Matthew 16:17

"Blessed" (Gr. makarios) identifies someone whom God has singularly favored and who, therefore, enjoys happiness (cf. Matthew 5:3-11). It is not the announcement of some special benediction or blessing on Peter for answering as he did. [Note: Morgan, p. 210.] However, Matthew 16:19 does reveal that Peter would receive a reward for his confession. "Barjonas" is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew bar yonah meaning "son of Jonah" (short for Yohanan). This address stressed Peter’s human nature. Jesus only used this full name for Peter when He had something very important to say to him (cf. John 1:42; John 21:15).

Peter gained the insight about Jesus that he had just expressed because God had given it to him (cf. Matthew 11:27; cf. John 6:44). It did not come from Peter himself. "Flesh and blood" was a Hebrew idiom for man as a mortal being (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:50; Galatians 1:16; Ephesians 6:12; Hebrews 2:14). [Note: M’Neile, p. 240.] Jesus perceived that Peter’s confession came from God-given insight. However not all such statements about Jesus did or do necessarily (cf. Matthew 21:9; Matthew 27:54).