Matthew 16: Peter says who Jesus is, and Jesus speaks of his death
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Greek. How to read a study
What happens?
The Pharisees and Sadducees ask Jesus for a sign, and he answers them and then warns his disciples about the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees, which the disciples first take to mean bread. At Caesarea Philippi Peter says Jesus is the Christ, Jesus calls him Peter and speaks of building his assembly and of keys, and then tells the disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, be killed and be raised. Peter rebukes him and is rebuked in turn, and Jesus speaks to all the disciples about taking up a cross, losing and finding life, and the coming of the Son of Man.
Who is speaking?
No verse is in gold. The narrator tells the story. Jesus speaks in most of the chapter: to the Pharisees and Sadducees in verses 2 to 4, to his disciples in verses 6, 8 to 11, 13, 15 and 24 to 28, and to Peter in verses 17 to 19 and 23. The disciples talk among themselves in verse 7 and answer him in verse 14. Peter speaks in verses 16 and 22. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven.
In plain English: The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus. To test him, they asked him to show them a sign from heaven (or: from the sky).
The Greek word: The Greek word for "heaven" is ouranos. It also means the sky above us, and Jesus uses the same word for "the sky" in verses 2 and 3.
How it is translated: In Matthew the word is in 74 verses. The World English Bible prints "heaven" or "heavens" in 66 of them and "sky" in 9.
What changes: Read as "a sign from heaven", the Pharisees and Sadducees ask for a sign that comes from God. Read as "a sign from the sky", they ask for something to appear in the sky. The text does not say which they meant.
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2But he answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’
In plain English: Jesus answered them, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, because the sky is red.'
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3In the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you can’t discern the signs of the times!
In plain English: In the morning you say, 'Bad weather today, because the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to read the look of the sky, but you cannot read the signs of the times!
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4An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there will be no sign given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” He left them and departed.
In plain English: An evil and adulterous generation (or: kind of people) keeps looking for a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." Then he left them and went away.
The Greek word: "Generation" is genea. The dictionary gives "a generation; by implication, an age (the period or the persons)".
How it is translated: It is in 10 verses of Matthew, and the World English Bible prints "generation" or "generations" in all 10.
What changes: Read as "generation", Jesus speaks of the people alive at that time. Read as "kind of people", he speaks of a sort of people that is not tied to one time. The plain line gives both.
Good to know: has nearly the same words, and says: "as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the huge fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Verse 4 here does not say what the sign of Jonah is.
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5The disciples came to the other side and had forgotten to take bread.
In plain English: The disciples came to the other side, and they had forgotten to take bread.
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6Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
In plain English: Jesus said to them, "Watch, and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
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7They reasoned among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.”
In plain English: They reasoned among themselves, saying, "We brought no bread."
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8Jesus, perceiving it, said, “Why do you reason among yourselves, you of little faith, because you have brought no bread?
In plain English: Jesus knew what they were saying, and he said, "You of little faith, why are you reasoning among yourselves that you have brought no bread?
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9Don’t you yet perceive or remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up,
In plain English: Do you still not understand, or remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up?
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10or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up?
In plain English: Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you took up?
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11How is it that you don’t perceive that I didn’t speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
In plain English: How is it that you do not understand that I was not speaking to you about bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
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12Then they understood that he didn’t tell them to beware of the yeast of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
In plain English: Then they understood that he had not told them to beware of the yeast in bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
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13Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
In plain English: Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi. He asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I, the Son of Man, am?"
The Greek words: "The Son of Man" is ho huios tou anthropou, word for word "the son of the man". In the Greek, both "me" and "the Son of Man" come after the word "say".
What changes: Read as "Who do people say that I am, the Son of Man?", Jesus asks about himself and uses the title for himself. Read as "Who do people say the Son of Man is?", he asks about the title. The plain line follows the World English Bible and the first reading.
Good to know: asks "Who do men say that I am?" and asks "Who do the multitudes say that I am?" Neither has "the Son of Man" in the question.
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14They said, “Some say John the Baptizer, some, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
In plain English: The disciples said, "Some say John the Baptizer, others say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
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15He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
In plain English: Jesus said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
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16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
In plain English: Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
The Greek word: "Christ" is christos. The dictionary gives "anointed, i.e. the Messiah". The word is in 17 verses of Matthew, and the World English Bible prints "Christ" in all 17.
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17Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
In plain English: Jesus answered him, "You are blessed (or: happy), Simon Bar Jonah, because no human being (literally: flesh and blood) has revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
Good to know: "Bar Jonah" means "son of Jonah" (the dictionary: "son of Jonas (or Jonah)"). has Jesus say to Simon, "You are Simon the son of Jonah."
