Matthew / Chapter 16

Matthew 16

28 verses • SBL Greek New Testament 2 traditions available

Translator's Introduction

What This Chapter Is About

Matthew 16 opens with the Pharisees and Sadducees testing Jesus by demanding a sign from heaven. Jesus refuses, offering only 'the sign of Jonah,' and warns the disciples about the 'leaven' of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The chapter reaches its climax at Caesarea Philippi, where Peter confesses Jesus as 'the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Jesus responds with the famous declaration about building his church on 'this rock' and giving Peter the 'keys of the kingdom of heaven.' Immediately after this high point, Jesus makes his first explicit prediction of his suffering, death, and resurrection — and when Peter objects, Jesus rebukes him with the stunning words, 'Get behind me, Satan.' The chapter concludes with the cost of discipleship: 'Whoever wants to save his life will lose it.'

What Makes This Chapter Remarkable

Caesarea Philippi was a deliberately chosen setting — a Gentile city at the foot of a cliff face with a cave shrine to Pan, near temples to Augustus Caesar. Against this backdrop of pagan worship and imperial power, Peter's confession that Jesus is 'the Christ, the Son of the living God' is a political and theological declaration. The rapid reversal from Peter as recipient of divine revelation (v. 17) to Peter as mouthpiece of Satan (v. 23) is one of the most dramatic character moments in the Gospels. The 'keys' saying and the 'binding and loosing' language have generated centuries of ecclesiastical debate between traditions claiming Petrine authority and those reading the passage differently.

Translation Friction

The identity of 'this rock' (v. 18) — whether it refers to Peter himself, his confession, or Christ — is one of the most debated questions in New Testament interpretation. We translate the Greek without resolving the ambiguity. The wordplay between Petros (Peter's name) and petra (rock) is evident in Greek but involves a grammatical gender shift. 'Gates of Hades' (v. 18) is rendered literally; it refers to the power of death, not to a geographic location. Jesus's command to silence about his messiahship (v. 20) reflects what scholars call the 'messianic secret.'

Connections

The sign of Jonah connects to Jonah 1:17 and Matthew 12:39-40. Peter's confession echoes Psalm 2:7 and 2 Samuel 7:14 (Davidic sonship). The 'keys' imagery draws on Isaiah 22:22 (the key of the house of David given to Eliakim). 'Binding and loosing' was rabbinic language for authoritative legal rulings. The first passion prediction introduces the pattern of prediction-misunderstanding-teaching that structures chapters 16-20. The cross-bearing language (v. 24) anticipates the crucifixion narrative of chapters 26-27. **Tradition comparisons:** The Latin Vulgate shaped Western theology here: Tu es Petrus et super hanc petram is the foundational text for papal authority in Catholic theology. The Latin preserves the Greek wordplay (Petros/petra) perfectly (Petrus/petram), supporting the ide... See the [Vulgate Matthew](/vulgate/matthew). The JST modifies this chapter (Matthew 16:25): 'Save his life' / 'lose his life' paradox clarified with qualifier about the soul See the [JST notes](/jst/matthew).

Matthew 16:1

Καὶ προσελθόντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοι καὶ Σαδδουκαῖοι πειράζοντες ἐπηρώτησαν αὐτὸν σημεῖον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐπιδεῖξαι αὐτοῖς.

The Pharisees and Sadducees came and tested Jesus by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.

KJV The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The unusual alliance of Pharisees and Sadducees — normally theological opponents — united against Jesus signals the depth of opposition. The participle peirazontes ('testing') indicates hostile intent, not genuine inquiry. The phrase 'sign from heaven' (semeion ek tou ouranou) demands a cosmic spectacle beyond earthly miracles, implying their dissatisfaction with the healings and feedings they already knew about.
Matthew 16:2

ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· [Ὀψίας γενομένης λέγετε· Εὐδία, πυρράζει γὰρ ὁ οὐρανός·

He answered them, "When evening comes you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.'

