Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 17:7

"And Jesus came and touched them and said, Arise, and be not afraid." — Matthew 17:7 (ASV)

Jesus came and touched them—Both His action and His words expressed an almost brotherly tenderness. The touch of the hand they had so often grasped (for example, in Matthew 14:31) and the familiar words that had brought courage to their fainting hearts in the hour of danger (Matthew 14:27), recalled them to the realities of life. They did not need to fear the glory of the divine Presence, for He was still with them as its most perfect manifestation.