1 And Pharisees and Sadducees approached him to test him, and they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 But he responded by saying to them: “When evening arrives, you say, ‘It will be calm, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Today there will be a storm, for the sky is red and gloomy.’ So then, you know how to judge the appearance of the sky, but you are unable to know the signs of the times? 4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign. And a sign shall not be given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And leaving them behind, he went away. 5 And when his disciples went across the sea, they forgot to bring bread. 6 And he said to them, “Consider and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” 7 But they were thinking within themselves, saying, “It is because we have not brought bread.” 8 Then Jesus, knowing this, said: “Why do you consider within yourselves, O little in faith, that it is because you have no bread? 9 Do you not yet understand, nor remember, the five loaves among the five thousand men, and how many containers you took up? 10 Or the seven loaves among the four thousand men, and how many baskets you took up? 11 Why do you not understand that it was not because of bread that I said to you: Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees?” 12 Then they understood that he was not saying that they should beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. 13 Then Jesus went into parts of Caesarea Philippi. And he questioned his disciples, saying, “Who do men say that the Son of man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, and others say Elijah, still others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 Jesus said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter responded by saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And in response, Jesus said to him: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father, who is in heaven. 18 And I say to you, that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound, even in heaven. And whatever you shall release on earth shall be released, even in heaven.” 20 Then he instructed his disciples that they should tell no one that he is Jesus the Christ. 21 From that time, Jesus began to reveal to his disciples that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and to suffer much from the elders and the scribes and the leaders of the priests, and to be killed, and to rise again on the third day. 22 And Peter, taking him aside, began to rebuke him, saying, “Lord, may it be far from you; this shall not happen to you.” 23 And turning away, Jesus said to Peter: “Get behind me, Satan; you are an obstacle to me. For you are not behaving according to what is of God, but according to what is of men.” 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “If anyone is willing to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life, will lose it. But whoever will have lost his life for my sake, shall find it. 26 For how does it benefit a man, if he gains the whole world, yet truly suffers damage to his soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of man will arrive in the glory of his Father, with his Angels. And then he will repay each one according to his works. 28 Amen I say to you, there are some among those standing here, who shall not taste death, until they see the Son of man arriving in his reign.”
Matthew · Catholic Public Domain Version
Matthew 16 Catholic Public Domain Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Jonah
The father of Simon Peter, named Jonah in Matthew 16:17 and John in John 1:42 and 21:15.
Cited in the guide: Matthew 16:17; John 1:42; John 21:15
Peter
Simon, whom Jesus named Peter (Cephas), a fisherman from Bethsaida and the first listed of the Twelve, who confessed Jesus as Christ, denied him three times, and was told to feed…
Cited in the guide: Matthew 10:2; Matthew 16:17; Mark 3:16
Places
Caesarea Philippi
Caesarea Philippi (Banias) sat at the northern edge of the land by a spring of the Jordan and a shrine to Pan. Here Peter made his great confession of Jesus as Messiah.
Cited in the guide: Matthew 16:13; Mark 8:27
Cross references (28)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Luke 11:16; Acts 4:1; Matthew 16:6; John 8:6; 1 Corinthians 1:22
- 2 Luke 12:54–56
- 3 Luke 12:56; 1 Chronicles 12:32; Luke 13:15; Matthew 11:5; Matthew 23:13
- 4 Luke 11:29–30; Matthew 12:39–40; Jonah 1:17; Mark 8:12; Mark 8:38
- 5 Mark 8:13–14; Matthew 15:39
- 6 Luke 12:1; Matthew 16:12; Galatians 5:9; Leviticus 2:11; 1 Corinthians 5:6–8
- 7 Mark 8:16–18; Luke 9:46; Acts 10:14; Matthew 15:16–18; Mark 9:10
- 8 Matthew 6:30; Matthew 8:26; Matthew 14:31; Mark 16:14; John 2:24–25
- 9 Matthew 14:17–21; John 6:9–13; Luke 9:13–17; Mark 6:38–44; Matthew 15:16–17
- 10 Matthew 15:34–38; Mark 8:17–21; Mark 8:5–9
- 11 Mark 8:21; Mark 4:40; Matthew 16:6; Luke 12:56; John 8:43
- 12 Matthew 5:20; Acts 23:8; Matthew 23:13–28; Matthew 15:4–9
- 13 Luke 9:18–20; Mark 8:27–29; Daniel 7:13; John 5:27; Matthew 9:6
- 14 Mark 6:15; Matthew 14:2; Malachi 4:5; John 9:17; Luke 9:18–19
- 15 Luke 9:20; Mark 8:29; Matthew 13:11
- 16 John 11:27; Matthew 14:33; 1 John 4:15; Matthew 27:54; 1 Timothy 4:10
- 17 John 6:45; Ephesians 1:17–18; Matthew 11:25–27; Galatians 1:16; 1 John 5:20
- 18 Ephesians 2:19–22; 1 Corinthians 3:9–11; Isaiah 28:16; Colossians 1:18; Psalm 125:1–2
- 19 Matthew 18:18; Isaiah 22:22; Revelation 1:18; John 20:23; Revelation 3:7
- 20 Mark 8:30; Luke 9:21; John 1:41; Matthew 17:9; Luke 9:36
- 21 Luke 24:6–7; Matthew 17:22–23; Matthew 20:17–19; 1 Corinthians 15:3–4; Matthew 17:12
- 22 Mark 8:32; Acts 21:11–13; John 13:6–8; Matthew 26:51–53; Matthew 16:16–17
- 23 Romans 8:5–8; Colossians 3:2; Philippians 3:19; Mark 8:33; 1 Corinthians 2:14–15
- 24 Matthew 10:38; Luke 14:27; 1 Peter 4:1–2; Luke 9:23–27; Mark 10:21
- 25 Matthew 10:39; Revelation 12:11; Mark 8:35; John 12:25; Luke 17:33
- 26 Job 27:8; Mark 8:36–37; Luke 9:25; Luke 12:20; Psalm 49:7–8
- 27 Psalm 62:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 2:6; Romans 14:12; Jeremiah 17:10
- 28 Luke 9:27; Mark 9:1; John 8:52; Matthew 26:64; Matthew 10:23
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Then; when? When Peter said, "Be it far from Thee, this shall not be unto Thee;" and was told, "Get thee behind me, Satan." For He was by no means satisfied with the mere rebuke, but, willing also more abundantly to show both the extravagance of what Peter had said, and the benefit of His passion, He saith, "Thy word …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Or how could Peter have been in ignorance, to whom the Lord gave testimony, that flesh and blood had not revealed to him, but the Father, who is in heaven? Just, then, as "Paul [was] an apostle, not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father," [so with the rest;] the Son indeed leading them …
… had actually come,--as Simeon, or Anna, who immediately recognized Jesus when He was born, or Elisabeth, who in the Spirit recognized Him when He was conceived, or Peter, who said by the revelation of the Father, "Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God." But to this Egyptian those spirits indicated the time of their own destruction, who also, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
But to His disciples not so, but He puts them in mind of His signs, saying on this wise, "Do ye not yet remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?" Not so however with these, but He reminds them of our common infirmity, and signifies them at any rate to be of …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
For the Saviour says, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but My Father which is in heaven.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)