Matthew 16:21 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Matthew 16:21
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.
Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua) · noun — nominative singular masculine, a proper name
shew
δεικνύεινdeiknuein
G1166
to show (literally or figuratively) · verb — present active infinitive
his
αὐτοῦautou
G846
the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — genitive singular masculine
disciples
μαθηταῖςmathētais
G3101
a learner · noun — dative plural masculine
that
ὅτιhoti
G3754
demonstrative · conjunction
he
αὐτὸνauton
G846
the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative singular masculine
must
δεῖdei
G1163
also deon deh-on' · verb — present active indicative, 3rd person singular
go
ἀπελθεῖνapelthein
G565
to go off (i.e. depart) · verb — second aorist active infinitive
unto
εἰςeis
G1519
to or into (indicating the point reached or entered) · preposition
Jerusalem
ἹεροσόλυμαHi'erosoluma
G2414
Hierosolyma (i.e. Jerushalaim) · noun — accusative plural neuter, a place
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
suffer
παθεῖνpathein
G3958
to experience a sensation or impression (usually painfu… · verb — second aorist active infinitive
things
πολλὰpolla
G4183
(singular) much (in any respect) or (plural) many · adjective — accusative plural neuter
of
ἀπόapó
G575
"off
elders
πρεσβυτέρωνpresbuterōn
G4245
older · noun — genitive plural masculine, a title
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
priests
ἀρχιερέωνarchiereōn
G749
the high-priest (literally · noun — genitive plural masculine
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
scribes
γραμματέωνgrammateōn
G1122
scribe · noun — genitive plural masculine
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
killed
ἀποκτανθῆναιapoktanthēnai
G615
to kill outright · verb — aorist passive infinitive
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
again
ἐγερθῆναι.egerthēnai
G1453
to waken (transitively or intransitively) · verb — aorist passive infinitive
the
ἡμέρᾳhēmera
G2250
day · noun — dative singular feminine
third
τρίτῃtritē
G5154
third · adjective — dative singular feminine
day
ἡμέραhēméra
G2250
day
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Matthew 17:22-23 And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:
Luke 24:6-7 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
Matthew 20:17-19 And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,
Matthew 17:12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also th…
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
Matthew 27:63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
Matthew 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Luke 17:25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Matthew 16:21-23
We have here Christ's discourse with his disciples concerning his own sufferings; in which observe,
I. Christ's foretelling of his sufferings. Now he began to do it, and from this time he frequently spake of them. Some hints he had already given of his sufferings, as when he said, Destroy this temple: when he spake of the Son of man being lifted up, and of eating his flesh, and drinking his blood: but now he began to show it, to speak plainly and expressly of it. Hitherto he had not touched upon this, because the disciples were weak, and could not well bear the notice of a thing so very strange, and so very melancholy; but now that they were more ripe in knowledge, and strong in faith, he be…
From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples--that is, with an explicitness and frequency He had never observed before.
how that he must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many things--"and be rejected," (Mar 8:31; Luk 9:22).
of the elders and chief priests and scribes--not as before, merely by not receiving Him, but by formal deeds.
and be killed, and be raised again the third day--Mark (Mar 8:32) adds, that "He spake that saying openly"--"explicitly," or "without disguise."
John Gill on Matthew 16:21
From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples,.... From the time that Peter made the confession concerning Jesus, as that he was the Messiah, and Son of God, and which things were clear to all the apostles, he began to teach them more expressly, and to point out to them more clearly, and plainly, his sufferings and death, than he had done before: and this he chose to do now, partly because that their faith in him was well grounded and established, so that they were the better able to bear these things he told them, which before might have been more staggering and discouraging to them; and partly, that being forewarned of them, they would not be so shocking when they came to pas…
(Verse 21) Then 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. And the meaning is: Proclaim me then, when I have suffered these things, because it is not profitable to publicly proclaim Christ and make known his majesty to the people, who after a little while will see him whipped and crucified, and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes. And now Jesus suffers many things from those who crucify the Son of God again (Heb. VI): and when the elders are thought to be in the Church, and the high priests, following the simple letter, kill the Son of God, who is wholly felt in spirit.
