lost except in ref. to lit. birth." In Collosions 1:15 the emphasis is on the priority of Jesus' rank as over and above creation (cf. 1:16 and the "for" clause referring to Jesus as Creator)." (from NET Bible notes)

Matthew Henry "Not that he is himself a creature; for it is prōtotokos pasēs ktiseōs - born or begotten before all the creation, or before any creature was made, which is the scripture-way of representing eternity, and by which the eternity of God is represented to us: I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was; when there was no depth, before the mountains were settled, while as yet he had not made the earth, Proverbs_8:23-26. It signifies his dominion over all things, as the first-born in a family is heir and lord of all, so he is the heir of all things, Hebrews_1:2. The word, with only the change of the accent, prōtotokos, signifies actively the first begetter or producer of all things, ."

John Gill ; "...that he is the "first Parent", or bringer forth of every creature into being, ...who observes, that the word is used in this sense by Homer, and is the same as πρωτογονος, "first Parent", and πρωτοκτιστης, "first Creator"; and the rather this may be done, seeing the accents were all added since the apostle's days, and especially seeing it makes his reasoning, in the following verses, appear with much more beauty, strength, and force: he is the first Parent of every creature, "for by him were all things created", &c. Col_1:16, or it may be understood of Christ, as the King, Lord, and Governor of all creatures; being God's firstborn, he is heir of all things, the right of government belongs to him; he is higher than the kings of the earth, or the angels in heaven, the highest rank of creatures, being the Creator and upholder of all, as the following words show; so the Jews make the word "firstborn" to be synonymous with the word "king", and explain it by גדול ושר, "a great one", and "a prince" (h); see Psa_89:27.

Spurgeon ; ".Christ was exalted by His resurrection. Oh! I should have liked to have stolen into that tomb of our Saviour, I suppose it was a large chamber; within it lay a massive marble sarcophagus, and very likely a ponderous lid was laid upon it. Then outside the door there lay a mighty stone, and guards kept watch before it. Three days did that sleeper slumber there! Oh! I could have wished to lift the lid of that sarcophagus, and look upon him. Pale he lay; blood-streaks there were upon Him, not all quite washed away by those careful women who had buried Him. Death exulting cries, 'I have slain Him: the seed of the woman who is to destroy me is now my captive!' Ah! how grim death laughed! Ah! how he stared through his bony eye-lids, as he said, 'I have the boasted victor in my grasp.' 'Ah!' said Christ, 'but I have thee!' And up He sprang, the lid of the sarcophagus started up; and he, who has the keys of death and hell, seized death, ground his iron limbs to powder, dashed him to the ground and said, "O death, I will be thy plague; O hell, I will be thy destruction." Out he came, and in turn the watch men fled away. Startling with glory, radiant with light, effulgent with divinity, he stood before them. Christ was then exalted in His resurrection."   And ``~

"...low we bow before Thee, Thou Heir of all things ! Our sheaves do obeisance to thy sheaf. All Thy mother's children call Thee Blessed. Thou art He Whom Thy bretheren shall praise."

Bellermine (as quoted by Spurgeon) says of this verse ; "First, because he is first in the order of predestination; for it is through him, as through the head, that we are predestinated, as we read in Ephesians 1:1-23. Secondly, because he is first in the second generation to life everlasting, whence he is called (Collosions 1:18.)  the firstborn from the dead, and in Revelation 1:5, the first begotten of the dead; and, thirdly, because he had the rights of the firstborn; for he was appointed heir of all things; and he was made not only firstborn, but also, high above the kings of the earth; that is, Prince of the kings of the earth, and King of kings."

Numbers 17:8 , LXX ; "And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi blossomed, and put forth a bud, and bloomed blossoms and produced almonds." [ft]

[ft] note that the LXX has "bud" (singular) where the Hebrew (as found in most Bibles) has the plural ("buds"). The Westminster Hebrew OT Morphology nevertheless shows "bud" singular! Jesus, being the firstborn from the dead will nevertheless raise us in the last day.