KJV He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Verses 2b-3 are enclosed in brackets in the SBLGNT, indicating textual uncertainty — they are absent from important early manuscripts including Sinaiticus and Vaticanus. However, they are widely attested in other traditions. We include the text following the SBLGNT's bracketed reading. The weather proverb about red sky at evening is a folk observation still proverbial today.
Matthew 16:3

καὶ πρωΐ· Σήμερον χειμών, πυρράζει γὰρ στυγνάζων ὁ οὐρανός. τὸ μὲν πρόσωπον τοῦ οὐρανοῦ γινώσκετε διακρίνειν, τὰ δὲ σημεῖα τῶν καιρῶν οὐ δύνασθε.]

And in the morning, 'There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to read the appearance of the sky, but you cannot read the signs of the times."

KJV And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

καιρός kairos
"times" — appointed time, season, decisive moment, opportunity

Kairos in eschatological contexts refers to the critical turning point in God's redemptive plan. The Pharisees and Sadducees stand at the decisive moment of Israel's history and cannot recognize it.

Translator Notes

  1. The contrast is devastating: they can interpret weather patterns but are blind to the eschatological moment (ta semeia ton kairon, 'the signs of the times'). The word kairos ('appointed time, season') differs from chronos ('chronological time') — it refers to the decisive moment in God's plan. The SBLGNT does not include 'hypocrites' (hypokritai), which appears in some manuscripts and the KJV tradition.
Matthew 16:4

Γενεὰ πονηρὰ καὶ μοιχαλὶς σημεῖον ἐπιζητεῖ, καὶ σημεῖον οὐ δοθήσεται αὐτῇ εἰ μὴ τὸ σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ. καὶ καταλιπὼν αὐτοὺς ἀπῆλθεν.

An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah." Then he left them and went away.

KJV A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase 'adulterous generation' (genea moichalis) uses the Old Testament prophetic metaphor of Israel as an unfaithful spouse (Hosea 1-3, Ezekiel 16). Their sign-seeking is spiritual infidelity. The 'sign of Jonah' was explained in 12:40 as the Son of Man's three days in the earth, pointing to death and resurrection. Jesus's abrupt departure (katalipan autous apeelthen) is a dramatic rejection of their demand.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Hosea 1-3. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
  3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Ezekiel 16. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
Matthew 16:5

Καὶ ἐλθόντες οἱ μαθηταὶ εἰς τὸ πέραν ἐπελάθοντο ἄρτους λαβεῖν.

When the disciples reached the other side, they had forgotten to bring bread.

KJV And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The detail about forgetting bread sets up Jesus's teaching about 'leaven.' The irony is thick — they have just witnessed two miraculous feedings and are worried about bread supplies.
Matthew 16:6

ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ὁρᾶτε καὶ προσέχετε ἀπὸ τῆς ζύμης τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων.

Jesus said to them, "Watch out, and guard yourselves against the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

KJV Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The double imperative horate kai prosechete ('watch out and guard') indicates urgent warning. Leaven (zyme) in Jewish tradition often symbolizes corruption — a small amount permeates the whole batch (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8). Mark's parallel (8:15) includes 'the leaven of Herod' instead of the Sadducees.
Matthew 16:7

οἱ δὲ διελογίζοντο ἐν ἑαυτοῖς λέγοντες ὅτι Ἄρτους οὐκ ἐλάβομεν.

They discussed this among themselves, saying, "It is because we did not bring any bread."

KJV And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb dielogizonto ('they were reasoning, discussing') shows the disciples taking Jesus's metaphorical warning literally. Their fixation on physical bread after two miraculous feedings demonstrates the obtuseness that Jesus will address in the following verses.
Matthew 16:8

γνοὺς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν· Τί διαλογίζεσθε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, ὀλιγόπιστοι, ὅτι ἄρτους οὐκ ἔχετε;

Aware of this, Jesus said, "You of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread?

