Luke 9:29
New International Version
As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.

New Living Translation
And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white.

English Standard Version
And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white.

Berean Standard Bible
And as He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became radiantly white.

Berean Literal Bible
And it came to pass in His praying, the appearance of His face was altered, and His clothing became dazzling white.

King James Bible
And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

New King James Version
As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.

New American Standard Bible
And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming.

NASB 1995
And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming.

NASB 1977
And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming.

Legacy Standard Bible
And it happened that while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming.

Amplified Bible
As He was praying, the appearance of His face became different [actually transformed], and His clothing became white and flashing with the brilliance of lightning.

Christian Standard Bible
As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
As He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became dazzling white.

American Standard Version
And as he was praying, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became white and dazzling.

Contemporary English Version
While he was praying, his face changed, and his clothes became shining white.

English Revised Version
And as he was praying, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became white and dazzling.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
While Jesus was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white.

Good News Translation
While he was praying, his face changed its appearance, and his clothes became dazzling white.

International Standard Version
While he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes turned dazzling white.

Majority Standard Bible
And as He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became radiantly white.

NET Bible
As he was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became very bright, a brilliant white.

New Heart English Bible
As he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became white and dazzling.

Webster's Bible Translation
And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistening.

Weymouth New Testament
And while He was praying the appearance of His face underwent a change, and His clothing became white and radiant.

World English Bible
As he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became white and dazzling.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and it came to pass, in His praying, the appearance of His face became altered, and His clothing became flashing white.

Berean Literal Bible
And it came to pass in His praying, the appearance of His face was altered, and His clothing became dazzling white.

Young's Literal Translation
and it came to pass, in his praying, the appearance of his face became altered, and his garment white -- sparkling.

Smith's Literal Translation
And it was in his praying, the look of his face was another, and his clothing white, shooting forth lightning.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And whilst he prayed, the shape of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became white and glittering.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And while he was praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his vestment became white and shining.

New American Bible
While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white.

New Revised Standard Version
And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And while he prayed, the appearance of his face was changed, and his clothes became white and dazzling.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And as he prayed, the appearance of his face was transfigured and his garments became white and they were shining.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And as he prayed, the appearance of his face was changed, and his raiment became white and glittering.

Godbey New Testament
And it came to pass while He was praying, the appearance of His countenance was changed, and His raiment shining white.

Haweis New Testament
And it came to pass, as he was at prayer, that the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his raiment white and refulgent.

Mace New Testament
as he was praying, the appearance of his countenance was quite chang'd, and his raiment was of a splendid white:

Weymouth New Testament
And while He was praying the appearance of His face underwent a change, and His clothing became white and radiant.

Worrell New Testament
And it came to pass, as He was praying, that the appearance of His countenance was altered, and His raiment became white and dazzling.

Worsley New Testament
And as He was praying the form of his countenance was altered, and his raiment white and glistering:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Transfiguration
28About eight days after Jesus had said these things, He took with Him Peter, John, and James, and went up on a mountain to pray. 29And as He was praying, the appearance of His face changed, and His clothes became radiantly white. 30Suddenly two men, Moses and Elijah, began talking with Jesus.…

Cross References
Matthew 17:2
There He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.

Mark 9:2-3
After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There He was transfigured before them. / His clothes became radiantly white, brighter than any launderer on earth could bleach them.

Exodus 34:29-35
And when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was unaware that his face had become radiant from speaking with the LORD. / Aaron and all the Israelites looked at Moses, and behold, his face was radiant. And they were afraid to approach him. / But Moses called out to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke to them. ...

2 Corinthians 3:7-18
Now if the ministry of death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at the face of Moses because of its fleeting glory, / will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? / For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry of righteousness! ...

Daniel 10:6
His body was like beryl, his face like the brilliance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of polished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.

Revelation 1:14-16
The hair of His head was white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were like a blazing fire. / His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters. / He held in His right hand seven stars, and a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.

Matthew 28:3
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.

Acts 6:15
All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

2 Peter 1:16-18
For we did not follow cleverly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. / For He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” / And we ourselves heard this voice from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

Exodus 24:15-18
When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, / and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered it, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. / And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountaintop in the eyes of the Israelites. ...

Isaiah 60:1
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.

Psalm 104:2
He wraps Himself in light as with a garment; He stretches out the heavens like a tent,

Malachi 4:2
“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and leap like calves from the stall.

John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Hebrews 1:3
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.


Treasury of Scripture

And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

Exodus 34:29-35
And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him…

Isaiah 33:17
Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.

Isaiah 53:2
For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

Jump to Previous
Altered Appearance Bright Change Changed Clothes Clothing Countenance Dazzling Different Face Fashion Flash Garment Gleaming Glistening Glistering Lightning Prayed Prayer Praying Radiant Raiment Sparkling Underwent White
Jump to Next
Altered Appearance Bright Change Changed Clothes Clothing Countenance Dazzling Different Face Fashion Flash Garment Gleaming Glistening Glistering Lightning Prayed Prayer Praying Radiant Raiment Sparkling Underwent White
Luke 9
1. Jesus sends his apostles to work miracles, and to preach.
7. Herod desires to see Jesus.
10. The apostles return.
12. Jesus feeds five thousand;
18. inquires what opinion the world had of him; foretells his passion;
23. proposes to all the pattern of his patience.
28. The transfiguration.
37. He heals the lunatic;
43. again forewarns his disciples of his passion;
46. commends humility;
51. bids them to show mildness toward all, without desire of revenge.
57. Many would follow him, but upon conditions.














