And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?

And they asked him, saying, How is it that the scribes say that Elijah must first come?

And they asked him, saying: Why then do the Pharisees and scribes say that Elias must come first?

And they asked him, saying, The scribes say that Elijah must first come.

And they were questioning him, saying, that the scribes say that Elijah it behoveth to come first.

And they put a question to him, saying, Why do the scribes say that Elijah has to come first?

And they questioned him, saying: "Then why do the Pharisees and the scribes say that Elijah must arrive first?"

"How is it," they asked Jesus, "that our teachers of the Law say that Elijah has to come first?"

Why say the scribes - See the notes at Matthew 17:10-13.

(3) And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?
(3) The foolish opinion of the rabbis concerning Elias' coming is refuted here, which was that either Elias should rise again from the dead, or that his soul would enter into some other body.

And they asked him, saying,.... Being put in mind of it, by seeing Elias on the mount, or else by what Christ had said concerning his resurrection, or both:
why say the Scribes, the Vulgate Latin adds, "and Pharisees",
that Elias must first come? before the Messiah comes, or before the setting up his kingdom in greater glory; See Gill on Matthew 17:10.