Matthew 16:23

But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. BUT HE TURNED, AND SAID - in the hearing of the rest; because Mark (Mark 8:33) expressly says, "When He had turned about and looked on His disciples, He rebuked Peter;" perceiving that he had but boldly uttered what others felt, and that the check was needed by them also. GET THEE BEHIND ME, SATAN - the same words as He had addressed to the Tempter (Luke 4:8); because He felt in it a Satanic lure, a whisper from hell, to move Him from His purpose to suffer. So He shook off the Serpent, then coiling around Him, and "felt no harm" ...

23._Get thee behind me, Satan. _It is idle to speculate, as some have done, about the word ( ὀπίσω) _behind; _as if Peter were ordered to follow, and not to go before; for, in a passage which we have already considered, Luke ( Luke 4:8) informs us that our Lord used those very words in repelling the attacks of Satan, and the verb ὕπαγε (from which the Latin word _Apage _is derived) signifies to _withdraw _(460) Christ therefore throws his disciple to a distance from him, because, in his inconsiderate zeal, he acted the part of _Satan; _for he does not simply call him _adversary_, but gives him the name of the devil, as an expression of the greatest abhorrence. Thou art an offense to me; for thou relishest not those things which are of God, but those

21-23 Christ reveals his mind to his people gradually. From that time, when the apostles had made the full confession of Christ, that he was the Son of God, he began to show them of his sufferings. He spake this to set right the mistakes of his disciples about the outward pomp and power of his kingdom. Those that follow Christ, must not expect great or high things in this world. Peter would have Christ to dread suffering as much as he did; but we mistake, if we measure Christ's love and patience by our own. We do not read of any thing said or done by any of his disciples, at any time, that Christ resented so much as this. Whoever takes us from that which is good, and would make us fear to do too much for God, speaks Satan's language. Whatever appears to be a temptation to sin, must be resisted with abhorrence, and not be parleyed with. Those that decline suffering for Christ, savour more...

Verse Matthew 16:23. _GET THEE BEHIND ME, SATAN_] υπαγεοπισω μου σατανα. _Get behind me, thou adversary_. This is the proper translation of the Hebrew word _Satan_, from which the Greek word is taken. Our blessed Lord certainly never designed that men should believe he called Peter, DEVIL, because he, through erring _affection_, had wished him to avoid that death which he predicted to himself. This translation, which is literal, takes away that _harshness_ which before appeared in our Lord's words. _THOU ART AN OFFENCE UNTO ME_] σκανδαλον μου ει _Thou art a_ _stumbling-block_ in my way, to impede me in the accomplishment of the great design. _THOU SAVOUREST NOT_] That is, _dost not relish_, ου φρονεις, or, thou dost not _understand_ or _discern_ the things of God - thou art whol

See also Mark 7:31; Luke 9:22. “From that time forth.” This was the first intimation that he gave that he was to die in this cruel manner. He had taken much pains to convince them that he was the Messiah; he saw by the confession of Peter that they were convinced, and he then began to prepare their minds for the awful event which was before him. Had he declared this when he first called them they would never have followed him. Their minds Were not prepared for it. They expected a temporal, triumphant prince as the Messiah. He first, therefore, convinced them that he was the Christ, and then, with great prudence, began to correct their apprehensions of the proper character of the Messiah. ELDERS - The men of the great council or Sanhedrin. See the notes

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 16:1 _The Pharisees and Sadducees desire a sign. _(Mark 8:11.) MATTHEW 16:1 THE PHARISEES ALSO WITH THE SADDUEEES; rather, _and the Pharisees and Sadducees. _The scribes and Pharisees are often mentioned together as watching or attacking Jesus; but this is the first time that we hear of Pharisees combining with Sadducees for this purpose. The two sects were directly opposed to each other, the traditional belief of the former being antagonistic to the scepticism and materialism of the latter. But both were hostile to Christ, whose teaching, on the one hand interfered with rabbinism, and on the

BUT HE TURNED,.... Either to Peter, changing his countenance, and looking sternly upon him, or rather to the disciples; for Mark says, "when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter": Peter had took him aside, and was arguing the case privately with him; but what he said was so offensive to him, that he chose to reprove him publicly before the disciples; and therefore turned himself from him to them, in a way of resentment, AND SAID UNTO PETER; in their hearing, and before them all, GET THEE BEHIND ME, SATAN. The Persic version renders it, O infidel! as he was at present, with respect to the sufferings, death, and resurrection of Christ: some take the word Satan, to be a general name for an adversary, or enemy, as it is used in 2 Samuel 19:22 and think that Christ calls Peter by this name, because he was against him, and op

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._ He had previously spoken somewhat darkly concerning his death; but it was so sad and so strange a revelation to his disciples that they could not think he really meant quite what he said. But now he began definitely and plainly to tell them about the future, and even to enter into details concerning his death and resurrection. He knew all that the work of redemption would involve for him; he had counted the cost; but «When the Saviour knew The price of pardon was his blood, His pity ne'er withdrew.» It must have been very saddening, but, at the same time, very profitable to the minds of the apostles to be led by

4. THE GREAT ANNOUNCEMENTS OF THE REJECTED KING CONCERNING HIMSELF. CHAPTER 16 1. Pharisees and Sadducees Asking a Sign. (Matthew 16:1 .) 2. Instructions Concerning the Leaven. (Matthew 16:5 .) 3. Peter's Confession. (Matthew 16:13 .) 4. The Future Building of the Church Announced. (Matthew 16:17 .) 5. The Announcement of His Death and Resurrection. (Matthew 16:21 .) 6. Peter's Rebuke and the Lord's Answer. (Matthew 16:22 .) 7. The Pa

THE GREAT CONFESSION AND THE FIRST VIEW OF THE CROSS (Mark 8:27 *, Luke 9:18). Omitting the cure of the blind man (but _cf. Matthew 9:27_), Mt. passes to the significant episode of Cæ sarea Philippi. Matthew 16:13 = Mark 8:27, but note the substitution (Matthew 16:13) of Son of Man for I, which gives the position away (especially if we read I, the Son of Man), and the addition of Jeremiah ...