And they answered
That some said he was
John the Baptist;
which was the opinion of Herod, and others:
but some say Elias;
that is the "Tishbite", whom the Jews in general expected in
person before the coming of the Messiah and imagined that Jesus
was he:
and others one of the prophets;
as Jeremiah or Isaiah or some other. The Vulgate Latin reads, "as
one of the prophets"; and so Beza's ancient copy as in ( Mark 6:15 ) . All spake
highly and honourably of him: the people in common did not look
upon him as a mean person; they perceived by his doctrine and
more especially by his miracles that he was an extraordinary one:
the several persons which they differently took him to be and
make mention of were such as were of great repute; as John the
Baptist, who had lately, been among them and whom all held to be
a prophet, and indeed was more than a prophet; and Elias who was
so very zealous for the Lord of hosts and wrought many miracles
in his day; and whose coming the Jews were in expectation of to
usher in the Messiah; and none thought him less than one of the
prophets; and all agreed he was an uncommon man; even one raised
from the dead as he must be, if he was John the Baptist or Elias
or one of the old prophets; but they knew him not at least did
not confess him to be the Messiah; he not appearing as a temporal
prince, they were taught to believe he would be; (See Gill on
Matthew
16:14).