And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”
NMVAnd they asked him, saying, Why say the Torah-teachers (Scribes) that Eliyahu [my God is Yehovah] must first come?
OJBAnd they were questioning him, saying, Why is it that the Sofrim (Scribes) say it is necessary for Eliyahu Hanavi to come rishonah (first)?
RVAnd they asked him, saying, The scribes say that Elijah must first come.
TCENTThen they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
T4TThe three disciples had just seen Elijah, but Elijah had not done anything to prepare people to accept Jesus. So they asked Jesus, “The men who teach the Jewish laws say that Elijah must come back to the earth before the Messiah comes to earth. But you have been here a long time and Elijah came just today. So is what they are teaching wrong?”