NOTES for Mat 17:5

This direct testimony of the Heavenly Father on Jesus Christ contains difficult words to comprehension and translation “en o eudokesa”. English Translation “in whom I am well pleased” is far from the perfect translation. The closest to the Greek original translation is also not perfect. Not much better than the Latin “in Quo Mihi bene conplacui” (“in Whom I have found contentment”), which is closer to European translations. Apparently, no translation gives the meaning of the word Omnipotent with sufficient intelligibility.

So, what God wants to tell the disciples of Christ about Jesus before ordering them to listen to Him? Each variant of the translation offers its own shades. Western translations imply that the Son is the only one who obeys the will of the Father, who observes, “His commandment,” as Jesus Himself says in the Gospel of John. This is important because only with Him we can bring to pass the commandment of the Father.

The English translation implies that the grace of the Father is given to the world and us in Jesus Christ and only in Him. Father’s love is expressed in the fact that He gives Him to us, as Jesus Himself says, in the Gospel of John again. But besides that, English translation also implies words which come to the foreground with special brightness: “This is My beloved, Whom I love,” or, in other words, “This is My Son, My Love”. It is important here that the very love of the Father dwells in the Son and from Him it comes to us. Venerable John Damascene calls Christ “hypostatic love” – using this technique, after Damascus we can call Him “hypostatic Love”. And then you can try to refer this verse with the following words: “This is my beloved Son, My Love – listen to Him [and obey]”.