Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options Listen to Matthew 16
Close NIV

Matthew 16
New International Version

The Demand for a Sign(A)

16 The Pharisees and Sadducees(B) came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.(C)

2 He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.[a](D) 4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.”(E) Jesus then left them and went away.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

5 When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6 “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”(F)

7 They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”

8 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith,(G) why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? 9 Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?(H) 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?(I) 11 How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.(J)

Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah(K)

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

14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;(L) others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”(M)

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”(N)

17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood,(O) but by my Father in heaven.(P) 18 And I tell you that you are Peter,[b](Q) and on this rock I will build my church,(R) and the gates of Hades[c] will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys(S) of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be[d] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be[e] loosed in heaven.”(T) 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone(U) that he was the Messiah.

Jesus Predicts His Death(V)

21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem(W) and suffer many things(X) at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,(Y) and that he must be killed(Z) and on the third day(AA) be raised to life.(AB)

22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!(AC) You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.(AD) 25 For whoever wants to save their life[f] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.(AE) 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man(AF) is going to come(AG) in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.(AH)

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

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 16:3 Some early manuscripts do not have When evening comes … of the times.
  2. Matthew 16:18 The Greek word for Peter means rock.
  3. Matthew 16:18 That is, the realm of the dead
  4. Matthew 16:19 Or will have been
  5. Matthew 16:19 Or will have been
  6. Matthew 16:25 The Greek word means either life or soul; also in verse 26.
Close NET

Matthew 16
New English Translation

The Demand for a Sign

16 Now when the Pharisees[a] and Sadducees[b] came to test Jesus,[c] they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.[d] 2 He[e] said, “When evening comes you say, ‘It will be fair weather, because the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, because the sky is red and darkening.’[f] You know how to judge correctly the appearance of the sky,[g] but you cannot evaluate the signs of the times. 4 A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” Then[h] he left them and went away.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees

5 When the disciples went to the other side, they forgot to take bread. 6 “Watch out,” Jesus said to them, “beware of the yeast of the Pharisees[i] and Sadducees.”[j] 7 So[k] they began to discuss this among themselves, saying, “It is because we brought no bread.” 8 When Jesus learned of this,[l] he said, “You who have such little faith! Why are you arguing[m] among yourselves about having no bread? 9 Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the 5,000, and how many baskets you took up? 10 Or the seven loaves for the 4,000 and how many baskets you took up? 11 How could you not understand that I was not speaking to you about bread? But beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!” 12 Then they understood that he had not told them to be on guard against the yeast in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Peter’s Confession

13 When[n] Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples,[o] “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 They answered, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,[p] and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered,[q] “You are the Christ,[r] the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him,[s] “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood[t] did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven! 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[u] will not overpower it. 19 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.” 20 Then he instructed his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.[v]

First Prediction of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

21 From that time on[w] Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer[x] many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law,[y] and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him:[z] “God forbid,[aa] Lord! This must not happen to you!” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.”[ab] 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to become my follower,[ac] he must deny[ad] himself, take up his cross,[ae] and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life[af] will lose it,[ag] but whoever loses his life because of me[ah] will find it. 26 For what does it benefit a person[ai] if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what can a person give in exchange for his life? 27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.[aj] 28 I tell you the truth,[ak] there are some standing here who will not[al] experience[am] death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”[an]

