What does Matthew 17:1 mean?

In the previous verse, the end of chapter 16, Matthew reported Jesus' prediction: that some of those present with Him would not die before seeing Jesus coming in His kingdom. Most commentators believe that the transfiguration of Jesus described in this passage is the fulfillment of that prediction. The event depicted here took place six days after Jesus said those words. Mark's telling of this story also mentions the six-day gap (Mark 9:2). Luke describes it using a Greek expression that means "about a week later."

Some scholars believe the six-day interval to be significant and symbolic, perhaps connected to the length of time the glory of God rested on Mount Sinai when God spoke to Moses from a cloud in Exodus 24:16. The six days may also have included some travel time to this location. Jesus and the disciples had been in the district of Caesarea Philippi, 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 16:13).

Most of the locations referred to as "mounts" or "mountains" in the Bible are what some cultures would call "tall hills." Jesus was not in the habit of rock-climbing when He taught (Matthew 5:1). However, some locations around Jerusalem are "mountains" according to almost any definition. Scholars offer several options for where this might have taken place on. A common suggestion is Mount Hermon, since Caesarea Philippi sits at its base. That peak of that mountain range is more than 2,800 meters, or 9,000 feet, above sea level. Another option is Mount Miron, less than half that height, between Caesarea Philippi and Capernaum, where the group next arrives (Matthew 17:24).

Whatever the location, Jesus selects only three of the disciples to climb this "high mountain" with Him. Peter, James, and John were Jesus' inner circle of disciples within the larger group of the Twelve (Matthew 10:1–4).