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Translation
King James Version
¶ And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:
Complete Jewish Bible
As they were going about together in the Galil, Yeshua said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of people
Berean Standard Bible
When they gathered together in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.
American Standard Version
And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be delivered up into the hands of men;
World English Bible Messianic
While they were staying in Galilee, Yeshua said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered up into the hands of men,
Geneva Bible (1599)
And they being in Galile, Iesus said vnto them, The Sonne of man shall be deliuered into the handes of men,
Young's Literal Translation
And while they are living in Galilee, Jesus said to them, `The Son of Man is about to be delivered up to the hands of men,
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In the KJVVerse 23,723 of 31,102
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Commentary on Matthew 17 verses 22–23
22 ¶ And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:
23 And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.
I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points(1.) (2.) Details
Christ here foretels his own sufferings; he began to do it before (Mat 16:21); and, finding that it was to his disciples a hard saying, he saw it necessary to repeat it. There are some things which God speaketh once, yea twice, and yet man perceiveth it not. Observe here,
1.What he foretold concerning himself - that he should be betrayed and killed. He perfectly knew, before, all things that should come to him, and yet undertook the work of our redemption, which greatly commends his love; nay, his clear foresight of them was a kind of ante-passion, had not his love to man made all easy to him.
(1.)He tells them that he should be betrayed into the hands of men. He shall be delivered up (so it might be read and understood of his Father's delivering him up by his determined counsel and fore-knowledge, Act 2:23; Rom 8:32); but as we render it, it refers to Judas's betraying him into the hands of the priests, and their betraying him into the hands of the Romans. He was betrayed into the hands of men; men to whom he was allied by nature, and from whom therefore he might expect pity and tenderness; men whom he had undertaken to save, and from whom therefore he might expect honour and gratitude; yet these are his persecutors and murderers.
(2.)That they should kill him; nothing less than that would satisfy their rage; it was his blood, his precious blood, that they thirsted after. This is the heir, come, let us kill him. Nothing less would satisfy God's justice, and answer his undertaking; if he be a Sacrifice of atonement, he must be killed; without blood no remission.
(3.)That he shall be raised again the third day. Still, when he spoke of his death, he gave a hint of his resurrection, the joy set before him, in the prospect of which he endured the cross, and despised the shame. This was an encouragement, not only to him, but to his disciples; for if he rise the third day, his absence from them will not be long, and his return to them will be glorious.
2.How the disciples received this; They were exceedingly sorry. Herein appeared their love to their Master's person, but with all their ignorance and mistake concerning his undertaking. Peter indeed durst not say any thing against it, as he had done before (Mat 16:22), having then been severely chidden for it; but he, and the rest of them, greatly lamented it, as it would be their own loss, their Master's grief, and the sin and ruin of them that did it.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 22–23. Public domain.
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Origen of Alexandria (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 253
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
This seems to be so like a warning He had given above, that a man might easily say that the Lord now repeated what He had said before; yet is it not so; He had not before said that He must be betrayed, but we hear now not only that He must be betrayed, but that He must be betrayed into the hands of men. The Son of Man indeed was delivered up by God the Father according to the Apostle (Rom. 8:32.), but different powers gave him up into the hands of men.
Origen of AlexandriaAD 253
COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 13.8
I think we have an obligation to examine this, too: that Jesus was delivered into the hands of men, not by men into the hands of men but by powers to whom the Father delivered his Son on behalf of us all. In the very act of being delivered and coming under the power of those to whom he was delivered, he "destroyed him who had the power of death." For "through death he destroyed him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and delivered all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage."
John ChrysostomAD 407
Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 57
"Likewise shall also the Son of Man suffer of them." Seest thou how again He in due season reminds them of His passion, laying up for them great store of comfort from the passion of John. And not in this way only, but also by presently working great miracles. Yea, and whensoever He speaks of His passion, presently He works miracles, both after those sayings and before them; and in many places one may find Him to have kept this rule.
"Then," for instance, it saith, "He began to signify how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and be killed, and suffer many things." "Then:" when? when He was confessed to be Christ, and the Son of God.
Again on the mountain, when He had shown them the marvellous vision, and the prophets had been discoursing of His glory, He reminded them of His passion. For having spoken of the history concerning John, He added, "Likewise shall also the Son of Man suffer of them."
