Matthew 16:17 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.
Matthew 16:17 nkjv
Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 16:17 niv
Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.
Matthew 16:17 esv
And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 16:17 nlt
Jesus replied, "You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.
Matthew 16 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 11:27 | "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son... | Divine knowledge from the Father. |
| Matt 13:16 | "But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. | Blessing for spiritual insight. |
| Mk 8:29 | "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Messiah." | Parallel passage of Peter's confession. |
| Lk 10:21 | "At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father... | Revelation to the humble, hidden from wise. |
| Lk 10:23-24 | Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. | Blessing for those who perceive divine truth. |
| Jn 1:12-13 | But to all who did receive him... born not of natural descent, nor of human decision... | Spiritual birth is not by human will or blood. |
| Jn 6:44 | "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him..." | Father's drawing is necessary for belief. |
| Jn 6:69 | We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God." | Peter's prior confession of Christ's identity. |
| Jn 8:47 | "Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." | Divine knowledge is for those belonging to God. |
| Rom 1:20-21 | For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities... although they knew God, they neither glorified him... | Humanity's inability to fully grasp God without revelation. |
| 1 Cor 1:21 | For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him... | Worldly wisdom cannot know God. |
| 1 Cor 2:10 | but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. | Holy Spirit reveals divine truths. |
| 1 Cor 2:14 | The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God... | Natural person cannot understand spiritual truths. |
| Gal 1:11-12 | I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man... | Gospel revelation is from God, not man. |
| Eph 1:17 | I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation... | Prayer for spiritual wisdom and revelation. |
| Phil 3:15 | All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. | God reveals differing views in due time. |
| Col 1:9-10 | ...we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom... | Prayer for spiritual understanding. |
| Heb 1:1-2 | In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets... but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son... | God's revelation culminates in His Son. |
| 1 Jn 5:20 | We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true... | Jesus gives understanding to know God. |
| Psa 25:14 | The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. | God reveals Himself to those who fear Him. |
| Psa 119:18 | Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things from your law. | Prayer for divine illumination. |
| Jer 31:33-34 | "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people... | Inward knowledge and revelation from God. |
Matthew 16 verses
Matthew 16 17 Meaning
In Matthew 16:17, Jesus affirms Peter's confession of Him as the Christ, the Son of the living God, declaring Peter to be blessed. The verse emphasizes that this profound spiritual understanding did not originate from human insight, worldly wisdom, or any natural faculty of "flesh and blood." Instead, it was a direct, supernatural revelation from God the Father in heaven, signifying God's active role in disclosing divine truth to humanity. This highlights that recognizing Jesus' true identity requires divine illumination beyond mere human intellect.
Matthew 16 17 Context
Matthew 16:17 occurs immediately after Simon Peter's profound confession, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt 16:16). This pivotal exchange takes place in the region of Caesarea Philippi, a Gentile territory dotted with pagan shrines and devoted to the worship of local deities and the Roman Emperor. In this environment of diverse religious beliefs and imperial cults, Jesus deliberately probes His disciples' understanding of His identity, first asking what others say, and then directly asking them. Peter's answer is unique among the disciples, accurately articulating Jesus' divine Messiahship. Jesus' response in verse 17 is a commendation of this confession, emphasizing its divine origin and distinguishing it from any human speculation or prevailing misconceptions about the Messiah. This moment serves as a crucial turning point, leading directly into Jesus' first clear predictions of His suffering, death, and resurrection.
Matthew 16 17 Word analysis
Ἀποκριθεὶς (Apokritheis - having answered/Jesus replied): This is an aorist participle, indicating Jesus' immediate and direct response to Peter's declaration, highlighting the gravity and importance of Peter's words.
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous - Jesus): Denotes the one whose authority authenticates Peter's confession as divinely inspired.
εἶπεν (eipa - said): Simple statement, a direct pronouncement from Jesus.
Μακάριος (Makarios - Blessed): More than merely "happy," this term signifies someone who has received divine favor, a privileged state granted by God, often implying spiritual prosperity and well-being. It is a pronouncement of divine approval.
Σίμων Βαρ-Ἰωνᾶ (Simon Bar-Yonah - Simon, son of Jonah): Jesus addresses Peter by his given name and paternal lineage. "Bar" is Aramaic for "son of." This highlights Peter's natural, human identity, emphasizing the contrast with the supernatural source of his insight. It grounds Peter's earthly origin against the divine revelation he just received.
ὅτι (hoti - for/because): Introduces the specific reason for Peter's blessedness, clarifying the source of his profound insight.
σάρξ καὶ αἷμα (sarx kai haima - flesh and blood): This is a common Semitic idiom for humanity in its limited, mortal, and natural state, excluding any supernatural power or divine influence. It refers to human beings in their entirety, particularly their inherent weakness and inability to perceive spiritual truth apart from God's intervention.
οὐκ ἀπεκάλυψέν σοι (ouk apekalypsen soi - has not revealed to you): The negation "οὐκ" (not) emphatically denies a human origin. "Ἀπεκάλυψεν" (from ἀποκαλύπτω, apokalypto) means "to uncover," "unveil," "make manifest that which was hidden." The aorist tense implies a completed divine action.
ἀλλ᾽ (all' - but/rather): A strong adversative conjunction, establishing a clear contrast and pointing to the true, ultimate source.
ὁ Πατήρ μου ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς (ho Patēr mou ho en tois ouranois - my Father who is in heaven): This identifies God the Father as the sole and ultimate source of the revelation. "My Father" emphasizes Jesus' unique relationship with God. "In heaven" signifies God's transcendence, authority, and divine origin, distinctly separate from any earthly, human source.
"Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven": This complete phrase constitutes an emphatic antithetical parallelism. It powerfully contrasts the inadequacy of human nature (flesh and blood) to grasp ultimate spiritual truth with the absolute necessity of divine initiative (revelation from God the Father in heaven). The blessing is tied directly to the reception of this God-given insight, underscoring that faith in Jesus' divine identity is not a matter of human deduction but divine grace.
Matthew 16 17 Bonus section
- The profound statement by Jesus sets up the subsequent discussion in Matt 16:18 about building the Church on this rock of divinely revealed truth regarding Jesus' identity.
- The phrase "flesh and blood" underscores not just human limitations in general but specifically human fallenness and the inability of natural humanity to grasp divine realities without spiritual regeneration.
- This passage demonstrates a polemic against the limitations of contemporary Jewish understanding of the Messiah, which was often fixated on an earthly, political king, missing His divine nature. It also subtly stands against any claims to authority derived from mere human knowledge or lineage, affirming instead the authority rooted in divine revelation.
- The timing of this revelation, occurring after many miracles and teachings but before His passion predictions, suggests that God unveils deeper truths about His Son at appropriate moments in a believer's spiritual journey.
Matthew 16 17 Commentary
Matthew 16:17 provides the critical foundation for understanding the nature of genuine faith and spiritual insight into Christ's person. It asserts that acknowledging Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, is not an intellectual feat achievable through human reasoning, educational attainment, or personal ingenuity. This knowledge transcends all human capabilities because it originates directly from God the Father. This declaration distinguishes authentic Christian revelation from philosophical speculation or mere religious opinion. It reveals God's sovereignty in unveiling truth to chosen individuals and underscores the humbling truth that true spiritual understanding is a gift. The verse thereby emphasizes that the Church, built upon Peter's divinely revealed confession (as expanded upon in the subsequent verse), has a supernatural origin and basis, not a human one. It calls believers to humility, acknowledging that their grasp of ultimate spiritual realities is by divine grace alone, compelling them to depend on God for continued revelation and wisdom.