Matthew 16 · Verse 20

Matthew 16:20

Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
Matthew 16:20, King James Version

Matthew 16:20 in other translations

BSBThen He admonished the disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ.
WEBThen he commanded the disciples that they should tell no one that he was Jesus the Christ.
ASVThen charged he the disciples that they should tell no man that he was the Christ.
YLTThen did he charge his disciples that they may say to no one that he is Jesus the Christ.
DARBYThen he enjoined on his disciples that they should say to no man that he was the Christ.
BBEThen he gave orders to the disciples to give no man word that he was the Christ.
WebsterThen he charged his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

What does Matthew 16:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
20. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ--Now that He had been so explicit, they might naturally think the time come for giving it out openly; but here they are told it had not. Announcement of His Approaching Death and Rebuke of Peter (Mt 16:21-28). The occasion here is evidently the same.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 20. Then charged, etc. That is, he then commanded them. Mark Mk 8:30 and Luke Lk 9:21 (Greek) that he strictly or severely charged them. He laid emphasis on it, as a matter of much importance. The reason of this seems to be that his time had not fully come; he was not willing to rouse the Jewish malice, and to endanger his life, by having it proclaimed that he was the Messiah. The word Jesus is wanting in many manuscripts, and should probably be omitted. "Then he charged them strictly to tell no man that he was the Christ or Messiah."

(v) "Then charged" Mk 8:30

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 Then charged he his disciples - ΔιεϚειλατο, he strictly charged them. Some very good MSS. have επετιμησεν, he severely charged - comminatus est, - he threatened. These are the readings of the Cod. Bezae, both in the Greek and Latin. The Christ - The common text has Jesus the Christ; but the word Jesus is omitted by fifty-four MSS., some of which are not only of the greatest authority, but also of the greatest antiquity. It is omitted also by the Syriac, later Persic, later Arabic, Slavonic, six copies of the Itala, and several of the fathers. The most eminent critics approve of this omission, and Griesbach has left it out of the text in both his editions. I believe the insertion of it here to be wholly superfluous and improper; for the question is, Who is this Jesus? Peter answers, He is, ὁ ΧριϚος, the Messiah. The word Jesus is obviously improper. What our Lord says here refers to Peter's testimony in Mat 16:16 : Thou art the Christ - Jesus here says, Tell no man that I am the Christ, i.e. the Messiah; as the time for his full manifestation was not yet come; and he was not willing to provoke the Jewish malice, or the Roman envy, by permitting his disciples to announce him as the Savior of a lost world. He chose rather to wait, till his resurrection and ascension had set this truth in the clearest light, and beyond the power of successful contradiction.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 16:13-20

Peter, for himself and his brethren, said that they were assured of our Lord's being the promised Messiah, the Son of the living God. This showed that they believed Jesus to be more than man. Our Lord declared Peter to be blessed, as the teaching of God made him differ from his unbelieving countrymen. Christ added that he had named him Peter, in allusion to his stability or firmness in professing the truth. The word…

Read the full comment on Matthew 16:13-20 →

Matthew 16:20 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΤότεToteThenG5119
διεστείλατοdiesteilatohe orderedG1291
τοῖςtoistheG3588
μαθηταῖςmathētaisdisciplesG3101
ἵναinathatG2443
μηδενὶmēdenito no oneG3367
εἴπωσινeipōsinthey may sayG2036
ὅτιhotithatG3754
αὐτόςautosHe himselfG846
ἐστινestinisG1510
ὁhotheG3588
χριστός.¶christosChrist.G5547

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 16:20

  • Mark 8:30

    And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.

  • Luke 9:21

    And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;

  • John 1:41

    He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

  • Matthew 17:9

    And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

  • Luke 9:36

    And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.

  • Matthew 8:4

    And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

  • John 1:45

    Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

  • John 20:31

    But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

  • Mark 9:9

    And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.

  • Acts 2:36

    Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

  • 1 John 2:22

    Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

  • 1 John 5:1

    Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
charged.
8:4; 17:9; Mr 8:30; 9:9; Lu 9:21,36
Jesus.
Joh 1:41,45; 20:31; Ac 2:36; 1Jo 2:22; 5:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 16:19

    And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

  • Matthew 16:20

    Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

  • Matthew 16:21

    From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Read all of Matthew 16

Matthew 16:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Entonces mandó á sus discípulos que á nadie dijesen que él era Jesús el Cristo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Alors il enjoignit aux disciples de ne dire à personne qu’il était le Christ.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Dann gebot er seinen Jüngern, daß sie niemandem sagten, daß er der Christus sei.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Tunc præcepit discipulis suis ut nemini dicerent quia ipse esset Jesus Christus.