1
Καὶ προσελθόντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοι καὶ Σαδδουκαῖοι πειράζοντες ἐπηρώτησαν αὐτὸν σημεῖον ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐπιδεῖξαι αὐτοῖς.
And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.
Testing is the verb of 4:1, used there of the slanderer.
first here Pharisee Φαρισαῖος Pharisaios
first here Sadducees Σαδδουκαῖος Saddoukaios
pronoun him = Jesus — both times
pronoun them = the Pharisees and Sadducees
2
ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· ⸂Ὀψίας γενομένης λέγετε· Εὐδία, πυρράζει γὰρ ὁ οὐρανός·
And answering he said to them, “When evening comes you say, ‘Fair weather, for the sky is red';
The manuscripts differ over whether the weather sayings stand here; some leave verses 2b–3 out entirely. This edition follows its base text.
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun them = the Pharisees and Sadducees
pronoun you = the Pharisees and Sadducees
Why this rendering
Matt.16.2 Observation
Syntactic observation
SBLGNT prints from the middle of v.2 through all of v.3 inside a single ⸂⸃ — a variant mark spanning verses, as at Matthew 12:47, here across two. Being variant marks and not double brackets (⟦⟧), its status differs from Mark 16:9-20, and what the base text prints is rendered. The vocabulary clusters here too: εὐδία, fair weather, occurs nowhere else in the four Gospels, and πυρράζω, to be fiery red, only in this passage, twice (vv.2 and 3), while στυγνάζω is the word for the rich man's face darkening at Mark 10:22 — there of a human face, here of the sky. Since Mark 10:22 was rendered his face darkened, the same root is used here. And the logic meshes with v.4: after saying they can discern the face of the sky but not the signs of the times, he tells a sign-seeking generation that none will be given except the sign of Jonah. SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸂Ὀψίας).
Rendering options · 2
Adopted Kept in the body — the sky red and darkening
Basis The base text prints it in the body; στυγνάζω is rendered with the root used at Mark 10:22.
Demote to a note or omit
Basis The marks span two verses, so it is left out.
Rejected The base text keeps it in the body without double brackets; the same ground as the decision at 12:47.
3
καὶ πρωΐ· Σήμερον χειμών, πυρράζει γὰρ στυγνάζων ὁ οὐρανός. ⸀τὸ μὲν πρόσωπον τοῦ οὐρανοῦ γινώσκετε διακρίνειν, τὰ δὲ σημεῖα τῶν καιρῶν οὐ δύνασθε.⸃
and early in the morning, ‘Foul weather today, for the sky is red and darkening.' You know how to discern the face of the sky, but the signs of the times you cannot.
Discern (διακρίνω, diakrinō) is to tell apart — the verb of Mark 11:23, where it meant to waver.
pronoun You = the Pharisees and Sadducees
pronoun you = the Pharisees and Sadducees
4
Γενεὰ πονηρὰ καὶ μοιχαλὶς σημεῖον ἐπιζητεῖ, καὶ σημεῖον οὐ δοθήσεται αὐτῇ εἰ μὴ τὸ σημεῖον ⸀Ἰωνᾶ. καὶ καταλιπὼν αὐτοὺς ἀπῆλθεν.
An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, and no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” And leaving them he went away.
The sign of Jonah — here without the explanation given at 12:40.
first here Jonah Ἰωνᾶς Iōnas
pronoun it = the generation
pronoun them = the Pharisees and Sadducees
pronoun he = Jesus
5
Καὶ ἐλθόντες οἱ ⸀μαθηταὶ εἰς τὸ πέραν ἐπελάθοντο ἄρτους λαβεῖν.
And the disciples, going to the other side, forgot to take loaves.
Forgot to take loaves — the writer sets the misunderstanding up before it happens.
6
ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ὁρᾶτε καὶ προσέχετε ἀπὸ τῆς ζύμης τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων.
