Mat 16:17, 19:5, 24:22, Luk 3:6, Rom 1:3, 9:5 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 17. And Jesus answered--Blessed art thou , Simon Bar-jona is the same as Simon son of Jona. Bar is a Syriac word, signifying son . The father of Peter, therefore, was Jona, or Jonas, . Blessed . That is, happy, honoured, evincing a proper spirit, and entitled to the approbation of God. For flesh and blood . This phrase commonly signifies man, (see ; and it has been commonly supposed that he meant to say that man had not revealed it. But Jesus seems rather to have referred to himself. "This truth you have not learned from my lowly appearance, from my human nature, from my apparent rank and standing in the world. You, Jews, were expecting to know the Messiah by his external splendour, his pomp and power as a man. But you have not learned me in this manner. I have shown no such indication of my Messiahship. Flesh and blood have not shown it. In spite of my appearance--my lowly state-- my want of resemblance to what you have expected--you have learned it, taught by God." This they had been taught by his miracles, his instructions, and the direct teachings of God on their minds. To reveal is to make known, or communicate something that was unknown, or secret. (o) "flesh and blood" (p) "but my Father"

Matthew 16:17

Verse 17. And Jesus answered--Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona is the same as Simon son of Jona. Bar is a Syriac word, signifying son. The father of Peter, therefore, was Jona, or Jonas, Jn 1:42, 21:16,17.

Blessed. That is, happy, honoured, evincing a proper spirit, and entitled to the approbation of God.

For flesh and blood. This phrase commonly signifies man, (see Gal 1:16, Eph 6:12; and it has been commonly supposed that he meant to say that man had not revealed it. But Jesus seems rather to have referred to himself. "This truth you have not learned from my lowly appearance,

from my human nature, from my apparent rank and standing

in the world. You, Jews, were expecting to know the Messiah

by his external splendour, his pomp and power as a man. But

you have not learned me in this manner. I have shown no

such indication of my Messiahship. Flesh and blood have

not shown it. In spite of my appearance--my lowly state--

my want of resemblance to what you have expected--you have

learned it, taught by God."

This they had been taught by his miracles, his instructions, and the direct teachings of God on their minds. To reveal is to make known, or communicate something that was unknown, or secret.

(o) "flesh and blood" 1Cor 2:10, Gal 1:16, Eph 2:8 (p) "but my Father" 1Jn 4:15, 5:20

Matthew 19:5

Verse 5. Mt 19:4

Matthew 24:22

Verse 22. Except those days should be shortened. If the calamities of the siege should be lengthened out. If famine and war should be suffered to rage.

No flesh be saved. None of the nations would be preserved alive. All the inhabitants of Judea would perish. The war, famine, and pestilence would entirely destroy them.

But for the elect's sake. The elect here doubtless means Christians. See 1Pet 1:2, Rom 1:7, Eph 1:4, 1Thes 1:4. The word elect means to choose. It is given to Christians because they are "chosen to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth," 2Thes 2:13. It is probable that in Jerusalem and the adjacent parts of Judea, there were many who were true followers of Christ. On their account--to preserve them alive, and to make them the instruments of spreading the gospel he said those days should not be lengthened out, and suffered to produce their destruction. It is related by Josephus, (Jewish Wars, book i. chap. 12, 1,) that Titus at first resolved to reduce the city by famine, he therefore built a wall around it, to keep any provisions from being carried in, and any of the people from going out. The Jews, however, drew up their army near the walls, engaged in battle, and the Romans pursued them, provoked by their attempts, and broke into the city. The affairs of Rome also at that time demanded the presence of Titus there and, contrary to his original intention, he pressed the siege, and took the city by storm--thus shortening the time that would have been occupied in reducing it by famine. This was for the benefit of the "elect." So the designs of wicked men, intended by them for the destruction of the people of God, are intended by God for the good of his chosen people. See Isa 10:7, and Isa 10:7 on that verse.

(t) "for the elect's sake" Isa 65:8,9

Luke 3:6

Verse 6. No entry from BARNES for this verse.

(e) "And all flesh" Ps 98:2, Isa 40:5, 52:10, Rom 10:12,18

Romans 1:3

Verse 3. Concerning his Son. This is connected with the first verse, with the word gospel. The gospel of God concerning his Son. The design of the gospel was to make a communication relative to his Son Jesus Christ. This is the whole of it. There is no good news to man respecting salvation except that which comes by Jesus Christ.

Which was made. The word translated was made means, usually, to be, or to become. It is used, however, in the sense of being born. Thus, Gal 4:4, "God sent forth his Son made of a woman," born of a woman. Jn 8:58, "Before Abraham was [born,] I am." In this sense it seems to be used here--who was born, or descended from the seed of David.