"From that time forth began He to show unto them that He must suffer. From that time." What time? When He had fixed the doctrine in them; when He had brought in the beginning of the Gentiles. But not even so did they understand what He said. "For the saying," it is said, "was hid from them;" and they were as in a kind of perplexity, not knowing that He must rise again. Therefore He rather dwells on the difficulties, and enlarges His discourse, that He may open their mind, and they may understand what it can be that He speaks of. "But they understood not, but the saying was hid from them, and they feared to ask this;" not whether He should die, but how, and in what manner, and what this mystery could be. For they did not even know what was this same rising again, and supposed it much better not to die.
And observe that it is not said,' He began to say,' or 'to teach,' but to show; for as things are said to be shown to the sense, so the things which Christ spake are said to be shown by Him. Nor indeed do I think, that to those who saw Him suffering many things in the flesh, were those things which they saw so shown as this representation in words showed to the disciples the mystery of the passion and resurrection of Christ. At that time, indeed, He only began to show them, and afterwards when they were more able to receive it, He showed them more fully; for all that Jesus began to do, that He accomplished. He must needs go to Jerusalem, to be put to death indeed in the Jerusalem which is below, but to rise again and reign in the heavenly Jerusalem. But when Christ rose again, and others were risen with Him, they no longer sought the Jerusalem which is beneath, or the house of prayer in it, but that which is above. He suffers many things from the elders of the earthly Jerusalem, that He may be glorified by those heavenly elders who receive His mercies. He rose again from the dead on the third day, that He may deliver from the evil one, and purchase for such as are so delivered this gift, that they be baptized in spirit, soul, and body, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who are three days perpetually present to those that through them have been made children of light.
Dictionary and topics
Caesarea Philippi — is mentioned only in the first two Gospels, (Matthew 16:13; Mark 8:27) and in accounts of the same transactions. It was at the easternmost and most important of the two recognized sources of the…
Elder — A name frequently used in the Old Testament as denoting a person clothed with authority, and entitled to respect and reverence (Gen. 50:7). It also denoted a political office (Num. 22:7). The “elders…
Peter — Originally called Simon (=Simeon, i.e., “hearing”), a very common Jewish name in the New Testament. He was the son of Jona (Matt. 16:17). His mother is nowhere named in Scripture. He had a younger…
Sadducees — The origin of this Jewish sect cannot definitely be traced. It was probably the outcome of the influence of Grecian customs and philosophy during the period of Greek domination. The first time they…
Scribe (S) · Hypocrisy of, reproved by Jesus — Hypocrisy of, reproved by Jesus
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
John Calvin on Matthew 16:20–end
Matthew 16:20-28
Matthew 16:20-28
Mark 8:30-37
Luke 9:21-27
20. Then he charged his disciples [451] not to tell any one that he was Jesus the Christ. 21. From that time Jesus began to make known to his disciples, that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, and the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and be raised again on the third day. 22. And Peter, taking him aside, [452] began to rebuke him, saying, Lord, spare thyself; [453] this shall not happen to thee. 23. But he turning said to Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan, thou art an offense to me; for thou relishest not those things which are of God, but those which are of men. 24. Then Jesus said to hi…
Jesus, now officially recognized by his disciples as the Messiah, begins to reveal a startling aspect of his mission: He must suffer before entering his glory (16:21-23), and those who follow him will meet a similar fate (16:24-28).
16:21 This is the first of three predictions of Jesus’ passion—his suffering through betrayal, crucifixion, and death (see also 17:22-23; 20:18-19). Each prediction gives a lesson on the cost of discipleship (16:24-27; 20:20-28). • That he would suffer was God’s sovereign and necessary purpose for the Messiah (see 17:12).