Cross references ;

Genesis 40:10, LXX ; "And in the vine were three stems; and it budding shot forth blossoms; the clusters of grapes were ripe."

Psalms 110:2 , LXX ;"The Lord shall send out a rod of power for thee out of Sion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies."

Ezekiel 17:24, LXX ; And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord that bring low the high tree, and exalt the low tree, and wither the green tree, and cause the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken, and will do it."

John Gill ; "Ver. 8. And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, &c.] Where none but he could go at any time; this was the day after the rods had been placed there:

and, behold, the rod of Aaron, for the house of Levi; the rod that had Aaron's name upon it, which was to represent the tribe of Levi, of which he was:

budded, and brought forth buds; knobs of blossom, such that are seen on trees before they open; for the almond tree puts forth its blossoms before its leaves; though the Targum of Jonathan renders it "branches", as do some versions; and some think this is to be understood of its putting out its leaves first, contrary to the nature of the almond tree, and so makes the miracle the greater;..."

"...blossomed (bloomed) blossoms; open flowers or blossoms, such as appear on the almond tree in the spring, and look very beautiful:

and yielded almonds; ripe almonds, in their full perfection, as the Targums of Jerusalem and Jonathan; the latter of which is, "in the same night it perfected and brought forth almonds:"

The word used has the signification of weaning, and alludes to children grown up to some ripeness and maturity, Genesis 21:8; the case seems to be this, that in one part of the rod were buds, swelling and just putting out, in another part open flowers quite blown, and in others full ripe fruit: now this clearly showed it to be supernatural, since the almond tree, though quick and early in its production of buds and flowers, yet never has those and ripe fruit on it at the same time. this rod may be considered as a type of Christ; it being a dry rod or stick, may denote the meanness of His descent and appearance in the world, and the unpromising aspect of his being the King, Messiah, and Saviour of men; and being an almond tree rod, may signify His speedy incarnation in the fulness of time, which the Lord hastened; His being the firstborn, and His right to the priesthood, and His vigilance in it; its lying among other rods, and budding, and blossoming, and bringing forth fruit, may point at Christ's assuming the common nature or man, his being cut off by death, his resurrection from the dead, and the fruits arising from thence, justification, peace, pardon, and eternal life; and as Aaron's priesthood was confirmed by the budding, &c. of this rod, so the deity and Messiahship of Christ are, by His resurrection from the dead;..."

Matthew Henry ; " ...This was to be to them, as Christ said the sign of the prophet Jonas (that is, His own resurrection) should be to the men of that generation, the highest proof of his mission that should be given them." (see Henry's commentary on INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS CHAPTER 17)

D. Young ; "...Now in this budding, blossoming, fruit-bearing rod they see both promise and performance. He who makes the rod bud is thereby promising; he who makes it blossom is drawing onward in increased hope; but he who also makes it yield fruit shows that he can perform as well as promise. So may we think of Jesus. Consider the multitudes for whom and in whom his priestly work is being done. They are in different stages. With some the bud, with some the blossom, with some the ripened, fragrant fruit. It needed that all stages should be shown in the life of the typifying rod."

2 Samuel 23:2-4 LXX (Thomson version) ;vs.2 ; "The Spirit of the Lord hath spoken by me, and His word was upon my tongue.

3  The God of Israel saith to me: A watchman of Israel hath spoken a parable: I said as a man, How can you strengthen the fear of the anointed one?

4  With the light of the God of the morning! Let the Sun rise in the morning betimes. Is not the Lord gone forth with splendour? Yes, like the spring of grass on the earth after rain;"

 

[my Ft] the grk. for "spring of grass" is xloh the first shoot of plants in spring

 

"betimes" in verse 4 means "seasonable" or "soon"

A revised/updated ("Apostles Bible") of "Brenton's" version of the LXX  has the following for verse 4 ; "And in the morning light of God, let the sun arise in the morning, from the light of which the Lord passed on, and as it were from the rain of the tender grass upon the earth."