And Jesus said to them, “Look out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
Leaven — Mark 8:15 says “of Herod”; this book says “of the Sadducees”.
first here Jesus Ἰησοῦς Iēsous
pronoun them = the disciples
7
οἱ δὲ διελογίζοντο ἐν ἑαυτοῖς λέγοντες ὅτι Ἄρτους οὐκ ἐλάβομεν.
And they were arguing among themselves, saying, “We did not take loaves.”
They hear a saying about leaven as a complaint about bread.
pronoun they = the disciples
pronoun themselves = the disciples
pronoun We = the disciples
8
γνοὺς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ⸀εἶπεν· Τί διαλογίζεσθε ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, ὀλιγόπιστοι, ὅτι ἄρτους οὐκ ⸀ἐλάβετε;
And Jesus, knowing it, said, “You of little faith, why are you arguing among yourselves that you have no loaves?
You of little faith is one Greek word (ὀλιγόπιστοι, oligopistoi), used four times in this book.
pronoun it = what they were arguing
pronoun You = the disciples
pronoun you = the disciples — both times
pronoun yourselves = the disciples
9
οὔπω νοεῖτε, οὐδὲ μνημονεύετε τοὺς πέντε ἄρτους τῶν πεντακισχιλίων καὶ πόσους κοφίνους ἐλάβετε;
Do you not yet perceive, nor remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many hampers you took up?
Hampers — the basket-word of 14:20, with the number that belongs to it.
pronoun you = the disciples — both times
10
οὐδὲ τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἄρτους τῶν τετρακισχιλίων καὶ πόσας σπυρίδας ἐλάβετε;
Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many baskets you took up?
Baskets — the other basket-word, from 15:37. The two feedings are held apart by the words themselves.
pronoun you = the disciples
11
πῶς οὐ νοεῖτε ὅτι οὐ περὶ ⸀ἄρτων εἶπον ὑμῖν; ⸂προσέχετε δὲ⸃ ἀπὸ τῆς ζύμης τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων.
How do you not perceive that I was not speaking to you about loaves? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
I was not speaking to you about loaves — the point is said outright, which Mark 8:21 leaves as a question.
pronoun you = the disciples — both times
pronoun I = Jesus
12
τότε συνῆκαν ὅτι οὐκ εἶπεν προσέχειν ἀπὸ τῆς ζύμης ⸂τῶν ἄρτων⸃ ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ τῆς διδαχῆς τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων.
Then they understood that he had not said to beware of the leaven of loaves but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Then they understood — only this book says the disciples came to see it.
pronoun they = the disciples
pronoun he = Jesus
13
Ἐλθὼν δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὰ μέρη Καισαρείας τῆς Φιλίππου ἠρώτα τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ λέγων· ⸀Τίνα λέγουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι εἶναι τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου;
And coming into the region of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus was asking his disciples, “Who do men say the Son of Man is?”
Who do men say the Son of Man is — this book puts the title into the question; Mark 8:27 asks “who do men say that I am”.
first here Caesarea Καισάρεια Kaisareia
first here Philippi Φίλιππος Philippos
pronoun his = Jesus
14
οἱ δὲ εἶπαν· Οἱ μὲν Ἰωάννην τὸν βαπτιστήν, ἄλλοι δὲ Ἠλίαν, ἕτεροι δὲ Ἰερεμίαν ἢ ἕνα τῶν προφητῶν.
And they said, “Some, John the Baptist; others, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
Jeremiah — only this book names him among the guesses.
first here John Ἰωάννης Iōannēs
first here Elijah Ἠλίας Ēlias
first here Jeremiah Ἰερεμίας Ieremias
pronoun they = the disciples
15
λέγει αὐτοῖς· Ὑμεῖς δὲ τίνα με λέγετε εἶναι;
He says to them, “But you — who do you say that I am?”
But you stands emphatically in Greek.
pronoun He = Jesus
pronoun them = the disciples
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun I = Jesus
16
ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ Σίμων Πέτρος εἶπεν· Σὺ εἶ ὁ χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος.