KJV Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The term oligopistoi ('you of little faith') is distinctive to Matthew (6:30, 8:26, 14:31, 16:8) and describes not the absence of faith but its inadequacy. The participle gnous ('having known, perceiving') suggests either supernatural knowledge or simply overhearing their conversation.
Matthew 16:9

οὔπω νοεῖτε, οὐδὲ μνημονεύετε τοὺς πέντε ἄρτους τῶν πεντακισχιλίων καὶ πόσους κοφίνους ἐλάβετε;

Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you collected?

KJV Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Jesus appeals to their own experience. The word kophinous ('baskets') specifies the smaller Jewish provision baskets used at the feeding of the five thousand (14:20), distinct from the larger spyridas of 15:37. The parallel structure of the questions builds a rhetorical case against their forgetfulness.
Matthew 16:10

οὐδὲ τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἄρτους τῶν τετρακισχιλίων καὶ πόσας σπυρίδας ἐλάβετε;

Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many large baskets you collected?

KJV Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The distinction between kophinous (v. 9, smaller baskets) and spyridas (larger baskets) is maintained precisely, confirming that Jesus and Matthew distinguish between the two feeding events. The rhetorical question expects the answer: 'We collected twelve baskets and seven baskets — so provision is obviously not the issue.'
Matthew 16:11

πῶς οὐ νοεῖτε ὅτι οὐ περὶ ἄρτων εἶπον ὑμῖν; προσέχετε δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς ζύμης τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων.

How do you not understand that I was not speaking to you about bread? Guard yourselves against the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

KJV How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The exasperated pos ou noeite ('how do you not understand') brings the rebuke to its peak. Jesus repeats the warning, now clarifying that 'leaven' is metaphorical. The disciples' confusion illustrates a recurring theme in Matthew: proximity to Jesus does not automatically produce comprehension.
Matthew 16:12

τότε συνῆκαν ὅτι οὐκ εἶπεν προσέχειν ἀπὸ τῆς ζύμης τῶν ἄρτων ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ τῆς διδαχῆς τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων.

Then they understood that he had not told them to guard against the leaven of bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

KJV Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Matthew, unlike Mark (8:21), resolves the disciples' confusion — they finally understand. The word didache ('teaching, doctrine') identifies the 'leaven' as the Pharisees' and Sadducees' interpretive tradition that, like yeast, invisibly permeates and corrupts. Mark 8:15 identifies the leaven as that of Herod rather than the Sadducees.
Matthew 16:13

Ἐλθὼν δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὰ μέρη Καισαρείας τῆς Φιλίππου ἠρώτα τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ λέγων· Τίνα λέγουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι εἶναι τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου;

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

KJV When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου huios tou anthropou
"Son of Man" — son of man, human being, the Son of Man (as a messianic/eschatological title)

Drawn from Daniel 7:13-14, where 'one like a son of man' receives everlasting dominion from the Ancient of Days. Jesus uses this title to combine authority with suffering in a way that no other messianic title could.

Translator Notes

  1. Caesarea Philippi (modern Banias) was located at the base of Mount Hermon, rebuilt by Philip the tetrarch and named for Caesar Augustus. It contained a grotto sacred to Pan and various pagan temples. The setting for the climactic identity question is deliberately Gentile. Jesus uses the third person 'Son of Man' (ton huion tou anthropou) — a title drawn from Daniel 7:13-14 that was his preferred self-designation.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Daniel 7:13-14 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.
Matthew 16:14

οἱ δὲ εἶπαν· Οἱ μὲν Ἰωάννην τὸν βαπτιστήν, ἄλλοι δὲ Ἠλίαν, ἕτεροι δὲ Ἰερεμίαν ἢ ἕνα τῶν προφητῶν.