Edersheim's translation (in his "Bible history of the Old Testament") ; "The Spirit of Jehovah speaks to me, And His Word (is) on my tongue ! Saith the God of Israel : A Ruler over man, righteous, A Ruler in the fear of God-

And as the light of morning, when riseth the sun-Morning without clouds-From the shining forth out of (after) rain (sprouts) the green out of the earth."

A. Barnes reports that Kennicott translates verse 4 this way; "As the light of the morning ariseth (Jehovah). He shall be the Sun of righteousness, bringing salvation in his rays, and shining - illuminating the children of men, with increasing splendor, as long as the sun and moon endure."

Cross references:

Psalm 89:36  "His seed shall endure for ever, and His throne as the sun before me.

Psalm 110:3  Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.

Proverbs 4:18  But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

Isaiah 60:1   Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

Malachi 4:2 LXX (Thomson Version) ; "But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteous  will arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go forth and leap for joy like young bullocks loosed from yokes."

Isaiah 4:2 Dead Sea Scroll ; "In that day shall the branch of YHWH be as beauty and as glory and the fruit of the earth as majesty and pride for the escaped of Israel."

Edersheim footnotes that the sun in verse 4 is the ; "...light of the morning of salvation-in opposition to the previous darkness of the night, the sun being the Sun of Righteous." [my ft]

[ft] Clement ; ".He awakes from the sleep of darkness, and raises up those who have wandered in error. "Awake," He says, "thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light,"(1)--Christ, the Sun of the Resurrection, He "who was born before the morning star,"(2) and with His beams bestows life."

Spurgeon : " I pray that all of us may, in due time, get to the land Beulah, where all is bright and happy; and there may we dwell till the post comes from the King to say that we must pass the stream to joyfully behold our Lord; and, oh, what clear shining after rain will there be when we once get home, when we behold His face, and when we, like Himself, have risen from the dead, and stand perfect and complete in our flesh to behold our God!"

Matthew Henry ; "With application to Christ, the Son of David, and then it must all be taken as a prophecy, and the original will bear it: There shall be a rule among men, or over men, that shall be just, and shall rule in the fear of God, that is, shall order the affairs of religion and divine worship according to his Father's will; and He shall be as the light to the morning, etc., for He is the light of the world, and as the tender grass, for He is the branch of the Lord, and the fruit of the earth, Isaiah. 11:1-5...;"

John Gill observes that ; ".That I may get to heaven, the only land of light and life; for in this world darkness and death reign."

A learned writer {ft}

{ft}  Dr. Kennicott's 'State of the Hebrew Text', Dissertation 1. p. 468

has observed, that in an ancient manuscript the word "Jehovah" is inserted and read thus,

"and as the light of the morning shall arise Jehovah the sun,"

which clearly points to Christ the sun of righteousness;."

Keil and Delitzsch taking a more conservative view say; "The light of the rising sun on a cloudless morning is an image of the coming salvation. The rising sun awakens the germs of life (seed bud of a plant) in the bosom of nature, which had been slumbering through the darkness of the night."

 

John 10:15 (Jesus speaking); "As the Father knoweth me, even so I know the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

 

 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

 

 17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again.

 

 18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received from my Father."

Cross references :

Matthew 11:27  "All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him."

Romans 5:6-14, vs. 6 "And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four living beings, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

8 And when he had taken the book, the four living beings and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open its seals: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

10 And hast made us to our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living beings and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be to him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever.

14 And the four living beings said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever."

John 10:17  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again."

John 10:17  "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again." John 10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."

John 10:11  "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."

Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open its seals: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;"

John Gill ; verse.15. As the Father knoweth me, &c.] These words, with what follow, are in connection with John 10:14; and the sense is, that the mutual knowledge of Christ, and his sheep, is like that which his Father and he have of each other. The Father knows Christ as his own Son, and loves him as such, in the most strong and affectionate manner; and has entrusted him with the persons, grace, and glory, of all his people:

even so know I the Father; or rather, "and I know the Father"; as he needs must, since he lay in his bosom, and still does, and knows his nature, perfections, purposes, and his whole mind and will; and loves him most ardently, which he has shown by his coming down from heaven, to do his will; and trusts in him for the accomplishment of everything he promised unto him:

vs. 17b and I lay down my life  "for the sheep; which proves him to be the good shepherd, John 10:11. The Vulgate Latin version reads, "for my sheep"; which were his, by the Father's gift, and for no other has he laid down his life. The Ethiopic version, as before, renders it, or rather explains it, "I lay down my life for the redemption of my sheep".

".because I lay down my life; "that is, for the sheep; to ransom them from sin and Satan, the law, its curse and condemnation, and from death and hell, wrath, ruin and destruction: and the laying down his life on this account, was not only well pleasing to his Father, but likewise was done, with the following view; or at least this was the event of it,

that I might take it again; as he did, "by raising himself from the dead, by which he was declared to be the Son of God; and to have made full satisfaction to divine justice, for the sins of his people, and therefore rose again for their, justification; and to be the victorious conqueror over death, having now abolished it, and having in his hands the keys of it, the power over that, and the grave: and which life he took up again, by his divine power, and as the surety of his people, to use it for their good; by ascending to his God and theirs, entering into heaven as their forerunner, appearing in the presence of God for them, as their advocate, and ever living to make intercession for them."

Adam Clarke on verse 18 ; " I have power] Or, authority,... Our Lord speaks of himself here as man, or the Messiah, as being God's messenger, and sent upon earth to fulfil the Divine will, in dying and rising again for the salvation of men.
  This commandment have I received] That is, I act according to the Divine commandment in executing these things, and giving you this information."

Genesis 2:6, LXX ; "But there ascended a fountain out of the earth, and watered the whole face of the earth."

Cross references :

Psalm 36:8-9 They shall be fully satisfied with the fatness of thine house; and thou shalt cause them to drink of the full stream of thy delights.

Vs.9 "For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light we shall see light."

LXX Isaiah 58:11 "and thy God shall be with thee continually, and thou shalt be satisfied according as thy soul desires; and thy bones shall be made fat, and shall be as a well-watered garden, and as a fountain from which the water has not failed."

Jeremiah 2:13 LXX (the Lord speaking) ; ".For my people has committed two faults, and evil ones: they have forsaken me, the fountain of water of life, and hewn out for themselves broken cisterns, which will not be able to hold water."

Jeremiah 17:13 "O Lord, the hope of Israel, let all that have left thee be ashamed, let them that have revolted be written on the earth, because they have forsaken the fountain of life, the Lord."

Revelation 14:7 "Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters."

Revelation 7:17 "For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them to living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."

John 4:14 "but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."

Proverbs 18:4 LXX; "A word in the heart of a man is a deep water, and a river and fountain of life spring forth."

Isaiah 41:17 And the poor and the needy shall exult; for when they shall seek water, and there shall be none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord God, I the God of Israel will hear, and will not forsake them:

18 but I will open rivers on the mountains, and fountains in the midst of plains: I will make the desert pools of water, and a thirsty land watercourses.

Isaiah 12:3 Draw ye therefore water with joy out of the wells of salvation.

Joel 3:17 LXX (Charles Thomson version) And ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, who dwell in Sion my holy mountain: and Jerusalem shall be holy, and strangers shall no more pass through it.

18 And it shall come to pass in that day that day, that the mountains shall distil new wine, and the hills shall send forth streams of milk; and all the fountains of Juda shall pour out water, and a fountain shall issue from the house of the Lord, which shall water the valley of bulrushes."

Proverbs 8:27 When he prepared the heaven, I was present with him; and when he prepared his throne upon the winds:

29 and when he strengthened the foundations of the earth:

28 and when he strengthened the clouds above; and when he secured the fountains of the earth:

Exodus 17:6 "Behold, I stand there before thou come, on the rock in Choreb, and thou shalt smite the rock, and water shall come out from it, and the people shall drink. And Moses did so before the sons of Israel.