And answering, Simon Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
The Son of the living God — this half is only in this book; Mark 8:29 has “You are the Christ”.
first here Simon Σίμων Simōn
first here Peter Πέτρος Petros
first here Christ Χριστός Christos
pronoun You = Jesus
Why this rendering
Matt.16.16 Observation
Syntactic observation
Three books, three lengths of confession. Mark 8:29: Σὺ εἶ ὁ χριστός — four words and it ends. Luke 9:20: Τὸν χριστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ — God's Christ: one phrase longer than Mark's and without even the frame you are, an object standing alone. Matthew 16:16: Σὺ εἶ ὁ χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος — with the Son of the living God attached, and τοῦ ζῶντος qualifying, four articles stacked. And what follows is Matthew's alone: vv.17-19 (Simon Bar-Jonah… on this rock… the keys) are entirely absent from Mark and Luke. Mark 8:30 goes straight to the charge of silence; Matthew inserts three verses and then gives the same charge at v.20. The speaker is named differently too: Mark has ὁ Πέτρος, Matthew Σίμων Πέτρος, both names together — and at v.17 Σίμων Βαριωνᾶ, giving the father's name as well; Βαριωνᾶ occurs once in all four Gospels.
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” — kept apart from Mark 8:29's short confession
Basis Renders the length each book prints; the difference in length is what shows when the two are set side by side.
Lengthen Mark to match Matthew
Basis One confession, read the same way.
Rejected The phrase is not in Mark's text. The value of rendering both books together lies in showing exactly such differences of length.
17
⸂ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ⸃ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Μακάριος εἶ, Σίμων Βαριωνᾶ, ὅτι σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα οὐκ ἀπεκάλυψέν σοι ἀλλ’ ὁ πατήρ μου ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς·
And answering, Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal it to you but my Father in the heavens.
Bar-Jonah is Aramaic for “son of Jonah”, kept as sound. Flesh and blood is a Semitic turn for a human being.
first here Bar Βαριωνᾶ Bariōna
pronoun him = Peter
pronoun you = Peter — both times
pronoun it = what Peter said
pronoun my = Jesus
18
κἀγὼ δέ σοι λέγω ὅτι σὺ εἶ Πέτρος, καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ οἰκοδομήσω μου τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατισχύσουσιν αὐτῆς·
And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
Peter (Πέτρος, Petros) and rock (πέτρα, petra) are one word played twice, and English cannot carry it — recorded as a loss. Assembly renders ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia), a called-out gathering; this book alone uses the word in the four Gospels. Hades is a place-name kept as sound.
pronoun I = Jesus — both times
pronoun you = Peter
pronoun this = the rock
pronoun my = Jesus
pronoun it = my assembly
Why this rendering
Matt.16.18 Observation
Syntactic observation
The sentence turns on a play of words — σὺ εἶ Πέτρος, καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ. The two share a root and differ in gender: Πέτρος masculine (a man's name), πέτρα feminine (a rock). A name in Greek must be masculine, so the endings had to part, and the sentence stands on that parting. ἐκκλησία occurs at only three places in all four Gospels, all in Matthew (16:18 and twice at 18:17) — of the four gospels only Matthew uses the word. In πύλαι ᾅδου, the gates of Hades, ᾅδης is Matthew's second place after 11:23, and the four Gospels has transliterated it apart from Gehenna. κατισχύω, to prevail or overpower, stands three times in the four Gospels — here in Matthew and at Luke 21:36 and 23:23. Luke's two are a person's strength to escape and a shout that prevails; the picture of gates failing to prevail is only here. And it is notable that the subject is gates — a gate defends rather than attacks, so which way the movement runs is left open in the picture.
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “You are Peter, and on this rock…” — the two words rendered apart, the root-link recorded in the analysis
Basis Korean has no pair holding a name and a rock in one root, so none is invented and the link is stated in the analysis; πέτρα at Mark 15:46 already reads rock. πέτρα stands nine times in the four Gospels — five in Matthew, three in Luke, one in Mark, none in John.