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 16:1 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
  2. Matthew 16:1 sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
  3. Matthew 16:1 tn The object of the participle πειράζοντες (peirazontes) is not given in the Greek text but has been supplied here for clarity.
  4. Matthew 16:1 sn What exactly this sign would have been, given what Jesus was already doing, is not clear. But here is where the fence-sitters reside, refusing to commit to him.
  5. Matthew 16:2 tn Grk “But answering, he said to them.” The construction has been simplified in the translation and δέ (de) has not been translated.
  6. Matthew 16:3 tn Or “red and gloomy” (L&N 14.56).
  7. Matthew 16:3 tn Grk “The face of the sky you know how to discern.”
  8. Matthew 16:4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
  9. Matthew 16:6 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
  10. Matthew 16:6 sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
  11. Matthew 16:7 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Jesus’ saying about the Pharisees and Sadducees.
  12. Matthew 16:8 tn Or “becoming aware of it.”
  13. Matthew 16:8 tn Or “discussing.”
  14. Matthew 16:13 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  15. Matthew 16:13 tn Grk “he asked his disciples, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant and has been left untranslated.
  16. Matthew 16:14 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.
  17. Matthew 16:16 tn Grk “And answering, Simon Peter said.”
  18. Matthew 16:16 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.
  19. Matthew 16:17 tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to him.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokritheis) is redundant, but the syntax of this phrase has been modified for clarity.
  20. Matthew 16:17 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.
  21. Matthew 16:18 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.
  22. Matthew 16:20 tc Most mss (א2 C W Γ 579 1241 M lat bo) have “Jesus, the Christ” (᾿Ιησοῦς ὁ Χριστός, Iēsous ho Christos) here, while D has “Christ Jesus” (ὁ Χριστὸς ᾿Ιησοῦς). On the one hand, this is a much harder reading than the mere Χριστός, because the name Jesus was already well known for the disciples’ master—both to them and to others. Whether he was the Messiah is the real focus of the passage. But the addition of “Jesus” is surely too hard a reading: There are no other texts in which the Lord tells his disciples not to disclose his personal name. Further, it is plainly a motivated reading in that scribes had the proclivity to add ᾿Ιησοῦς to Χριστός or to κύριος (kurios, “Lord”), regardless of whether such was appropriate to the context. In this instance it clearly is not, and it only reveals that scribes sometimes, if not often, did not think about the larger interpretive consequences of their alterations to the text. Further, the shorter reading is well supported by א* B L Δ Θ ƒ1, 13 565 700 1424 it sa.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.
  23. Matthew 16:21 tn Grk “From then.”
  24. Matthew 16:21 sn The necessity that the Son of Man suffer is the particular point that needed emphasis since for many 1st century Jews the Messiah was a glorious and powerful figure, not a suffering one.
  25. Matthew 16:21 tn Or “and scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
  26. Matthew 16:22 tn Grk “began to rebuke him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
  27. Matthew 16:22 tn Grk “Merciful to you.” A highly elliptical expression: “May God be merciful to you in sparing you from having to undergo [some experience]” (L&N 88.78). A contemporary English equivalent is “God forbid!”
  28. Matthew 16:23 tn Grk “people.”
  29. Matthew 16:24 tn Grk “to come after me.”
  30. Matthew 16:24 tn This translation better expresses the force of the Greek third person imperative than the traditional “let him deny,” which could be understood as merely permissive.
  31. Matthew 16:24 sn To bear the cross means to accept the rejection of the world for turning to Jesus and following him. Discipleship involves a death that is like a crucifixion; see Gal 6:14.
  32. Matthew 16:25 tn Grk “soul” (throughout vv. 25-26). See the discussion of this Greek term in the note on “life” in Matt 10:39.
  33. Matthew 16:25 sn The Greek word translated life can refer to both earthly, physical life and inner, transcendent life (one’s “soul”). In the context, if a person is not willing to suffer the world’s rejection and persecution in order to follow Jesus but instead seeks to retain his physical life, then that person will lose both physical life and inner, transcendent life (at the judgment). On the other hand, the one who willingly gives up earthly, physical life to follow Jesus (“loses his life because of me”) will ultimately find one’s “soul” (note that the parallel in John’s Gospel speaks of “guarding one’s ‘soul’ for eternal life” (John 12:25).
  34. Matthew 16:25 tn Or “for my sake.” The traditional rendering “for my sake” can be understood in the sense of “for my benefit,” but the Greek term ἕνεκα (heneka) indicates the cause or reason for something (BDAG 334 s.v. 1).
  35. Matthew 16:26 tn Grk “a man,” but ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used in a generic sense here to refer to both men and women.
  36. Matthew 16:27 sn An allusion to Pss 28:4; 62:12; cf. Prov 24:12.
  37. Matthew 16:28 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
  38. Matthew 16:28 tn The Greek negative here (οὐ μή, ou mē) is the strongest possible.
  39. Matthew 16:28 tn Grk “will not taste.” Here the Greek verb does not mean “sample a small amount” (as a typical English reader might infer from the word “taste”), but “experience something cognitively or emotionally; come to know something” (cf. BDAG 195 s.v. γεύομαι 2).
  40. Matthew 16:28 sn Several suggestions have been made as to the referent for the phrase the Son of Man coming in his kingdom: (1) the transfiguration itself, which immediately follows in the narrative; (2) Jesus’ resurrection and ascension; (3) the coming of the Spirit; (4) Christ’s role in the Church; (5) the destruction of Jerusalem; (6) Jesus’ second coming and the establishment of the kingdom. The reference to six days later in 17:1 seems to indicate that Matthew had the transfiguration in mind insofar as it was a substantial prefiguring of the consummation of the kingdom (although this interpretation is not without its problems). As such, the transfiguration would be a tremendous confirmation to the disciples that even though Jesus had just finished speaking of his death (in vv. 21-23), he was nonetheless the promised Messiah and things were proceeding according to God’s plan.
Listen to Matthew 16
Close GNV

