Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 16:17
Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona - Or Simon, son of Jonah; so Bar-jonah should be translated, and so it is rendered by our Lord, John 1:42 . Flesh and blood - i.e. Man; - no human being hath revealed this; and though the text is literal enough, yet every body should know that this is a Hebrew periphrasis for man; and the literal translation of it here, and in Galatians 1:16 , has misled thousands, who suppose that flesh and blood signify carnal reason, as it is termed, or the... read more
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 16:16
Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God - Every word here is emphatic - a most concise, and yet comprehensive, confession of faith. The Christ, or Messiah, points out his divinity, and shows his office; the Son - designates his person: on this account it is that both are joined together so frequently in the new covenant. Of the living God Του Θεου, του ζωντος , literally, of God the Living One. The C. Bezae has for Του ζωντος the Living One, Του σωζοντος , the Savior, and the... read more