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18I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
In plain English: And I also tell you that you are Peter (a name that means a piece of rock), and on this rock I will build my assembly (or: church), and the gates of Hades will not prevail against (or: overpower) it.
The Greek words: "Peter" is Petros, which the dictionary gives as "a (piece of) rock (larger than a stone); as a name, Petrus, an apostle". "Rock" is petra, "a (mass of) rock". They are two different words, close in sound and in meaning.
How it is translated: Petra is in 5 verses of Matthew, and the World English Bible prints "rock" in 4 of them; in the fifth () it prints "rocks". Petros is the name Peter, in 24 verses of Matthew. says Simon "is called Peter", and says Jesus told him, "You shall be called Cephas" (which is by interpretation, Peter).
What changes: Read "this rock" as Peter, and Jesus builds on the man he has just named. Read it as what Peter said in verse 16, and Jesus builds on that. The words "this rock" can point to either, and the text does not say which.
The Greek word: "Assembly" is ekklesia, "a calling out, i.e. a popular meeting". It is in only 2 verses of Matthew: this one and . The World English Bible prints "assembly" in both. In the whole New Testament it prints "assembly" or "assemblies" in 111 of the 112 verses that have the word, and "church" in none.
Good to know: "Hades" is hades, "unseen", the place of the departed. It is in 2 verses of Matthew ( and this one), and the World English Bible keeps the Greek word in both. The verse says only that its gates will not prevail against the assembly.
Church tradition: Some churches read "this rock" as Peter himself. Other churches read it as what Peter said in verse 16, or as Jesus. The text says: "you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly". It does not say what the rock is.
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19I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.”
In plain English: I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven."
The Greek words: "Bind" is deo, to tie or fasten, and "release" is lyo, to loosen. The verse does not say what is bound or released.
Church tradition: Some churches read the keys and the words "bind" and "release" as given to Peter alone, others as given to the leaders of the church, and others as given to the whole assembly. has the same words about binding and releasing, said to the disciples.
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20Then he commanded the disciples that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ.
In plain English: Then Jesus ordered the disciples to tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ.
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21From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raised up.
In plain English: From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.
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22Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This will never be done to you.”
In plain English: Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. Peter said, "Far be it from you, Lord! This will never happen to you."
The Greek word: "Far be it from you" is hileos. The dictionary gives "cheerful, i.e. propitious; God be gracious!, i.e. far be it". It is in 2 verses of the New Testament, this one and .
How it is translated: The World English Bible prints "far be it" here and not in Hebrews 8:12.
What changes: Read as "far be it", Peter says this must not happen to Jesus. Read as "God be gracious to you", he asks for God's mercy on Jesus. The text does not say which Peter meant.
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23But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men.”
In plain English: Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of people."
The Greek words: "Satan" is Satanas, "the accuser". "Stumbling block" is skandalon, which the dictionary gives as "a trap-stick (bent sapling), i.e. snare".
How it is translated: Satanas is in 3 verses of Matthew (, and this one), and the World English Bible prints "Satan" in all 3. Skandalon is in 3 verses, and the World English Bible prints "stumbling" in all 3: , this verse and .
Good to know: has Jesus say "Get behind me, Satan!" to Peter in the same way. In this verse Jesus says Peter is a stumbling block to him because Peter is not setting his mind on the things of God, but on the things of people.
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24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
In plain English: Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
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25For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it.
In plain English: Whoever wants to save his life (or: soul) will lose it, and whoever loses his life (or: soul) for my sake will find it.
The Greek word: "Life" is psyche. The dictionary gives "breath, i.e. (by implication) spirit". It is the word for a person's life, and also the word that is often given as "soul".
How it is translated: It is in 11 verses of Matthew. The World English Bible prints "life" in 6 of them, "soul" in 4, and "souls" in 1.
What changes: Read as "life", Jesus speaks of a person's own life: whoever tries to keep it loses it, and whoever loses it for him finds it. Read as "soul", he speaks of a person's soul. The plain lines in verses 25 and 26 give both, and the text does not say which he meant.
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26For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?
In plain English: What good will it do a person if he gains the whole world and loses his life (or: soul)? Or what will a person give in exchange for his life (or: soul)?
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27For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will give to everyone according to his deeds.
In plain English: The Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will give to each person according to his deeds.
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28Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste of death until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”
In plain English: Most certainly I tell you, some of those standing here will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom."
Good to know: The same saying is in , which ends "until they see God's Kingdom come with power", and in , which ends "until they see God's Kingdom". Matthew's ending is "until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom". The verse does not say when or how.
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