When they came to the other disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and the scribes arguing with them.
After coming down from the glory of the mountain, they encounter an entirely different scene. Above there was light and peace, but here there is a crowd and an argument. The scribes were disputing with the disciples, and this scene shows how quickly the human environment is filled with opposition. Where there is no peace, a battle of words arises. This verse reveals the instability of the human environment, which stands in contrast to the divine peace revealed above.