They said, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

KJV And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The popular identifications are all prophetic figures, indicating that the crowds recognize Jesus as a prophet but not as the Messiah. The mention of Jeremiah is unique to Matthew — Jeremiah was the weeping prophet who predicted the destruction of the temple and the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34), themes central to Matthew's portrayal of Jesus. Elijah's appearance reflects Malachi 4:5's promise of Elijah's return before the day of the LORD.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Jeremiah 31:31-34. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
  3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Malachi 4:5. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
Matthew 16:15

λέγει αὐτοῖς· Ὑμεῖς δὲ τίνα με λέγετε εἶναι;

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"

KJV He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The emphatic pronoun hymeis ('you yourselves') draws a sharp contrast between public opinion and the disciples' own conviction. This is the hinge question of the entire Gospel — everything that follows depends on the answer. The present tense legete ('do you say') demands a current, personal declaration.
Matthew 16:16

ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ Σίμων Πέτρος εἶπεν· Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος.

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

KJV And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

Χριστός Christos
"Christ" — anointed one, Messiah, Christ

Peter's confession uses the definite article — not merely 'a christ' but 'the Christ,' the unique promised Messiah of Israel. This is the confession the entire Gospel has been building toward.

Translator Notes

  1. Peter's confession combines two titles: 'the Christ' (ho Christos, the Messiah/Anointed One) and 'the Son of the living God' (ho huios tou theou tou zontos). The latter goes beyond messianic expectation to assert a unique divine relationship. The qualifier 'living' (tou zontos) distinguishes the true God from the dead idols of the surrounding pagan temples at Caesarea Philippi — a pointed contrast in this setting. Matthew's version is fuller than Mark's simple 'You are the Christ' (Mark 8:29).
Matthew 16:17

ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Μακάριος εἶ, Σίμων Βαριωνᾶ, ὅτι σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα οὐκ ἀπεκάλυψέν σοι ἀλλ' ὁ πατήρ μου ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.

Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

KJV And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The patronymic Bariona ('son of Jonah') uses the Aramaic bar ('son') — one of the few Aramaic forms preserved in Matthew. 'Flesh and blood' (sarx kai haima) is a Semitic idiom for human beings in their natural capacity. The point is that Peter's confession came not from human reasoning but from divine revelation (apokalypsis). This makes Peter both uniquely blessed and uniquely responsible.
Matthew 16:18

κἀγὼ δέ σοι λέγω ὅτι σὺ εἶ Πέτρος, καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ οἰκοδομήσω μου τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατισχύσουσιν αὐτῆς.

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

KJV And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Notes & Key Terms 2 terms

Key Terms

ἐκκλησία ekklesia
"church" — assembly, congregation, church, called-out community

From ek ('out') + kaleo ('to call'). In the Septuagint, ekklesia translates the Hebrew qahal, the covenant assembly of Israel. Jesus claims he will build his own qahal — a bold assertion of divine authority.

πέτρα petra
"rock" — rock, bedrock, cliff, large stone

Distinct from petros (a stone or boulder), petra refers to bedrock or a massive rock formation. The cliff face at Caesarea Philippi may have provided a visual backdrop for the metaphor.

Translator Notes

  1. The wordplay between Petros (Peter's name, masculine) and petra ('rock,' feminine) is central but debated. In Aramaic, the underlying word kepha would be identical in both cases, making the connection tighter than in Greek. Whether 'this rock' refers to Peter, his confession, or Christ himself has been disputed since the patristic era. The Greek ekklesia ('assembly, church') appears in the Gospels only here and in 18:17 — it translates the Hebrew qahal, the assembly of God's people. 'Gates of Hades' (pylai hadou) refers to the power of death, not to a place of punishment. The image is of a fortress: death itself cannot breach the community Jesus builds.

Latin Vulgate (Jerome, 384 CE)

"You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church"

Tu es Petrus et super hanc petram is the foundational text for papal authority in Catholic theology. The Latin preserves the Greek wordplay (Petros/petra) perfectly (Petrus/petram), supporting the identification of Peter as the rock on which the Church is built. This verse is inscribed in gold letters around the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Ecclesiam (church/assembly) from Greek ekklēsia became the standard Western term for the Church.

