The Meaning of Matthew 16:22 Explained

Matthew 16:22

KJV: Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

YLT: And having taken him aside, Peter began to rebuke him, saying, 'Be kind to thyself, sir; this shall not be to thee;'

Darby: And Peter taking him to him began to rebuke him, saying, God be favourable to thee, Lord; this shall in no wise be unto thee.

ASV: And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall never be unto thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  Peter  took  him,  and began  to rebuke  him,  saying,  Be it far  from thee,  Lord:  this  shall  not  be  unto thee. 

What does Matthew 16:22 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Peter obviously understood that Jesus was predicting His death. He began to rebuke Jesus privately for thinking such a thing, but Jesus cut him off ( Matthew 16:23). Apparently Peter"s understanding of Messiah did not include a Suffering Servant, which almost everyone in Israel rejected as well.
"Like many modern readers of the Bible, Peter did not want to accept what did not agree with his hopes and ambitions." [1]
Peter used a very strong negative expression meaning "Never, Lord!" The Greek expression is ou me, and it is comparatively rare in the New Testament. Peter followed up his great confession ( Matthew 16:16) with a great contradiction.
"Peter"s strong will and warm heart linked to his ignorance produce a shocking bit of arrogance. He confesses that Jesus is the Messiah and then speaks in a way implying that he knows more of God"s will than the Messiah himself." [2]

Context Summary

Matthew 16:21-28 - Bear The Cross For Jesus
The gospel has two parts: Jesus is the Christ; and the Christ must suffer, if He shall enter His glory. Our Lord made sure of the first, before He held to the second. There had been veiled hints of His death before, as in John 2:19; Matthew 9:15; Matthew 12:40; but henceforth it was taught without a veil. The Cross had always cast its shadow over our Lord's path. He did not die as the martyr on whom death comes unexpectedly, but He stepped from the throne and became incarnate that He might die. Notice that solemn must, Matthew 16:21.
How soon Peter fell from his high estate! Beware! The voice that bids us spare ourselves is Satan's. Self-pleasing ends in destruction. Self-denial and self-sacrifice are the divine path to life. Let us be more eager to lose ourselves than to find ourselves; more set on the cross than on the glory; more eager to promote the well-being of others than our own. We do not choose or make our cross; Christ gives each a little bit of His true Cross to bear as He pleases. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 16

1  The Pharisees require a sign
5  Jesus warns his disciples of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees
13  The people's opinion of Jesus,
16  and Peter's confession of him
21  Jesus foretells his death;
23  reproves Peter for dissuading him from it;
24  and admonishes those who will follow him, to bear the cross

Greek Commentary for Matthew 16:22

Peter took him [προσλαβομενος αυτον ο Πετρος]
Middle voice, “taking to himself,” aside and apart, “as if by a right of his own. He acted with greater familiarity after the token of acknowledgment had been given. Jesus, however, reduces him to his level” (Bengel). “Peter here appears in a new character; a minute ago speaking under inspiration from heaven, now under inspiration from the opposite quarter” (Bruce). Syriac Sinaitic for Mark 8:32 has it “as though pitying him.” But this exclamation and remonstrance of Peter was soon interrupted by Jesus. [source]
God have mercy on thee [ιλεως]
Strongest kind of negation, as if Peter would not let it happen. Peter had perfect assurance. [source]
This shall never be [ου μη εσται σοι τουτο]
Strongest kind of negation, as if Peter would not let it happen. Peter had perfect assurance. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 16:22