And after a little while again, when He had cast out the devil, which His disciples were not able to cast out; for then too, "As they abode in Galilee," so it saith, "Jesus said unto them, The Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, and they shall kill Him, and the third day He shall rise again."
Now in doing this, He by the greatness of the miracles was abating the excess of their sorrow, and in every way consoling them; even as here also, by the mention of John's death, He afforded them much consolation.
But when they heard these things, they do not ask Him when Elias cometh; being straitened either by grief at His passion, or by fear. For on many occasions, upon seeing Him unwilling to speak a thing clearly, they are silent, and so an end. For instance, when during their abode in Galilee He said, "The Son of Man shall be betrayed, and they shall kill Him;" it is added by Mark, "That they understood not the saying, and were afraid to ask Him;" by Luke, "That it was hid from them, that they might not perceive it, and they feared to ask Him of that saying."
John ChrysostomAD 407
Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 58
That is, to hinder their saying, "wherefore do we abide here continually," He speaks to them again of the passion; on hearing which they had no wish so much as to see Jerusalem. And it is remarkable how, when both Peter had been rebuked, and Moses and Elias had discoursed concerning it, and had called the thing glory, and the Father had uttered a voice from above, and so many miracles had been done, and the resurrection was at the doors (for He said, He should by no means abide any long time in death, but should be raised the third day); not even so did they endure it, but were sorry; and not merely sorry, but exceeding sorry.
Now this arose from their being ignorant as yet of the force of His sayings. This Mark and Luke indirectly expressing said, the one, "They understood not the saying, and were afraid to ask Him:" the other, "It was hid from them, that they perceived it not, and they feared to ask Him of that saying."
And yet if they were ignorant, how were they sorry? Because they were not altogether ignorant; that He was to die they knew, continually hearing it, but what this death might be, and that there would be a speedy release from it, and that it would work innumerable blessings, as yet they knew not clearly; nor what this resurrection might be: but they understood it not, wherefore they grieved; for indeed they clung very earnestly to their Master.
John Chrysostom (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 407
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
For this is no long time that He speaks of continuing in death, when He says that He shall rise again on the third day.
JeromeAD 420
COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 3.17.23
Whenever the Lord speaks of future disaster, he always teaches its close relation with the happiness of redemption, so that when disasters suddenly come they do not terrify the apostles but may be borne by hearts that have premeditated them. If it saddens them because he is going to be killed, it ought to make them rejoice that it says, “On the third day he will arise again.” Further, their distress, in fact their great distress, does not come from lack of faith—elsewhere also they knew that Peter had been rebuked because he did not consider what belonged to God but what belonged to men—but because their love of their Master does not let them hear anything ominous or humiliating.
Jerome (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 420
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Thus does He ever mix the joyful and the grievous; if it grieves them that He is to be put to death, they ought to be gladdened when they hear, And shall rise again the third day.
That they were thus made exceeding sorrowful, came not of their lack of faith; but out of their love of their Master they could not endure to hear of any hurt or indignity for Him.
JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Matthew
(Ver. 21 seq.) While they were conversing in Galilee, Jesus said to them: The Son of Man is to be handed over to the hands of men, and they will kill him; and on the third day he will rise again. And they were greatly saddened. He always mixes sorrows with prosperity, so that when they come suddenly, they do not terrify the apostles; but they are carried by their prepared minds: For if they are saddened by his impending death, they should be joyful at the news of his resurrection on the third day. Furthermore, their grief and sorrow are not due to disbelief (otherwise they would have known that Peter was rebuked because he did not understand the things of God, but those of men), but rather because out of love for their master, they are willing to hear nothing negative or humiliating about him.
Cyril of AlexandriaAD 444
FRAGMENT 209
Therefore he brought the disciples to the mountain and showed them the glory with which he will shine on the universe in the future. Then coming down from the mountain he freed a person from a rough and evil spirit. It was altogether necessary for him to undergo his saving Passion for us and to suffer the violence of the Jews. When this happened, it was quite likely that the disciples would be alarmed and would ponder it and say among themselves: “He has raised so many from the dead by divine power, he commands the seas and winds, he overwhelms Satan with his words—how has he now been taken and fallen to the noose of his murderers? Then maybe we were deceived when we thought that he was God?” So that they should know the future fully and completely, therefore, he foretells to them the mystery of the Passion.