Matthew 16:19

δώσω σοι τὰς κλεῖδας τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ ὃ ἐὰν δήσῃς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔσται δεδεμένον ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, καὶ ὃ ἐὰν λύσῃς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔσται λελυμένον ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

KJV And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The 'keys' (kleidas) image draws on Isaiah 22:22, where the key of the house of David is placed on the shoulder of Eliakim the steward — authority to open and shut, admit and exclude. 'Binding and loosing' (deo and lyo) was standard rabbinic terminology for declaring something forbidden or permitted. The authority given to Peter here is extended to the whole community in 18:18. The periphrastic future perfect construction (estai dedemenon, 'will have been bound') may indicate that earthly decisions ratify what heaven has already determined, rather than heaven following earth's lead.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Isaiah 22:22. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
Matthew 16:20

τότε διεστείλατο τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἵνα μηδενὶ εἴπωσιν ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός.

Then he strictly ordered the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

KJV Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb diesteilato ('he strictly ordered, charged') is emphatic. The command to secrecy about his messianic identity — the so-called 'messianic secret' — reflects Jesus's concern that the title 'Christ' carried political and military expectations he did not intend to fulfill. The immediately following passion prediction (v. 21) redefines what messiahship means.
Matthew 16:21

Ἀπὸ τότε ἤρξατο ὁ Ἰησοῦς δεικνύειν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ ὅτι δεῖ αὐτὸν εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἀπελθεῖν καὶ πολλὰ παθεῖν ἀπὸ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων καὶ ἀρχιερέων καὶ γραμματέων καὶ ἀποκτανθῆναι καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἐγερθῆναι.

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 on the third day be raised.

KJV From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The phrase apo tote ('from that time') marks a major structural transition in Matthew (cf. 4:17). The verb dei ('it is necessary, must') indicates divine necessity, not mere fate — this is God's plan. The triad 'elders, chief priests, and scribes' represents the three components of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. The passive egerthenai ('be raised') implies God as the agent of resurrection. This is the first of three passion predictions (16:21, 17:22-23, 20:17-19), each becoming progressively more detailed.
Matthew 16:22

καὶ προσλαβόμενος αὐτὸν ὁ Πέτρος ἤρξατο ἐπιτιμᾶν αὐτῷ λέγων· Ἵλεώς σοι, κύριε· οὐ μὴ ἔσται σοι τοῦτο.

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid, Lord! This must never happen to you."

KJV Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The verb proslabomenos ('took aside, drew to himself') suggests Peter pulled Jesus aside privately. The audacity of a disciple rebuking (epitiman) his teacher is remarkable. The phrase hileos soi is an idiomatic expression meaning 'may God be merciful to you' or 'God forbid' — a strong rejection of what Jesus has just said. Peter's confession of Jesus as Messiah (v. 16) has not yet accommodated a suffering Messiah.
Matthew 16:23

ὁ δὲ στραφεὶς εἶπεν τῷ Πέτρῳ· Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, Σατανᾶ· σκάνδαλον εἶ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι οὐ φρονεῖς τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀλλὰ τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων.

But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, for you are not thinking the things of God but the things of people."

KJV But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The address 'Satan' (Satana) does not identify Peter as literally the devil but recognizes that Peter's words echo the tempter's offer of glory without suffering (4:8-10). The word skandalon ('stumbling block, snare, offense') means something that causes someone to fall — Peter, who was just called the rock of the church, is now called a stumbling stone. The verb phroneis ('you are thinking, you are minded') indicates that Peter's entire orientation is wrong — he is operating from a human framework, not a divine one.
Matthew 16:24

Τότε ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ· Εἴ τις θέλει ὀπίσω μου ἐλθεῖν, ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθείτω μοι.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

KJV Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

σταυρός stauros
"cross" — cross, stake, instrument of crucifixion

Before the crucifixion of Jesus, the cross carried no religious symbolism — it was purely an instrument of Roman torture and execution. To 'take up one's cross' meant to accept the path toward death. The metaphor would have been shocking to the original hearers.