As He was praying
This phrase highlights the importance of prayer in the life of Jesus. The Greek word for "praying" is "προσευχόμενος" (proseuchomenos), which indicates a continuous action. Jesus often withdrew to pray, demonstrating His dependence on the Father and setting an example for believers. Prayer is a vital spiritual discipline, a means of communion with God, and a source of strength and guidance. In the context of Luke 9, Jesus is about to be transfigured, and His prayerful state underscores the divine nature of the event.

the appearance of His face
The transformation of Jesus' face signifies a profound change, reflecting His divine glory. The Greek word for "appearance" is "εἶδος" (eidos), which can mean form or outward appearance. This transformation is reminiscent of Moses' face shining after encountering God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:29-35), yet it surpasses it, as Jesus is the Son of God. This change in appearance serves as a revelation of His divine identity to the disciples, affirming His messianic mission.

was altered
The Greek word used here is "ἕτερον" (heteron), meaning different or other. This alteration is not merely a change in expression but a transformation into a glorified state. It signifies the breaking through of Jesus' divine nature, offering a glimpse of His heavenly glory. This moment foreshadows the resurrection and the ultimate glorification of Christ, providing hope and assurance of the future transformation awaiting believers.

and His clothes
The mention of Jesus' clothes emphasizes the totality of the transformation. In biblical times, clothing often symbolized one's status or role. The transformation of His garments signifies the holiness and purity of Christ. It also reflects the heavenly reality, as described in Revelation 7:9, where the saints are clothed in white robes. This transformation of clothing underscores the divine nature of the event and the purity of Jesus.

became radiantly white
The Greek word for "radiantly" is "ἐξαστράπτων" (exastraptōn), meaning to flash like lightning. This description conveys the brilliance and intensity of the transformation. The whiteness of His clothes symbolizes purity, holiness, and divine glory. This imagery is consistent with other biblical descriptions of heavenly beings and the glorified Christ (Revelation 1:14). The radiance serves as a visual representation of Jesus' divine nature and the glory of God shining through Him.

(29) And as he prayed.--We again note, as characteristic of St. Luke, the stress laid upon our Lord's prayers here, as before in Luke 3:21; Luke 5:16; Luke 6:12.

The fashion of his countenance was altered.--It is, perhaps, noticeable that the Evangelist who had the most classical culture avoids the use of the classical word "transfigured" or "metamorphosed," employed by the others. For him that word might have seemed too suggestive of the "metamorphoses" which the great work of Ovid had connected with the legends of Greek mythology.

Verse 29. - And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, etc. The marvellous change evidently passed over Jesus while he was in prayer, probably because of his intense prayer. Real, close communion with God ever imparts to the countenance of the one who has thus entered into communion with the High and Holy One, a new and strange beauty. Very many have noticed at times this peculiar and lovely change pass over the faces of God's true saints as they prayed - faces perhaps old and withered, grey with years and wrinkled with care. A yet higher degree of transfiguration through communion with God is recorded in the case of Moses, whose face, after he had been with his God-Friend on the mount, shone with so bright a glory that mortal eye could not bear to gaze on it until the radiance began to fade away. A similar change is recorded to have taken place in the case of Stephen when he pleaded his Divine Master's cause in the Sanhedrin hall at Jerusalem with such rapt eloquence that to the by-standers his face then, we read, "was as the face of an angel." Stephen told his audience later on, in the course of that earnest and impassioned pleading, that to him the very heavens were opened, and that his eyes were positively gazing on the beatific vision. Yet a step higher still was this transfiguration of our Lord. St. Luke tells us simply that, "as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered." St. Matthew tells us how it was altered when he writes that "his countenance shone as the sun." And his raiment was white and glistering; literally, lightening forth, as if from some inward source of glorious light. The earthly robes were so beautified by contact with this Divine light that human language is exhausted by the evangelists to find terms and metaphors to picture them. St. Matthew compares these garments of the Blessed One to light; St. Mark, to the snow; St. Luke, to the flashing lightning.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
And
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

as
ἐγένετο (egeneto)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1096: A prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be, i.e. to become, used with great latitude.

He
αὐτὸν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

was praying,
προσεύχεσθαι (proseuchesthai)
Verb - Present Infinitive Middle or Passive
Strong's 4336: To pray, pray for, offer prayer. From pros and euchomai; to pray to God, i.e. Supplicate, worship.

the
τὸ (to)
Article - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

appearance
εἶδος (eidos)
Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 1491: Visible form, shape, appearance, outward show, kind, species, class. From eido; a view, i.e. Form.

of
τοῦ (tou)
Article - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

His
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

face
προσώπου (prosōpou)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 4383: From pros and ops; the front, i.e. The countenance, aspect, appearance, surface; by implication, presence, person.

changed,
ἕτερον (heteron)
Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singular
Strong's 2087: (a) of two: another, a second, (b) other, different, (c) one's neighbor. Of uncertain affinity; other or different.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

His
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

clothes
ἱματισμὸς (himatismos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2441: A collective word: raiment, clothing. From himatizo; clothing.

became radiantly
ἐξαστράπτων (exastraptōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1823: To flash forth like lightning, gleam, be radiant. From ek and astrapto; to lighten forth, i.e. to be radiant.

white.
λευκὸς (leukos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3022: White, bright, brilliant. From luke; white.


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Luke 9:28
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