Bible Strands
Matthew 16:14
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesus questions His disciples in Caesarea Philippi about public opinion regarding the Son of Man. The disciples respond by reporting the circulating rumors before Jesus redirects the question to their personal conviction.
The words — The Greek εἶπαν (eipan) marks the disciples' act of reporting, while Ἰωάννην τὸν βαπτιστήν (Iōannēn ton baptistēn) isolates John the Baptist as the leading candidate in the crowd's speculation.
The thread — The reported speculation connects to Mark 6:15 and Matthew 14:2 regarding public identification of prophetic figures, and anticipates the Elijah motif in Malachi 4:5.
Why it lands — The text first records that the crowd relies on inherited prophetic templates before Jesus demands a personal confession. It requires the reader to separate cultural rumor from direct, individual acknowledgment of Christ's identity.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
Cross-references
- Mark 6:15 Others were saying, “He is Elijah,” and still others, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.”
- Matthew 14:2 and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
- Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD.
- Luke 9:18 One day as Jesus was praying in private and the disciples were with Him, He questioned them: “Who do the crowds say I am?”
- John 9:17 So once again they asked the man who had been blind, “What do you say about Him, since it was your eyes He opened?” “He is a prophet,” the man replied.
- John 7:12 Many in the crowds were whispering about Him. Some said, “He is a good man.” But others replied, “No, He deceives the people.”
- Matthew 17:10 The disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
- Mark 8:28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”
- Luke 9:8 others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that a prophet of old had arisen.
- John 7:40 On hearing these words, some of the people said, “This is truly the Prophet.”