Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Mark 9:12

"And he said unto them, Elijah indeed cometh first, and restoreth all things: and how is it written of the Son of man, that he should suffer many things and be set at nought?" — Mark 9:12 (ASV)

Jesus’ answer is that the teachers of the law were right about Elijah, but that it did not preclude the suffering of the Son of Man. The Scriptures, Jesus said, predict it (probably a reference to Isa 52:13–53:12).