himself in person, who was not dead, or the resurrection of the others from the dead j1 see ch. xiv. 2 : Luke ix. 8, 19. — 'lepi- piav, Jeremiah) who was at that time expected by the Jews. — EK«, one) i.e. some one indefinitely. They did not think that anything greater could come than they had already had. They did not compare Jesus with Moses.
16. 'AmxpiMf, answering) Peter everywhere, from the warmth of his disposition, took the lead among the apostles in speaking. — 2/>wv TIsrpog, Simon Peter) On this solemn occasion his name and surname are joined. It is clear that Simon acknowledged the Son of God more quickly and fully, and outshone his fellow- disciples. — 2u f7, Thou art) He says firmly, Thou art, not I say that Thou art. It behoved that Peter should first believe this, and then hear it on the Mount of Transfiguration ; see ch. xvii. 5. Peter had already uttered a similar confession ; see John vi. 69 ; but this is mentioned with greater distinction, since he delivered it after so many temptations,2 on being so solemnly interro gated. — o Xpiffrbg, o Tib; rov &so\J ro\j £aMV»f, the Christ, the Son of the living God) These two appellations, therefore, are not exactly synonymous, as John Locke3 pretended, though the one is implied in the other (see Acts ix. 20) ; and there is a grada tion here ; for the knowledge of Jesus as the Son of God is sublimer than that of Him as the Christ.
17. Maxdpiog, blessed) This word signifies a condition not only blessed, but at the same time rare ; see ch. xiii. 16. Jesus had not previously told His disciples explicitly that He was the Christ. He had done and said those things by which, through the revelation of the Father, they might recognise Him as the Christ. — 2/>wv Bap 'iwva, Simon Bar-jond) This express naming signifies that the Lord knoweth them that are His, and recalls to Peter's remembrance that sample of omniscience which had been given to him in John i. 42 ; cf. ibid. xxi. 15.4 — aap% xai
1 The suspicion they formed was not that the soul of Elijah or others had passed into the body of Jesus, according to the Pythagorean doctrine of me tempsychosis, but an actual return cf Elijah in person, or a resurrection of the others named. — ED.
2 John vii.-x.— E. B.
3 The Author of the Essay concerning " The human understanding;" born at Wrington in 1632, died in 1704. — (L B.)
4 Peter himself hardly thought that he was so acceptable [before God].