Force one word, e.g. “you are Rock, and on this rock…”
Basis Reproduces the wordplay in the rendering.
Rejected Πέτρος is a personal name, used of him dozens of times in this book. Turning the name into a common noun in this one place loses the person — and still fails to carry the difference of gender.
Lost in translation
one root, two genders A Greek reader hears one root and sees the endings part. In English, Peter and rock share no sound, and the play is inaudible. Of the nine locales the root survives in three, and English is not one of them.
Survives in · Peshitta / Sahidic Coptic / this edition — 3 of the nine carry it (not this language)
19
⸀δώσω σοι τὰς ⸀κλεῖδας τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ ὃ ⸀ἐὰν δήσῃς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔσται δεδεμένον ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, καὶ ὃ ⸁ἐὰν λύσῃς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔσται λελυμένον ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens; and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in the heavens, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in the heavens.”
Keys is plural in Greek, and English marks the number. Will have been bound and will have been loosed are future perfects — the heavenly act stands already done.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = Peter — every “you” here is Peter
Why this rendering
Matt.16.19 Observation
Syntactic observation
The tenses are out of joint. The first halves are aorist subjunctive (δήσῃς, if you bind; λύσῃς, if you loose) and the second halves periphrastic future perfects — ἔσται δεδεμένον, will have been bound; ἔσται λελυμένον, will have been loosed: the future of εἰμί with a perfect participle, so that after the act on earth comes a state in heaven of already standing so. That a perfect is used rather than a simple future (δεθήσεται) is the shape of the sentence. κλείς, key, stands twice in the four Gospels — here and Luke 11:52 — and the number divides: Matthew has the plural κλεῖδας, keys, and Luke the singular τὴν κλεῖδα τῆς γνώσεως, the key of knowledge. More than one here, one there. And the same binding-and-loosing sentence returns at 18:18, given there not to you singular but to you plural: 16:19 is singular, 18:18 plural. Set side by side, the same authority is given once to one man and once to a community. SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸀δώσω ⸀κλεῖδας ⸀ἐὰν ⸁ἐὰν).
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “will have been bound in the heavens” — the perfect kept
Basis Renders the periphrastic future perfect as a state; a simple future would flatten it to will be bound and lose the layer of standing state.
Render as a simple future — will be bound
Basis Reads more naturally.
Rejected The text uses a perfect participle. A simple future changes the relation between the act on earth and the state in heaven, and erases the very point on which the sentence is disputed.
20
τότε ⸀διεστείλατο τοῖς ⸀μαθηταῖς ἵνα μηδενὶ εἴπωσιν ὅτι αὐτός ⸀ἐστιν ὁ χριστός.
Then he strictly ordered the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Tell no one — the silencing of Mark, kept here after the confession.
pronoun he = Jesus — both times
21
Ἀπὸ τότε ἤρξατο ⸂ὁ Ἰησοῦς⸃ δεικνύειν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ ὅτι δεῖ αὐτὸν ⸂εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἀπελθεῖν⸃ καὶ πολλὰ παθεῖν ἀπὸ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων καὶ ἀρχιερέων καὶ γραμματέων καὶ ἀποκτανθῆναι καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἐγερθῆναι.
From then on Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
On the third day — Mark 8:31 says “after three days”, and this edition keeps the difference.
pronoun his = Jesus
pronoun he = Jesus
22
καὶ προσλαβόμενος αὐτὸν ὁ Πέτρος ἤρξατο ἐπιτιμᾶν αὐτῷ λέγων· Ἵλεώς σοι, κύριε· οὐ μὴ ἔσται σοι τοῦτο.
And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God be gracious to you, Lord; this shall never happen to you.”
God be gracious to you renders ἵλεως (hileōs), a word of appeasement — this edition keeps it apart from the mercy-words. Only this book has Peter say it.
pronoun him = Jesus — both times
pronoun you = Jesus — both times
pronoun this = what Jesus said would happen
23
ὁ δὲ στραφεὶς εἶπεν τῷ Πέτρῳ· Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, Σατανᾶ· σκάνδαλον ⸂εἶ ἐμοῦ⸃, ὅτι οὐ φρονεῖς τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀλλὰ τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων.