Translator Notes

  1. The three imperatives — deny (aparnesastho), take up (arato), and follow (akoloutheito) — form a sequence of escalating commitment. 'Deny himself' (aparnesastho heauton) means to renounce one's own claims, rights, and self-interest. The cross (stauros) was an instrument of Roman execution — for Jesus's original audience, this was not a metaphor for mild inconvenience but for lethal suffering and public shame. The present imperative akoloutheitho ('keep following') indicates continuous, ongoing discipleship.
Matthew 16:25

ὃς γὰρ ἐὰν θέλῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ σῶσαι ἀπολέσει αὐτήν· ὃς δ' ἂν ἀπολέσῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ εὑρήσει αὐτήν.

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

KJV For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Notes & Key Terms 1 term

Key Terms

ψυχή psyche
"life" — soul, life, self, breath, being, person

The Greek psyche corresponds to the Hebrew nephesh. It encompasses the whole person — physical life, inner self, and identity. The double meaning is essential to the paradox: 'save your life/self' and 'lose your life/self' operate on multiple levels simultaneously.

Translator Notes

  1. The word psyche means both 'life' and 'soul' — the ambiguity is intentional. On one level, clinging to physical survival leads to spiritual death; on another, grasping at self-preservation in any form leads to ultimate loss. The paradox is sharpened by the phrase 'for my sake' (heneken emou) — Jesus makes himself the criterion that determines whether loss becomes gain.

Joseph Smith Translation (Footnotes)ethical

'Save his life' / 'lose his life' paradox clarified with qualifier about the soul

The JST footnote adds precision to the famous paradox of losing and finding life, likely specifying what kind of life is meant in each instance (temporal vs. eternal) to prevent misreading the discipleship cost as mere physical danger.

Matthew 16:26

τί γὰρ ὠφεληθήσεται ἄνθρωπος ἐὰν τὸν κόσμον ὅλον κερδήσῃ τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ζημιωθῇ; ἢ τί δώσει ἄνθρωπος ἀντάλλαγμα τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ;

For what will it profit a person to gain the whole world but forfeit his soul? Or what will a person give in exchange for his soul?

KJV For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. Here psyche is rendered 'soul' rather than 'life' because the context shifts to eternal valuation — what is the self ultimately worth? The verb zemiothee ('to suffer loss, to forfeit') is a commercial term: it frames the soul as an asset that can be lost in a transaction. The word antallagma ('exchange price, ransom') asks what could possibly serve as currency to buy back a forfeited soul. The answer is: nothing. The whole world is insufficient.

Joseph Smith Translation (Footnotes)ethical

Profit-the-whole-world-and-lose-soul saying clarified

Complements the v. 25 footnote. The JST revises the rhetorical question 'what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?' to sharpen the soul-world exchange language.

Matthew 16:27

μέλλει γὰρ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἔρχεσθαι ἐν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ, καὶ τότε ἀποδώσει ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν αὐτοῦ.

For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will repay each person according to what they have done.

KJV For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The Son of Man who has just predicted his suffering and death now claims future glory, angelic retinue, and judicial authority. The phrase 'in the glory of his Father' (en tee doxe tou patros autou) claims a share in the Father's own divine splendor. The language of repaying 'according to their deeds' (kata teen praxin autou) echoes Psalm 62:12 and Proverbs 24:12. The combination of suffering-then-glory is the pattern Jesus has been establishing since verse 21.
  2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Psalm 62:12. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.
  3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Proverbs 24:12. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.
Matthew 16:28

ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι εἰσίν τινες τῶν ὧδε ἑστώτων οἵτινες οὐ μὴ γεύσωνται θανάτου ἕως ἂν ἴδωσιν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενον ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ.

Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

KJV Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.

Notes & Key Terms

Translator Notes

  1. The solemn amen lego hymin ('truly I tell you') introduces a saying that has challenged interpreters for centuries. 'Taste death' (geusontai thanatou) is a Semitic idiom for experiencing death. What event Jesus refers to is debated: the Transfiguration (which immediately follows in chapter 17), the resurrection, Pentecost, the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, or the ongoing expansion of God's kingdom. The placement immediately before the Transfiguration narrative suggests Matthew understood at least a partial fulfillment in that event.
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