Matthew 16:13–18

Peter’s Confession

16:13 When15 Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi,16 he asked his disciples,17 “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 16:14 They answered, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,18 and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 16:15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16:16 Simon Peter answered,19 “You are the Christ,20 the Son of the living God.” 16:17 And Jesus answered him,21 “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood22 did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven! 16:18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades23 will not overpower it.

15	tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
16	map For location see Map1-C1; Map2-F4.
17	tn Grk “he asked his disciples, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant and has been left untranslated.
18	sn The appearance of Elijah would mean that the end time had come. According to 2 Kgs 2:11, Elijah was still alive. In Mal 4:5 it is said that Elijah would be the precursor of Messiah.
19	tn Grk “And answering, Simon Peter said.”
20	tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
21	tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to him.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokritheis) is redundant, but the syntax of this phrase has been modified for clarity.
22	tn The expression “flesh and blood” could refer to “any human being” (so TEV, NLT; cf. NIV “man”), but it could also refer to Peter himself (i.e., his own intuition; cf. CEV “You didn’t discover this on your own”). Because of the ambiguity of the referent, the phrase “flesh and blood” has been retained in the translation.
23	tn Or “and the power of death” (taking the reference to the gates of Hades as a metonymy). sn In the OT, Hades was known as Sheol. It is the place where the unrighteous will reside (Matt 11:23; Luke 16:23; Rev 20:13–14). Some translations render this by its modern equivalent, “hell”; others see it as a reference to the power of death.