But turning he said to Peter, “Go behind me, Satan; you are a stumbling block to me, because you are not thinking the things of God but the things of men.”
Stumbling block renders σκάνδαλον (skandalon), the trap-stick as a noun — only this book adds it here.
first here Satan Σατανᾶς Satanas
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun me = Jesus
pronoun you = Peter — both times
Why this rendering
Matt.16.23 Observation
Syntactic observation
Matthew adds a clause Mark 8:33 does not have — σκάνδαλον εἶ ἐμοῦ, you are a stumbling block to me. σκάνδαλον is the noun for a trap's baited stick, occurring in five places in Matthew (13:41, 16:23, three times at 18:7) and once in Luke (17:1), and never in Mark or John — Mark uses only the verb σκανδαλίζω, eight times. The noun is thus Matthew's word — and the ὀπίσω μου withheld from Satan at 4:10 is attached here (see the unit at 4:10). The rest of the sentence nearly matches Mark: Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, Σατανᾶ and οὐ φρονεῖς τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀλλὰ τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων overlap word for word. The verbs differ, though: Mark has ἐπετίμησεν, rebuked, while Matthew has only εἶπεν, said. And Mark's καὶ ἰδὼν τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ, seeing his disciples, is absent from Matthew. SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸂εἶ ἐμοῦ⸃,).
Rendering options · 2
Adopted “you are a stumbling block to me” — joined by root to cause to stumble
Basis Since σκανδαλίζω is fixed as to cause to stumble, the noun takes the same root.
Personalise, e.g. “you are trying to trip me”
Basis Unpacks the sense for readability.
Rejected The text names a person with the name of a thing — he *is* the stumbling block. Personalising loses that strangeness and parts from the same noun at 13:41 and 18:7.
24
Τότε ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ· Εἴ τις θέλει ὀπίσω μου ἐλθεῖν, ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθείτω μοι.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to come behind me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Cross names the beam a condemned man carried.
pronoun his = Jesus — “take up his cross” is anyone who follows
pronoun me = Jesus — both times
pronoun him = anyone who wants to come behind me
pronoun himself = the same
25
ὃς γὰρ ⸀ἐὰν θέλῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ σῶσαι ἀπολέσει αὐτήν· ὃς δ’ ἂν ἀπολέσῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ εὑρήσει αὐτήν.
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life because of me will find it.
Life here is ψυχή (psychē), the life a person lives — the same word as in verse 26.
pronoun his = whoever wants to save it — both times
pronoun it = his life — every “it” here is the same
pronoun me = Jesus
26
τί γὰρ ⸀ὠφεληθήσεται ἄνθρωπος ἐὰν τὸν κόσμον ὅλον κερδήσῃ τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ζημιωθῇ; ἢ τί δώσει ἄνθρωπος ἀντάλλαγμα τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ;
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?
In exchange renders ἀντάλλαγμα (antallagma), the price given in a swap.
pronoun he = a man
pronoun his = a man — both times
27
μέλλει γὰρ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἔρχεσθαι ἐν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ, καὶ τότε ἀποδώσει ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν αὐτοῦ.
For the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will repay each according to what he has done.
Repay (ἀποδίδωμι, apodidōmi) is to give back what is owed.
pronoun his = the Son of Man — both times
pronoun he = the Son of Man — “what he has done” is each person
28
ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ⸀ὅτι εἰσίν τινες ⸂τῶν ὧδε ἑστώτων⸃ οἵτινες οὐ μὴ γεύσωνται θανάτου ἕως ἂν ἴδωσιν τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενον ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ.
Amen I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Coming in his kingdom — Mark 9:1 says “the kingdom of God come in power”. The two are left as they stand.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the disciples
pronoun who = some standing here
pronoun they = some standing here
pronoun his = the Son of Man