Matthew 16
1599 Geneva Bible

16 1 The sign of Jonah. 6 The leaven of the Pharisees, 12 for their doctrine. 13 The people’s opinion of Christ. 17 Faith cometh of God. 18 The rock. 19 The keys. 21 Christ foreshadoweth his death. 24 The forsaking of ourself, and the cross. 25 To lose the life.

1 Then (A)[a]came the Pharisees and Sadducees, and did [b]tempt him, desiring him to show them a sign from heaven.

2 But he answered, and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, Fair weather, for the sky is red.

3 (B)And in the morning, ye say, Today shall be a tempest: for the sky is red and lowering. O hypocrites, ye can discern the [c]face of the sky, and can ye not discern the signs of the times?

4 (C)The wicked generation, and adulterous seeketh a sign, but there shall no sign be given it, but [d]that sign of the Prophet (D)Jonah: so he left them, and departed.

5 [e]And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had (E)forgotten to take bread with them.

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

7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have brought no bread.

8 But Jesus [f]knowing it, said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye thus among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?

9 Do ye not yet perceive, neither remember the [g]five loaves, when there were (F)five thousand men, and how many baskets took ye up?

10 Neither the seven loaves when there were (G)four thousand men, and how many baskets took ye up?

11 Why [h]perceive ye not that I [i]said not unto you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees?

12 Then understood they that he had not said that they should beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees, and Sadducees.

13 (H)[j]Now when Jesus came into the coasts of [k]Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the son of man, am?

14 And they said, Some say, [l]John Baptist: and some, Elijah: and others, Jeremiah, or one of the Prophets.

15 He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

16 Then Simon Peter answered, and said, (I)Thou art that Christ, the son of the living God.

17 [m]And Jesus answered, and said to him, Blessed art thou, Simon, the son of Jonah: for [n]flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

18 [o]And I say also unto thee, that thou art (J)[p]Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church: and the [q]gates of hell shall not overcome it.

19 [r]And I (K) will give unto thee the [s]keys of the Kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt [t]bind upon earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.

20 [u]Then he charged his disciples, that they should tell no man that he was Jesus that Christ.

21 [v]From that time forth Jesus began to show unto his disciples, that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the [w]Elders, and of the high Priests, and Scribes, and be slain and be raised again the third day.

22 Then Peter [x]took him aside, and began to rebuke him, saying, Master, pity thyself: this shall not be unto thee.

23 [y]Then he turned back, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, [z]Satan: thou art an offence unto me, because thou [aa]understandest not the things that are of God, but the things that are of men.

24 [ab]Jesus then said to his disciples, (L)If any man will follow me, let him forsake himself: and take up his cross, and follow me.

25 For (M)whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, shall [ac]find it.

26 (N)For what shall it profit a man though he should win the whole world, if he lose his own soul? or what shall a man give for recompense of his soul?

27 For the son of man shall come [ad]in the glory of his Father with his Angels, and (O)then shall he give to every man according to his deeds.

