G3339

TRANSFIGURATION

Greek: METAMORPHOSIS






The transfiguration of Christ: MATTHEW 17

1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. 4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

COMMENT:
The word for Jesus' transfiguration in the original text is the word in Greek borrowed by English for metamorphosis. The butterfly's transfiguration is illustrative of the use of the word in English. Similarly, we can visualize the significance of the transformation of Jesus before the select apostles. Also, we can visualize the significance of our being born again in order to be in the Kingdom of God. As Jesus explains to Nicodemus during one night, a person must be born from above; that is, be born of water and of the Spirit. This is the transformation and renewing of one's mind initiated in water baptism (Ephesians 5:26). Arising from the water one is to be a new creature in the Kingdom. One is transformed by the renewing of the mind, submitting to the word of the Spirit of God as 3000 souls did on that fateful day of Pentecost in Acts 2.

Forms of transfiguration as used in the New Testament

  • μετεμορφώθη (metemorphōthē) — “he was transfigured” (aorist passive)

    • Matthew 17:2 Jesus

    • Mark 9:2 Jesus

  • μεταμορφοῦσθε — “be transformed” (Romans 12:2) Christian urged to be transformed.

  • μεταμορφούμεθα — “we are being transformed” (2 Corinthians 3:18) Christian's change is so described.

So the same verb used for Jesus’ physical change (transfiguration) is also used for a Christian's spiritual transformation.

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Word structure

  • μετά = “after, beyond, change”

  • μορφή = “form, shape” Together: a change of form — the root of our English word metamorphosis.

Greek word for "transfiguration"

The Greek word translated “transfiguration” is μεταμορφόω (metamorphoō). This is the verb used in Matthew 17:2 and Mark 9:2 to describe Jesus being “transfigured” before the disciples.

Core meaning

μεταμορφόω means:

  • to change into another form

  • to transform

  • to transfigure

It describes a visible, outward change—a transformation in appearance, not merely an internal shift. In the Transfiguration, it refers to Jesus’ appearance becoming radiant with divine glory.

---GW

The following is from Mickelson's Enhanced Strong's Dictionaries of the Greek and Hebrew Testaments:
G3339 metamorphoo (me-ta-mor-fo'-o) v.
1. to metamorphose, transmute (i.e. transform the fundamental nature of).
2. (Note #1) Jesus is the Word of God by His fundamental nature. He is the Creator, Yahweh of Hosts, and the Solid Rock of Salvation.
3. (Note #2) Jesus willingly emptied himself and took hold of the fundamental nature of a slave, specifically, a man of clay through the seed of a woman, from the seed of David, from the seed of Abraham.
4. (Note #3) Jesus is the seed of that three-fold promise.
5. (Note #4) Jesus is birthed both from the seed of a woman and from the seed of God our Father. “Today, I have begotten. Today, you have become my Son.”
6. (Note #5) The Word of God fully took hold of and embodied that fundamental nature of clay man, being conceived by the Holy Spirit and undergoing a temporal metamorphosis to become like us that he may kinsman-redeem us to himself, owing it to his brothers to participate and belong to the common fellowship of flesh and blood that he may be a merciful and trustworthy high priest.
7. (Note #6) The Word became flesh and encamped among us.
8. (Note #7) An individual man of clay that is redeemed through trust in Jesus is even now being metamorphosed into the same likeness of Jesus exactly as from Yahweh's Spirit.
9. (Note #8) Metamorphosis is a process with an initiation, a transmutation, and a completion (the unveiling, so to speak).
10. (Note #9) As Jesus emptied himself for service to the Father and to men of clay, we also are to purge ourselves of the old leaven in order that we may be a fresh new lump of dough as we truly are: unleavened and alive in the Anointed-One, our Passover sacrifice.
{literally or figuratively} [from G3326 and G3445]

KJV: change, transfigure, transform

G3326 meta (me-ta') prep.
1. (properly) with (denoting accompaniment).
2. among, “amid” (local or causal).
3. (of sequence or time) after (i.e. after an event concluding, upon or with conclusion).
4. (of war) against (or with an enemy).
5. (note) “mercy with him/her” is more relationally involved than “mercy upon him/her” (see Luke 1:58, Luke 1:72, Luke 10:37, 2 John 1:3).
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