What Does Matthew 16:16 Mean in the King James?
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
“Christ” is a calling carried by a person: Jesus is the Anointed One, the Son of the living God.
THE MEANING
This confession meets you now by naming Jesus as the Anointed One, the Son of the living God. “Living” carries the language of life itself, so God is named as living presence, and “Son” names Jesus’ relation to God. The claim holds both together in the person Peter addresses.
THE ROOT
Χριστός
Christos
GROWS FROM
χρίω
chriō
To anoint, to apply oil.
“Christ” in this verse is Christos. Greek Χριστός (Christos) means “the anointed one.” The title carries a calling: Jesus is the one marked out for God’s work, and Peter binds that calling to sonship.
ALSO GROWS
chriō: To anoint
χρίω
The verb names the action carried in Χριστός: Jesus is the one anointed.
chrisma: Anointing
χρῖσμα
This related noun keeps the title connected to an act of marking or empowering.
ζῶντος
zōntos
GROWS FROM
ζάω
zaō
To live, to be alive.
The Greek ζῶντος (zōntos), “living,” belongs to the same word family as ζωή (zōē), “life.” English can make “living” sound like a label; the Greek ties God’s identity here to the language of life itself.
ALSO GROWS
zōn: Living, alive
ζῶν
This form uses the same word family to describe God as living.
zōē: Life
ζωή
The noun names life itself, making the verse’s “living God” part of a larger language of life.
THE PATTERN
Scripture joins the Anointed One’s identity as God’s Son to the life that comes through him.
The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,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.THE THREAD
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.Matthew’s ζῶντος (zōntos), “living,” comes from ζάω (zaō), the same word family as ζωή (zōē), “life,” in John. John makes the connection visible: the confession of Jesus as the Christ and Son of God is joined to life through his name.
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