28 (P)Verily I say unto you, there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the Son of man come in his [ae]kingdom.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 16:1 The wicked which otherwise are at defiance one with another, agree well together against Christ, but do what they can, Christ beareth always the victory, and triumpheth over them.
  2. Matthew 16:1 To try whether he could do that which they desired, but their purpose was naught, for they thought to find some thing in him by that means whereupon they might have just occasion to reprehend him: or else distrust and curiosity moved them so to do, for by such means also is God said to be tempted, that is to say, provoked to anger, as though men would strive with him.
  3. Matthew 16:3 The outward show and countenance as it were of all things, is called in the Hebrews’ tongue, a face.
  4. Matthew 16:4 The article showeth the notableness of the deed.
  5. Matthew 16:5 False teachers must be taken heed of.
  6. Matthew 16:8 Not by others, but by virtue of his divinity.
  7. Matthew 16:9 That five thousand men were filled with so many loaves?
  8. Matthew 16:11 A demand or question joined with admiration.
  9. Matthew 16:11 Said, for commanded.
  10. Matthew 16:13 There are divers judgments and opinions of Christ, notwithstanding he is known of his alone.
  11. Matthew 16:13 There were two Caesareas, the one called Stratonis upon the sea Mediterranean, which Herod built sumptuously in the honor of Octavius, Josephus, lib. 15. The other was Caesarea Philippi, which Herod the great the Tetrarch’s son by Cleopatra built in the honor of Tiberius at the foot of Lebanon, Josephus, lib. 15.
  12. Matthew 16:14 As Herod thought.
  13. Matthew 16:17 Faith is of grace, not of nature.
  14. Matthew 16:17 By this kind of speech is meant man’s natural procreation upon the earth, the creature not being destroyed which was made, but deformed through sin: So then this is the meaning: this was not revealed to thee by any understanding of man, but God showed it thee from heaven.
  15. Matthew 16:18 That is true faith, which confesseth Christ, the virtue whereof is invisible.
  16. Matthew 16:18 Christ spoke in the Syrian tongue, and therefore used not this descanting betwixt Petros, which signifieth Peter, and Petra, which signifieth a rock, but in both places used this word Cephas: but his mind was that wrote in Greek, by the divers termination to make a difference between Peter, who is a piece of the building, and Christ the Petra, that is, the rock and foundation: or else he gave his name Peter, because of the confession of his faith, which is the Church’s as well as his, as the old fathers witness: For so saith Theophylact, That confession which thou hast made, shall be the foundation of the believers.
  17. Matthew 16:18 The enemies of the Church are compared to a strong kingdom, and therefore by Gates, are meant cities which are made strong with counsels and fortresses, and this is the meaning, whatsoever Satan can do by counsel or strength. So doth Paul, 2 Cor. 10:4, call them strongholds.
  18. Matthew 16:19 The authority of the Church is from God.
  19. Matthew 16:19 A metaphor taken of stewards which carry the keys: and here is set forth the power of the ministers of the word, as Isa. 22:22, and that power is common to all ministers, as Matt. 18:18, and therefore the ministers of the Gospel may rightly be called the key of the kingdom of heaven.
  20. Matthew 16:19 They are bound whose sins are retained, heaven is shut against them, because they received not Christ by faith: on the other side, how happy are they, to whom heaven is open, which embrace Christ, and are delivered by him, and become fellow heirs with him.
  21. Matthew 16:20 Men must first learn and then teach.
  22. Matthew 16:21 The minds of men are in time to be prepared and made ready against the stumbling block of persecution.
  23. Matthew 16:21 It was a name of dignity and not of age, and it is put for them, which were the Judges, which the Hebrews called Sanhedrin.
  24. Matthew 16:22 Took him by the hand and led him aside, as they used to do, which meant to talk familiarly with one.
  25. Matthew 16:23 Against a preposterous zeal.
  26. Matthew 16:23 The Hebrews call him Satan, that is to say, an adversary, whom the Grecians call diabolos, that is to say, slanderer, or tempter: but it is spoken of them, that either of malice, as Judas, John 6:70, or of lightness and pride resist the will of God.
  27. Matthew 16:23 By this word we are taught that Peter sinned, through a false persuasion of himself.
  28. Matthew 16:24 No men provide worse for themselves, than they that love themselves more than God.
  29. Matthew 16:25 Shall gain himself: And this is his meaning, they that deny Christ to save themselves, do not only not gain that which they look for, but also lose the thing they would have kept, that is themselves, which loss is the greatest of all: but as for them that doubt not to die for Christ, it fareth far otherwise with them.
  30. Matthew 16:27 Like a King, as Matt. 6:29.
  31. Matthew 16:28 By his kingdom is understood the glory of his ascension, and what followeth thereof, Eph. 4:10, or the preaching of the Gospel, Mark 9:1.
Next
Matthew 15
Matthew 17
Next
dropdown
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

July Summer Surge

More on the NIV

New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)

Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.

The 1599 Geneva Bible - A publication of Tolle Lege Press