And was transfigured before them
Peter, James, and John, before whom he was metamorphosed, or
changed into another form; for not the substance of his body was
changed, nor even the shape of it altered, only it received a
more glorious form; that whereas before he appeared in the form
of a servant, and looked mean and despicable, now he appeared in
the form and majesty of God; or there was a divine glory; which
from his deity showed itself in a visible manner through his
flesh:
and his face did shine as the sun
it had still the same appearance of an human face, but had such a
dazzling glory upon it, as equalled the sun shining in its full
strength:
and his raiment was white as the light:
he did not put off his clothes, nor were the nature and
substance, and fashion of them changed; but such rays of glory
darted through his flesh, and through his clothes, as made them
as bright and shining, as the light of the sun at noon day. Mark
says, they became "exceeding white as snow, so as no fuller on
earth can white them". The Vulgate Latin reads, "as snow", here;
and so do the Ethiopic version, and Munster's Hebrew Gospel. Snow
has a peculiar whiteness in it, and is therefore made use of, to
express the glittering brightness of Christ's raiment; and the
fuller is mentioned, who by the Jews F1 is called (obwk) , and means one that whitens
wool, or raiment, and such an one is here designed: not that any
fuller makes garments of another colour white; for though this
may be done, it is not the work of fullers, but dyers: but
fullers, whatever colour garments are of, if sullied and spotted,
can restore them to their native colour; and if white, can bring
them to their former whiteness: now Christ's garments were as
white, yea, whiter, than any such men could possibly make
garments, that were white at first: what colour Christ's garments
were of before, is not certain; now they appeared white, to the
greatest degree of whiteness. Dr. Hammond F2 has a
conjecture, that in the phrase "on earth", reference is had to
the earth fullers make use of in cleaning, and which is called
"fullers' earth"; and that the words are to be rendered, "as no
fuller, by or with earth can white them"; but if this will not
bear, the sense is, that there is no fuller, nor ever was, or
ever will be upon earth, that can make raiment so white as
Christ's was.