But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus’ sharp rebuke to Peter as “Satan” isn't about Peter being inherently evil, but about the influence of his words. Peter's well-intentioned but misplaced concern for Jesus’ safety creates a "stumbling block," actively hindering God's redemptive plan and reflecting human thinking, not divine wisdom.
But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Immediately after Peter correctly identifies Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus begins to reveal his true mission: suffering, rejection, death, and resurrection. Peter, horrified by this prospect, pulls Jesus aside to rebuke him, revealing a deep misunderstanding of God's plan and an opposition to it that Jesus calls Satanic. This sharp rebuke immediately precedes Jesus' call for all his disciples to take up their crosses and follow him, highlighting the radical shift from earthly expectations to heavenly realities.
Jesus' sharpest rebuke is directed not at an enemy, but at his closest friend. What does this reveal about the subtle ways temptation can appear?
When Jesus calls Peter 'Satan,' it’s not because Peter is the devil, but because his words are echoing the devil's own agenda. The temptation to avoid suffering and seek earthly comfort was the same one Jesus faced in the wilderness.
Jesus immediately turns Peter's misguided advice into a profound lesson about following Him. What does it truly mean to 'take up your cross'?
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Peter's reaction reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of Jesus' mission. He envisioned an earthly kingdom of comfort and glory, not a path paved with suffering. Jesus uses this moment to pivot to the non-negotiable cost of discipleship.
Understand the original words
Satanas · Greek Noun
An adversary or accuser; biblically, it refers to the devil or anyone who acts as an obstacle to God’s redemptive purpose, effectively serving the interests of darkness rather than God.
skandalon · Greek Noun
A stumbling block or a trap; something that causes one to trip, fall into sin, or turn away from the path of obedience to God.
c. AD 27
Jesus begins public ministry
Jesus starts teaching, healing, and gathering disciples, announcing the arrival of God's kingdom.
c. AD 29— this verse
Jesus predicts his suffering
After Peter's confession, Jesus begins to reveal the necessity of his suffering and death.
c. AD 29
Peter rebukes Jesus
Peter, horrified at the thought of Jesus suffering and dying, urges Jesus to avoid this fate.
c. AD 29
Jesus defines true discipleship
Jesus contrasts Peter's human perspective with God's plan, emphasizing self-denial, cross-bearing, and losing one's life for his sake.
This passage echoes the theme of the cross being a stumbling block to humans but the power of God, directly contrasting with Peter's human-centered perspective.
1 Peter 2:8This verse directly references Peter himself being a 'stumbling stone' and 'rock of offense,' which is a powerful parallel to Jesus calling Peter 'an offense' here.
Luke 9:23Immediately following Jesus' rebuke to Peter in Luke's Gospel, Jesus calls all disciples to deny themselves and take up their cross daily, showing the necessary mindset shift from human to divine thinking.
Isaiah 55:8-9This Old Testament passage highlights the vast difference between God's ways and human ways, reinforcing the core of Jesus' correction to Peter that his thinking was human, not divine.
Romans 8:5-7This passage describes the stark contrast between the mindset of the flesh (human-centered) and the mindset of the Spirit (God-centered), directly reflecting Jesus' accusation against Peter.
calvinMatthew 16:20-28: "Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ."
- Then he charged his disciples [451] not to tell any one that he was Jesus the Christ. 21. From that time Jesus began to make known to his disciples, that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, and the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and be raised again on the third day. 22. And Peter, taking him aside, [452] began to rebuke him, saying, Lord, s…
barnesMatthew 16:23: "But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."
Get thee behind me, Satan - The word "Satan" literally means "an adversary," or one who opposes us in the accomplishment of our designs. It is applied to the devil commonly, as the opposer or adversary of man; but there is no evidence that the Lord Jesus meant to apply this term to Peter, as signifying that he wa…
Jesus’ sharp rebuke to Peter as “Satan” isn't about Peter being inherently evil, but about the influence of his words. Peter's well-intentioned but misplaced concern for Jesus’ safety creates a "stumbling block," actively hindering God's redemptive plan and reflecting human thinking, not divine wisdom.
Immediately after Peter correctly identifies Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus begins to reveal his true mission: suffering, rejection, death, and resurrection. Peter, horrified by this prospect, pulls Jesus aside to rebuke him, revealing a deep misunderstanding of God's plan and an opposition to it that Jesus calls Satanic. This sharp rebuke immediately precedes Jesus' call for all his disciples to take up their crosses and follow him, highlighting the radical shift from earthly expectations to heavenly realities.
Immediately after Peter correctly identifies Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus begins to reveal his true mission: suffering, rejection, death, and resurrection. Peter, horrified by this prospect, pulls Jesus aside to rebuke him, revealing a deep misunderstanding of God's plan and an opposition to it that Jesus calls Satanic. This sharp rebuke immediately precedes Jesus' call for all his disciples to take up their crosses and follow him, highlighting the radical shift from earthly expectations to heavenly realities.
"But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”" — Jesus’ sharp rebuke to Peter as “Satan” isn't about Peter being inherently evil, but about the influence of his words. Peter's well-intentioned but misplaced concern for Jesus’ safety creates a "st…
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Last reviewed October 2026