The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”
OJBAnd Moshiachʼs talmidim asked him, saying, Why then do the Sofrim say that it is necessary for Eliyahu HaNavi to come first?
TCENTThen his disciples asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
T4TThose three disciples had just seen Elijah and he did not do anything to prepare people for the coming of the Messiah, so they asked Jesus, “If what you say is true, why do the men who teach the Jewish laws say that it is necessary for Elijah to come back to earth before the Messiah comes?”