Matthew 16:13–17
Peter answers who Jesus is, and Jesus says where that answer came from
Study it word by word13Now when Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, he was asking his disciples, saying, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14And they said, “Some say John the Immerser, others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15He says to them, “But you, who do you say that I am?”
16And Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17And Jesus answered and said to him, “Happy are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
In its context
11How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you about bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
12Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
…
18And I 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.
19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven.”
Its words in the original
- ἘλθὼνElthōn· come, go
Come, arrive; go.
- ἸησοῦςIēsous· Jesus
Jesus, the Greek form of the Hebrew Yehoshua (Joshua), which means "YHWH saves". It is the name the angel told Joseph to give him (Matthew 1:21).
- μέρηmerē· part
Part; in the plural, region, district.
- ΚαισαρείαςKaisareias· Caesarea
Caesarea. "Caesarea Philippi" was a city at the foot of Mount Hermon; "Caesarea" alone is the port on the coast.
- ΦιλίππουPhilippou· Philip
Philip, the name of several men: one of the Twelve; Philip the evangelist (Acts 6:5; 8; 21:8); Philip the tetrarch, son of Herod (Luke 3:1); and the brother of Herod Antipas, Herodias' husband (Mark 6:17).
- ἠρώταērōta· ask
Ask a question; also request, ask for.
- μαθητὰςmathētas· disciple
Disciple: someone who learns from a teacher and follows him in order to live as he does.
- λέγωνlegōn· say
Say, speak; in the passive, "be called".
- ἄνθρωποιanthrōpoi· human being, man
Human being, person, man (without distinguishing male or female).
- εἶναιeinai· be
Be, exist.
- υἱὸνhuion· son, Son
Son. Also descendant: "son of David" means one of King David's family, and is a title of the promised Messiah.
- ἸωάννηνIōannēn· John
John. In the Gospels, John the Immerser (the Baptist) or John son of Zebedee, one of the Twelve.
- βαπτιστήνbaptistēn· Immerser
The Immerser: "the one who immerses", the title of John, who immersed in water those who changed their minds. Tradition calls him "the Baptist".
- ἄλλοιalloi· other, another
Other, another.
- ἨλίανĒlian· Elijah
Elijah, the prophet of Israel taken up to heaven (2 Kings 2); Malachi announced his return.
- ἕτεροιheteroi· other, another
Other, another, different.
- ἸερεμίανIeremian· Jeremiah
Jeremiah, the prophet of Judah in the time of the fall of Jerusalem.
- ἕναhena· one
One.
- προφητῶνprophētōn· prophet
Prophet: someone who speaks on God's behalf.
- ἀποκριθεὶςapokritheis· answer
Answer, reply; speak up.
- ΣίμωνSimōn· Simon
Simon: the name of several men in the New Testament. The most often named is Simon Peter; also Simon the Zealot, one of the Twelve; Simon, a brother of Jesus; Simon of Cyrene; Simon the leper; a Pharisee; the magician of Samaria; the tanner of Joppa; and the father of Judas Iscariot.
- ΠέτροςPetros· Peter
Peter, "rock": the name Jesus gave to Simon.
- χριστὸςchristos· Messiah
Messiah: literally "anointed", the king or envoy God consecrates with oil. It is a title, not a surname; in Hebrew, mashiach.
- θεοῦtheou· God, god
God. In the plural or in another sense, "gods".
- ζῶντοςzōntos· live
Live, be alive.
- ΜακάριοςMakarios· blessed, happy
Blessed: truly happy, in the condition God blesses. It is the "happy" or "blessed" of the Psalms.
- ΒαριωνᾶBariōna· Bar-Jonah
Bar-Jonah: Aramaic for "son of Jonah", the family name of Simon Peter.
- σὰρξsarx· flesh
Flesh: the body, and weak human nature; "flesh and blood", a human being with only human strength.
- αἷμαhaima· blood
Blood; also life poured out.
- ἀπεκάλυψένapekalypsen· reveal
Reveal, uncover what was hidden.
- πατήρpatēr· father, Father
Father; also ancestor.
- οὐρανοῖςouranois· heaven, sky
Heaven: the sky and, above all, the place of God. "The heavens" is sometimes a respectful way of saying "God".