Brilliance in the Verb: Morphology of the Transfiguration

καὶ μετεμορφώθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔλαμψε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος, τὰ δὲ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο λευκὰ ὡς τὸ φῶς. (Matthew 17:2)

And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white like the light.

Introduction: Three Verbs, One Glory

Matthew 17:2 describes the transfiguration of Jesus with a burst of vivid imagery. But underneath that glowing scene lies a triad of Greek verbs, each carefully chosen to convey supernatural transformation and divine glory. They are:

• μετεμορφώθη — aorist passive indicative, describing the transformation
• ἔλαμψε — aorist active indicative, describing the radiant shining
• ἐγένετο — aorist middle indicative, describing the becoming of brightness

Each verb is in the aorist tense, but each contributes differently to the theological portrait.

Grammatical Dissection of the Verbs

The Aorist as Flash Photography

All three verbs are in the aorist tense, emphasizing the completeness and punctiliar nature of the events:

• μετεμορφώθη – He was suddenly and decisively transfigured.
• ἔλαμψε – His face shone at once, like a flash of divine radiance.
• ἐγένετο – His garments became something they had not been before—whitened with divine glory.

Voice and Theological Implication

• Passive voice in μετεμορφώθη shows that the transformation is something Jesus underwent, not enacted himself. The Father, perhaps by implication, is the divine agent.
• Active voice in ἔλαμψε affirms that the shining radiated *from* Jesus—it wasn’t imposed but flowed out of his glorified self.
• Middle voice in ἐγένετο (from a deponent verb) reflects a reflexive or personal nature of change—it marks the moment his garments entered a transformed state.

Word Order and Emphasis

Greek emphasizes the sequence and dramatic climax:

1. First: transfiguration — the inward transformation
2. Then: facial brilliance — the visible radiant glory
3. Finally: garment transformation — the external effect reaching full expression

Each verb climaxes in growing revelation—from the soul, to the face, to the clothes. The sentence is structured to awe.

What the Verb Meant to Say

In Matthew 17:2, divine glory is told through tense, voice, and mood. The aorist gives flashpoint drama. The passive receives divine action. The active radiates divine presence. The middle captures internal change. Grammar becomes revelation—morphology mirrors majesty.