Remigius of Rheims (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 533
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Or, fasting is here understood generally as abstinence not from food only, but from all carnal allurements, and sinful passions. In like manner prayer is to be understood in general as consisting in pious and good acts, concerning which the Apostle speaks, Pray without ceasing. (1 Thess. 5:17.)
The Lord often foretold to His disciples the mysteries of His passion, in order that when they come to pass, they might be the lighter to them from having been known beforehand.
Theophylact of OhridAD 1107
He continually foretells the Passion, so that no one would think that He suffered unwillingly, and also, to train them not to be shaken by the unexpected when it occurred. To the sorrow He weds the joy that He will rise.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Matthew 17:22 records Jesus' second explicit prediction of His impending suffering, death, and resurrection to His disciples while they were in Galilee. This somber declaration, made shortly after the Transfiguration and the healing of a demon-possessed boy, reveals Jesus' divine foreknowledge of the betrayal and suffering He would endure at the hands of humanity, emphasizing the sovereign plan of God for His redemptive mission.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Matthew 17:22 employs several significant literary devices. Foreshadowing is paramount, as Jesus explicitly predicts His future suffering and betrayal, preparing the reader (and ideally, the disciples) for the events of the passion narrative. The use of the title "Son of Man" functions as a complex Symbolism, simultaneously affirming Jesus' humanity and His divine, apocalyptic authority, connecting Him to the figure in Daniel 7:13-14. There is also a subtle Irony in the disciples' inability to grasp the meaning of these predictions, despite their clarity, which highlights their earthly expectations versus Jesus' divine mission. The repetition of these passion predictions throughout the Gospels (e.g., Matthew 16:21, Matthew 20:17-19) serves as a form of Repetition or Leitmotif, emphasizing the central importance of the cross to Jesus' identity and mission.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse profoundly underscores the theme of divine sovereignty intertwined with human responsibility. Jesus' foreknowledge of His betrayal and suffering is not a mere guess but a declaration of God's predetermined plan for salvation. His passion was not an accident or a failure but the very means by which God would accomplish redemption. This highlights that even the darkest human acts of treachery and injustice can be incorporated into God's overarching purpose, demonstrating His ultimate control over history and His ability to bring good out of evil. The suffering of the Son of Man is central to God's character, revealing a God who enters into human pain and offers Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for sin.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Matthew 17:22 offers profound lessons for believers today. It reminds us that following Christ does not guarantee an easy path, but often involves suffering, opposition, and even betrayal, just as Jesus Himself experienced. Jesus did not shy away from the difficult truth, preparing His disciples for the reality of His mission and, by extension, the nature of their own call to discipleship. This verse encourages us to cultivate a deep trust in God's sovereign plan, even when circumstances seem chaotic or unjust. It challenges our own expectations of what God's work should look like, urging us to embrace the path of humility, sacrifice, and service, rather than seeking worldly power or comfort. Ultimately, it calls us to a deeper appreciation of the immense cost of our salvation, fostering gratitude for Jesus' willingness to endure such suffering for our redemption.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did Jesus repeatedly predict His suffering and death?
Answer: Jesus repeatedly predicted His suffering and death for several crucial reasons. Firstly, it demonstrated His divine foreknowledge and sovereignty over all events, including His own passion. His death was not an accident but part of God's preordained plan for salvation, as Acts 2:23 affirms. Secondly, these predictions were intended to prepare His disciples for the shocking reality of His crucifixion, helping them to understand its necessity and purpose, even if they struggled to grasp it at the time. Without these warnings, the cross might have seemed like a catastrophic failure. Thirdly, it served to redefine the nature of the Messiah and His kingdom, shifting expectations from a conquering political ruler to a suffering servant who would achieve victory through sacrifice, fulfilling prophecies like those found in Isaiah 53.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Matthew 17:22 finds its ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who is the "Son of Man" uniquely qualified to suffer and die for humanity's redemption. This prophecy, like the others, points directly to the cross, which is the epicenter of God's redemptive plan. Jesus' willing submission to being "betrayed into the hands of men" underscores His perfect obedience to the Father's will, even unto death (Philippians 2:8). His betrayal by Judas (Matthew 26:47-50) and subsequent delivery to human authorities for crucifixion (John 19:16) were not random acts of violence but the divinely ordained means by which the Lamb of God would take away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Through His suffering and death, Jesus, the Son of Man, became the ultimate sacrifice, offering reconciliation and eternal life to all who believe, demonstrating the profound love of God for a fallen world (Romans 5:8).