Deuteronomy 8:15 who brought thee through that great and terrible wilderness, where is the biting serpent, and scorpion, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee a fountain of water out of the flinty rock:

Psalm 114:8 who turned the rock into pools of water, and the flint into fountains of water.

1 Corinthians 10:4 "and did all drink of the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." [my ft]

[ft] Friberg Lexicon  " petra, aj, h` (1) literally, living rock, bedrock , in contrast to petroj (isolated stone); cliff rock, in which tombs may be hewn out or caves and clefts may be found ; rocky ground or soil ; (2) metaphorically, of Christ; (a) as the antitype fulfilling the event foreshadowed by the rock in the wilderness, offering "living water" when struck ; (b) as the rock of offense to Israel when it rejected him as the spiritual cornerstone or capstone of the invisible temple of God ; (3) figuratively, as the spiritual foundation of the church , interpreted variously to refer to the affirmation Peter made , to the apostle Peter (o` Petroj) as the leader of the apostolate, or to Christ himself ."  

Judges 15:19 And God broke open a hollow place in the jaw, and there came thence water, and he drank; and his spirit returned and he revived: therefore the name of the fountain was called 'The well of the invoker,' which is in Lechi, until this day."

Isaiah 35:7-8 LXX (Charles Thomson version); "Because water is burst forth in the desert, and torrents in a thirsty land; therefore the glowing sand shall become pools, and for the thirsty soil there shall be fountains of water. The reedy beds and the pools there will be the joy of birds. There will be there a pure highway, which shall be called the Holy way. And the unclean shall not come there; nor shall there be there an unclean way. But as for the dispersed, they shall travel it, and shall not be led astray."

 

Jesus Christ, the Fountain of living water is seen as a type in the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) in Genesis 2:6 as He at His resurrection indeed ascended out of the earth and, as the Word of God, immidietly began watering the earth in evangelical exposition of the scriptures[see [ft] see Luke 24: 25-32 ; "Then he said to them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken:

 26 Ought not Christ to suffer these things, and to enter into his glory?

 27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

 28 And they drew near to the village, where they were going: and he made as though he would go further.

 29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them.

 30 And it came to pass, as he sat eating with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and broke, and gave to them.

 31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight.

 32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?"

as well as through the Holy Spirit after He ascended to His Father. [ft]

[ft] It should be noted that since almost all the commentaries are based on the Hebrew (Massoretic text) rendering of the word "mist" rather than "fountain", they have unfortunately been unaware of this figurative language found only in the LXX.

Eternal life, the exalted Jesus, and Paradise are all seen in the saying of Jesus to the repentant criminal on the cross; "And Jesus said to him, Verily I say to thee, This day shalt thou be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43) [my ft]

[ft] cf. Genesis 2:8-9 LXX (Thomson's version) ; "And God planted a garden in Eden towards the east and placed there the man whom He had made. [9] And God caused to spring up there also out of that ground every tree beautiful to the sight and good for food, and the Tree of Life in the middle of the garden, and the tree for the purpose of knowing what was to be known of good and evil."

Philo (ancient Jewish philosopher) commenting on Jeremiah 2:13; "We must now speak also concerning that highest and most excellent of fountains which the Father of the universe spake of by the mouths of the prophets; for he has said somewhere, 'They have left me, the fountain of life, and they have digged for themselves cisterns already worn out, which will not be able to hold water;' [Jeremiah ii. 13]  ¹⁹⁸ therefore God is the most ancient of all fountains. And is not this very natural? For he it is who has irrigated the whole of this world; and I am amazed when I hear that this is the fountain of life, for God alone is the cause of animation and life, and most especially of rational animation and of that life which is in union with prudence; for the matter is dead. But God is something more than life; he is, as he himself has said, the everlasting fountain of living."

