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Notes and Jottings from an Old Bible.
#17.
Affirmation.
p. 19
The form of assent among the Jews was Chen dibroth, which becomes in the Greek
Su eipas, "Thou hast said". There are instances in the Talmud of this usage, as for
example:
"A certain man was asked, Is Rabbi dead? He answered, Ye have said it, on which
they rent their clothes, taking it for granted from this answer that it was so."
The phrase, "Thou hast said", occurs in Matt. 26: 64:
"The High Priest answered and said unto Him, I adjure thee by the living God, that
thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast
said" (Su eipas).
This passage is of importance because of its bearing upon Matt. 16: 18. The A.V.
and R.V. render the passage under notice, "Thou art Peter", the text reading Su ei petros,
but since the days of Augustine and Jerome opinion has wavered as to whether the Lord
did say, "Thou art Peter", or whether He replied as he did in Matt. 26:, "Thou hast
said".
It is a matter too technical for this short note, but after consulting the Retractions of
Augustine and seeing the place that chapters 16: and 26: occupy in the structure, the
writer has come to the conclusion (the opinion is given for what it is worth) that in both
cases the true reading is, "Thou hast said", and that instead of the church being built upon
Peter, it is the great confession, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, which
is the rock foundation of our faith. As in Matt. 7: 21, "sayings"--not persons--are the
basis of the building.