Matthew 18:1 Who then is greatest [τις αρα μειζων εστιν]
The αρα — ara seems to point back to the tax-collection incident when Jesus had claimed exemption for them all as “sons” of the Father. But it was not a new dispute, for jealousy had been growing in their hearts. The wonderful words of Jesus to Peter on Mount Hermon (Matthew 16:17-19) had evidently made Peter feel a fresh sense of leadership on the basis of which he had dared even to rebuke Jesus for speaking of his death (Matthew 16:22). And then Peter was one of the three (James and John also) taken with the Master up on the Mount of Transfiguration. Peter on that occasion had spoken up promptly. And just now the tax-collectors had singled out Peter as the one who seemed to represent the group. Mark (Mark 9:33) represents Jesus as asking them about their dispute on the way into the house, perhaps just after their question in Matthew 18:1. Jesus had noticed the wrangling. It will break out again and again (Matthew 20:20-28; Luke 22:24). Plainly the primacy of Peter was not yet admitted by the others. The use of the comparative μειζων — meizōn (so ο μειζων — ho meizōn in Matthew 18:4) rather than the superlative μεγιστος — megistos is quite in accord with the Koiné idiom where the comparative is displacing the superlative (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 667ff.). But it is a sad discovery to find the disciples chiefly concerned about their own places (offices) in the political kingdom which they were expecting. [source]
Luke 9:31 Who appeared in glory [οι οπτεντες εν δοχηι]
First aorist passive participle of οραω — horaō This item peculiar to Luke. Compare Luke 9:26.Spake of his decease (ελεγον την εχοδον — elegon tēn exodon). Imperfect active, were talking about his εχοδυς — exodus (departure from earth to heaven) very much like our English word “decease” (Latin decessus, a going away). The glorious light graphically revealed Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus about the very subject concerning which Peter had dared to rebuke Jesus for mentioning (Mark 8:32; Matthew 16:22). This very word εχοδυς — exodus (way out) in the sense of death occurs in 2 Peter 1:15 and is followed by a brief description of the Transfiguration glory. Other words for death (τανατος — thanatos) in the N.T. are εκβασις — ekbasis going out as departure (Hebrews 13:7), απιχις — aphixis departing (Acts 20:29), αναλυσις — analusis loosening anchor (2 Timothy 4:6) and αναλυσαι — analusai (Philemon 1:23).To accomplish To fulfil. Moses had led the Exodus from Egypt. Jesus will accomplish the exodus of God‘s people into the Promised Land on high. See notes on Mark and note on Matthew for discussion of significance of the appearance of Moses and Elijah as representatives of law and prophecy and with a peculiar death. The purpose of the Transfiguration was to strengthen the heart of Jesus as he was praying long about his approaching death and to give these chosen three disciples a glimpse of his glory for the hour of darkness coming. No one on earth understood the heart of Jesus and so Moses and Elijah came. The poor disciples utterly failed to grasp the significance of it all. [source]
Luke 9:31 Spake of his decease [ελεγον την εχοδον]
Imperfect active, were talking about his εχοδυς — exodus (departure from earth to heaven) very much like our English word “decease” (Latin decessus, a going away). The glorious light graphically revealed Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus about the very subject concerning which Peter had dared to rebuke Jesus for mentioning (Mark 8:32; Matthew 16:22). This very word εχοδυς — exodus (way out) in the sense of death occurs in 2 Peter 1:15 and is followed by a brief description of the Transfiguration glory. Other words for death (τανατος — thanatos) in the N.T. are εκβασις — ekbasis going out as departure (Hebrews 13:7), απιχις — aphixis departing (Acts 20:29), αναλυσις — analusis loosening anchor (2 Timothy 4:6) and αναλυσαι — analusai (Philemon 1:23). [source]
Acts 10:14 Not so [μηδαμῶς]
Stronger: by no means. “With that simple and audacious self-confidence which in his (Peter's) character was so singularly mingled with fits of timidity and depression, he boldly corrects the voice which orders him, and reminds the divine Interlocutor that he must, so to speak, have made an oversight” (Farrar, “Life and Works of Paul”). Compare Matthew 16:22. [source]
Romans 3:4 God forbid [μὴ γένοιτο]
Lit., may it not have come to pass. Used by Paul fourteen times. It introduces the rebuttal of an inference drawn from Paul's arguments by an opponent. Luther renders das sey ferne that be far. Wyc. fer be it. It corresponds to the Hebrew chalilah. profane, which in the Septuagint is sometimes rendered by it, sometimes by μηδαμῶς byno means, sometimes by μὴ εἴη mayit not be, and again by ἵλεως Godbe merciful to us (see on Matthew 16:22). It indicates a feeling of strong aversion: “Away with the thought.” [source]
Romans 14:1 Receive ye [προσλαμβάνεσθε]
Into fellowship. See on Matthew 16:22. [source]
Hebrews 8:12 Merciful [ἵλεως]
Only here and Matthew 16:22, see note. [source]
Hebrews 2:18 In that [εν ωι]
Literally, “In which” (= εν τουτωι εν ωι — en toutōi en hōi in that in which), a causal idea, though in Romans 14:22 εν ωι — en hōi means “wherein.” Hath suffered Second perfect active indicative of πασχω — paschō permanent part of Christ‘s experience. Being tempted First aorist passive participle of πειραζω — peirazō The temptation to escape the shame of the Cross was early and repeatedly presented to Christ, by Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4:8-11), by Peter in the spirit of Satan (Matthew 16:22.), in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39), and caused intense suffering to Jesus (Luke 22:44; Hebrews 5:8). He is able This word strikes the heart of it all. Christ‘s power to help is due not merely to his deity as God‘s Son, but also to his humanity without which he could not sympathize with us (Hebrews 4:15). To succour First aorist active infinitive of the old compound verb βοητεω — boētheō Them that are tempted Dative plural of the articular participle (present passive) of πειραζω — peirazō These Jewish Christians were daily tempted to give up Christ, to apostatize from Christianity. Jesus understands himself (αυτος — autos) their predicament and is able to help them to be faithful. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 16:22 mean?

And having taken aside Him - Peter began to rebuke Him saying Far be it from You Lord never not will be to You this
Καὶ προσλαβόμενος αὐτὸν Πέτρος ἤρξατο ἐπιτιμᾶν αὐτῷ λέγων Ἵλεώς σοι Κύριε οὐ μὴ ἔσται σοι τοῦτο

προσλαβόμενος  having  taken  aside 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Middle, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: προσαναλαμβάνω 
Sense: to take to, take in addition, to take to one’s self.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Πέτρος  Peter 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Πέτρος  
Sense: one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.
ἤρξατο  began 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἄρχω  
Sense: to be the first to do (anything), to begin.
ἐπιτιμᾶν  to  rebuke 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: ἐπιτιμάω  
Sense: to show honour to, to honour.
λέγων  saying 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
Ἵλεώς  Far  be  it 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἵλεως  
Sense: propitious, merciful.
σοι  from  You 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
Κύριε  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.
οὐ  never 
Parse: Adverb
Root: οὐ  
Sense: no, not; in direct questions expecting an affirmative answer.
ἔσται  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
σοι  to  You 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
τοῦτο  this 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.