John Gill (commenting on various related passages) has these remarks ; "and shall lead them unto living fountains of water; by "water" is meant the grace, love, and free favour of God in Christ, that pure river of water of life, which proceeds from the throne of God, and of the Lamb, from divine sovereignty; and with which the saints in this state shall be sweetly and fully solaced and refreshed; and hence they shall never thirst more: and this is said to be "living", because not only refreshing and reviving, but because it will last for ever; the love of God is from everlasting to everlasting; and it is signified by "fountains", to denote the abundance of it, even as it will be perceived and enjoyed by the saints now; for these waters will not be only up to the ankles, and knees, but a broad river to swim in, which cannot be passed over; and hither will Christ lead his people, which is, one branch of his office as a Shepherd; and which shows his care of them, and affection for them." (see his comments on Revelation 7:17) ~

"God himself is the fountain of life, and of living waters; Christ is the fountain of gardens, and in him are wells of salvation; the grace of the Spirit is a well of living water, springing up unto eternal life; and of these, humble souls, comparable to the lowly valleys, are partakers," (see Gill's comments on Isaiah 41:18) ~

"The fear of the Lord [is] a fountain of life," &c.] "Where the true fear of God is, there is a real principle of grace, which is "a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life", John 4:14; eternal life is connected with it; it makes meet for it, and issues in it: or the Lord, who is the object of fear, he is the fountain of life: as of natural, so of spiritual and eternal life; spiritual life springs from him, is supported and maintained by him, the consequence of which is life everlasting;" (see Gill's comments on Proverbs 14:27)

John 2:19 "Jesus answered and said to them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' "  [see note]

[my ft] a note on the word from the Liddell-Scott Lexicon (of the greek) as it can clearly be seen how even the ancient heathen language had unwittingly made prescient allusion to the (Messianic) "temple" ; nao.n noun accusative masculine singular common  [LS] naoj... ...  o`, (naiw) the dwelling of a god, a temple." 

Cross references :

Matthew 27:40  "And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross."

Mark 14:58  "We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands."

Matthew 12:40  "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

Acts 3:15  "And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses."

1 Peter 2:5 "Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."

Matthew Henry ; ".The sign that he gives them is his own death and resurrection. He refers them to that which would be,  First,  His last sign. If they would not be convinced by what they saw and heard,  let them wait. Secondly,  The great sign to prove him to be the Messiah; for concerning him it was foretold that he should be bruised Isaiah 53:5, cut off  Daniel 9:26,  and yet that he should not see corruption, Psalm 16:10. These things were fulfilled in the blessed Jesus,  and therefore truly he was the Son of God,  and had authority in the temple, his Father's house.

 He foretells his death and resurrection,  not in plain terms,  as he often did to his disciples,  but in figurative expressions; as afterwards,  when he gave this for a sign,  he called it the sign of the prophet Jonas,  so here,  Destroy this temple,  and in three days I will raise it up. Thus he spoke in parables to those who were willingly ignorant,  that they might not perceive,  Matthew 13:13-14. Those that will not see shall not see. Nay,  this figurative speech used here proved such a stumbling block to them that it was produced in evidence against him at his trial to prove him a blasphemer.  Mattew 26:60-61. Had they humbly asked him the meaning of what he said,  he would have told them,  and it had been a savour of life unto life to them,  but they were resolved to cavil,  and it proved a savour of death unto death. They that would not be convinced were hardened,  and the manner of expressing this prediction occasioned the accomplishment of the prediction itself. First,  He foretells his death by the Jews' malice, in these words,  Destroy you this temple; that is, "You will destroy it,  I know you will. I will permit you to destroy it."

Note: Christ,  even at the beginning of his ministry,  had a clear foresight of all his sufferings at the end of it,  and yet went on cheerfully in it. It is good,  at setting out,  to expect the worst. Secondly,  He foretells his resurrection by his own power: In three days I will raise it up. There were others that were raised,  but Christ raised himself,  resumed his own life."

 

 Mark 9:2-9: "And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up upon an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.

 3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can make them white.

 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

 5 And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.

 6 For he knew not what to say; for they were greatly afraid.

 7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

 8 And suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no man any more, except Jesus only with themselves

9 And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead."

Cross references ;

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, LXX ; "To all things there is a time, and a season for every matter under heaven.