Of the seed of David. Of the posterity or lineage of David. He was a descendant of David. David was perhaps the most illustrious of the kings of Israel. The promise to him was, that there should not fail a man to sit on his throne, 1Kgs 2:4, 8:25, 9:5, 2Chr 6:16. This ancient promise was understood as referring to the Messiah; and hence in the New Testament he is called the descendant of David, and so much pains is taken to show that he was of his line, Lk 1:27, Mt 9:27, 15:22, 12:23 Mt 21:9,15, 22:42,45, Jn 7:42, 2Ti 2:8. As the Jews universally believed that the Messiah would be descended from David, Jn 7:42, it was of great importance for the sacred writers to make it out clearly that Jesus of Nazareth was of that line and family. Hence it happened, that though our Saviour was humble, and poor, and obscure, yet he had that on which no small part of the world have been accustomed so much to pride themselves--an illustrious ancestry. To a Jew there could be scarcely any honour so high as to be descended from the best of their kings; and it shows how little the Lord Jesus esteemed the honours of this world, that he could always evince his deep humility in circumstances where men are usually proud; and that when he spoke of the honours of this world, and told how little they were worth, he was not denouncing that which was not within his reach.

According to the flesh. The word flesh--σαρξ--is used in the Scriptures in a great variety of significations.

(1.) It denotes, as with us, the flesh literally of any living being. Lk 24:39, "A spirit hath not flesh and bones," etc.

(2.) The animal system, the body, including flesh and bones, the visible part of man, in distinction from the invisible, or the soul. Acts 2:31, "Neither did his flesh" (his body) "see corruption." 1Cor 5:5, 15:39.

(3.) The man, the whole animated system, body and soul. Rom 8:3, "In the likeness of sinful flesh." 1Cor 15:50; Mt 16:17; Lk 3:6.

(4.) Human nature. As a man. Thus, Acts 2:30, "God had sworn with an oath that of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh, [i.e., in his human nature,] he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne." Rom 9:5, "Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever." The same is its meaning here. He was a descendant of David in his human nature, or as a man. This implies, of course, that he had another nature besides his human; or that, while he was a man, he was also something else; that there was a nature in which he was not descended from David. That this is its meaning will still further appear by the following observations.

(1.) The apostle expressly makes a contrast between his condition according to the flesh, and that according to the spirit of holiness.

(2.) The expression, "according to the flesh," is applied to no other one in the New Testament but to Jesus Christ. Though the word flesh often occurs, and is often used to denote man, yet the peculiar expression according to the flesh occurs in no other connexion. In all the Scriptures it is never said of any prophet or apostle, any lawgiver or king, or any man in any capacity, that he came in the flesh, or that he was descended from certain ancestors according to the flesh. Nor is such an expression ever used anywhere else. If it were applied to a mere man, we should instantly ask in what other way could he come than in the flesh? Has he a higher nature? Is he an angel, or a seraph? The expression would be unmeaning. And when, therefore, it is applied to Jesus Christ, it implies, if language has any meaning, that there was a sense in which Jesus was not descended from David. What that was appears in the next verse.

(d) "was made" Ps 89:36

Romans 9:5

Verse 5. Whose are the fathers. Who have been honoured with so illustrious an ancestry. Who are descended from Abraham, Isaac, etc. On this they highly valued themselves, and, in a certain sense, not unjustly. Comp. Mt 3:9.

Of whom. Of whose nation. This is placed as the crowning and most exalted privilege, that their nation had given birth to the long-expected Messiah, the hope of the world.

As concerning the flesh. So far as his human nature was concerned. The use of this language supposes that there was a higher nature, in respect to which he was not of their nation. Rom 1:3.

Christ came. He had already come; and it was their high honour that he was one of their nation.

Who is over all. This is an appellation that belongs only to the true God. It implies supreme Divinity; and is full proof that the Messiah is Divine. Much effort has been made to show that this is not the true rendering, but without success. There are no various readings in the Greek MSS. of any consequence; and the connexion here evidently requires us to understand this of a nature that is not "according to the flesh," i.e., as the apostle here shows, of the Divine nature.

God blessed for ever. This is evidently applied to the Lord Jesus; and it proves that he is Divine. If the translation is fairly made,--and it has never been proved to be erroneous,--it demonstrates that he is God as well as man. The doxology "blessed for ever" was usually added by the Jewish writers after the mention of the name God, as an expression of reverence. (See the various interpretations that have been proposed on this passage examined in Prof Stuart's Notes on this verse.)

(d) "fathers" Rom 11:28 (e) "as concerning" Lk 3:23 (f) "is over all" Jn 1:1