 2 A time of birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what has been planted;"

Matthew 17:9 "And as they came down the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man is risen from the dead."

 John Gill ;  "And as they came down from the mountain, &c.] Christ and his three disciples, Peter, James, and John, whom he led up thither:

he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen; on the mount, as the transfiguration of himself, the persons of Moses and Elias, and the bright cloud from whence the voice came, which bore testimony of Christ's sonship: he ordered to keep the whole of this a secret from every man, even from their fellow disciples,"

elsewhere Gill says ; "Ver. 9. And as they came down from the mountain, &c.] Where all these things had been transacted,

Jesus charged them, saying, tell the vision to no man: by the "vision" is meant, as it is explained in Mark, "what things they had seen"; as Moses and Elias, and the bright cloud that overshadowed them, and Christ transfigured before them, in a surprising, glorious manner. These Christ strictly ordered Peter, James, and John, to speak of to no man whatever; no, not their fellow disciples; who either would be apt to disbelieve them, on account of the greatness of them, as Thomas did the resurrection of Christ afterwards; or lest they should be troubled and displeased, that they were not admitted to the same sight; and especially not to the multitude, or to any other person,

until the son of man be risen again from the dead; meaning Himself and His resurrection, when such proof would be given of His mission, authority, and glory, which would make this account more easy to be believed: besides, He had told the Jews, that no sign, that is, from heaven, as this voice was, should be given, but the sign of the Prophet Jonas; referring to His resurrection, which would be a sure testimony of the truth of his Messiahship. This order of Christ was strictly observed by the disciples; for Luke, says, "they kept it close"; to themselves, in their own breasts; it lay concealed between these three; "and told no man in those days, any of those things which they had seen": and Mark says, "they kept that saying within themselves"; only as he adds, they were "questioning one with another, what the rising from the dead should mean": for they were not yet reconciled to the Messiah's dying, which was contrary to their expectation of a temporal kingdom; and therefore could not tell what to make of His rising again, whether this had not some secret, mystical meaning; for of His resurrection from the dead, in a literal sense, they had no notion; though it was foretold in the writings of the Old Testament, and had been so lately affirmed by Christ himself."

Adam Clarke ; "Tell the vision to no man  See the note on Matthew 16:20; and farther observe, that as this transfiguration was intended to show forth the final abolition of the whole ceremonial law, it was necessary that a matter which could not fail to irritate the Jewish rulers and people should be kept secret, till Jesus had accomplished vision and prophecy by his death and resurrection.
  The whole of this emblematic transaction appears to me to be intended to prove,

1st. The reality of the world of spirits, and the immortality of the soul.

 Secondly. The resurrection of the body, and the doctrine of future rewards and punishments, see Mt 16:27.

 thirdly  The abolition of the Mosaic institutions, and, the fulfilment of the predictions of the prophets relative to the person, nature, sufferings, death, and resurrection of Christ, and
 the glory that should follow. 

 fourthly. The establishment of the mild, light-bringing, and life-giving Gospel of the Son of God.

and fifthly. That as the old Jewish covenant and Mediatorship had ended, Jesus was now to be considered as the sole Teacher, the only availing offering for sin, and the grand Mediator between God and man."

Matthew Henry ; ".he, being now in a state of humiliation, would have nothing publicly taken notice of, that might be seen disagreeable to such a state; for to that he would in every thing accommodate himself. This enjoining of silence to the disciples, would likewise be of use to them, to prevent their boasting of the intimacy they were admitted to, that they might not be puffed up with the abundance of the revelations. It is a mortification to a man, to be tied up from telling of his advancements, and may help to hide pride from him.

The disciples were at a loss what the rising from the dead should mean; they could not form any notion of the Messiah's dying (Luke xviii. 34), and therefore were willing to think that the rising he speaks of, was figurative, his rising from his present mean and low estate to the dignity and dominion they were in expectation of."