Peter, The Rock - What did Yeshua really mean?

#Midrash #Rock #Peter

Main Passage Brit Chadasha (New Testament)

Note

Matt 16.18
I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

There has been much said about this passage. Many interpretations have been presented. For example, you could interpret this passage as:

  • Yeshua did not mean Peter, but the rocks on the ground (this would bring us into demonology, see Caesarea Philippi )
  • Yeshua meant Simon symbolically because the word for 'Peter' in Greek is Petros
  • The church interprets it as such as to establish the papacy with Simon Peter being the first pope [1]

Let us digest this passage and bring it into the original Jewish context. This will bring much clarity about the usage of rock in this verse.

Hebrew Word Plays

In order to understand this passage better, we shall understand that the Hebrew language is full of word puns and wordplays. Words that rhyme, or sound similar, phrases that are repeated and referred back to. Christians who want to understand the very nature of Messiah Yeshua and His message do well trying to understand these Hebrew play of words.[2]

Without the understanding of Hebrew word puns and the original Jewish context through rabbinic writings and commentaries, Christian thinking has repeatedly come to the wrong conclusions and sometimes even the complete opposite. We see this in the flawed doctrine that the Torah was done away with through Yeshua.

Although the oral commentaries were only codified after Yeshua's ascension its usage in the Brit Chadashah or New Testament is so prominent that it suggests that Yeshua and the writers of the NT were very familiar

Peter, the Name

The Greek name for Peter is Πέτρος (petros), which sounds very similar to the Greek word for rock πέτρα (petra).

When reading the verse in Matthew with these in mind, it reads like this:

"...you are Petros, and on this petra I will build my church"

A Strong Foundation

The overarching theme of this passage is foundation. Yeshua is looking for a foundation of His church, or congregation. In summary:

  1. Rock
  2. Church / Congregation
  3. Build
  4. Foundation

John, stones, and the children of Abraham

A strong parallel passage can be found earlier in Matthew spoken by John:

Note

Matt 3.9
Don't think to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father,' for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

Corresponding Tanakh Passages (Old Testament)

Also in the Tanakh, we find a mirroring thematic about God laying the foundations of the earth. Quite a similar, striking parallel to Yeshua's words.

Ps 104.5

He laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be moved forever.

Note

Num 23.9
For from the top of the rocks I see him. From the hills I see him. Behold, it is a people that dwells alone, and shall not be listed among the nations.

Note

Isa 51.1
"Listen to me, you who follow after righteousness, you who seek Yahweh. Look to the rock you were cut from, and to the quarry you were dug from.

We get the stark image of connecting the foundation of the earth (or something) with a rock. Yeshua compared the kingdom of heaven with someone building his house on the rock, not on the sand [3]. Followed by a warning as to follow and obey (alluding to the Hebrew word shema שְׁמַע, meaning "hear and do" or "hear and obey" [4]) Yeshua's sayings.

Midrashic Exegesis

In the Midrash, we also find this theme of foundation echoed. For example:

Exodus Rabbah 15:7

The Holy One was seeking to secure a strong foundation for the world, and He could not find a way to do so until the Patriarchs arose. This is likened to a parable...

Note

Shemot Rabbah 15:7
He came to lay the foundation, and water was rising from the depths and did not allow him to lay the foundation. He sought to lay the foundation again in a different place, and the water would overturn it. He kept looking until he came to a certain place and found there an enormous rock.
https://www.sefaria.org/Shemot_Rabbah.15.7?lang=en&with=all&lang2=en

Rock = Foundation

Again in the Midrash, we see a strong possible connection between Rock and Foundation. E.g. the foundation of the earth, or the foundation of the church.

Yalkhut on Numbers 23:9

"... from the top of the rocks I see him" [Numbers 23:9]. There was a king who desired to build and lay foundations. He dug constantly deeper but found only a swamp. At last he dug and found a rock (petra). He sald, "On this spot I shall bulld and lay foundations." So, the Holy One, blessed be He, desired to create the world, but sitting and meditating upon the generations of Enoch and of the Flood, He said,
"How shall I create the world, seeing that those wicked men will only provoke Me?" But as soon as G_D perceived that there would rise an Avraham, He said, "Behold, I have found a rock (petra) upon which to build and lay foundations of the world." Therefore, he called Avraham Rock, as it is said, "look to the rock from which you were hewn" [Isalah 51:1-2] and Israel he called "rocks".

An intriguing commentary that not only connect rock with building and laying foundations, but also connecting Avraham (Abraham) with building foundations of the world. Which is echoed in Paul's ministry to the Gentiles [5]. See also Genesis 12:3-4 [6]

What does the Rock represent?

According to James Ballard in his Midrash teachings about this passage [7], the rock represents:

  1. Patriarchs of Israel
  2. The righteous among the nation of Israel
  3. The foundation for G_D's kingdom/ City
  4. This also alludes to the temple in the midrash

He goes on to explain that "the purpose of the 'rock' is to support/uphold the work of God."

This is echoed in the first epistles of Peter [8]

Cross-References

Note

Targum Jonathan on Isaiah 51:1
Hearken to my WORD, ye that follow after truth, who seek instruction from the Lord; consider that ye were cut out like a stone' hewn from a rock, that ye were cut out like a mass hewn out of a hollow cistern.

Footnotes

  1. ↩︎

  2. Hebrew wordplay, or paronomasia, is a common feature in the Hebrew Bible, often creating layers of meaning and depth within the text. These puns rely on the sounds and similar spellings of Hebrew words to create connections and humorous or thought-provoking effects.

    Here's a breakdown of how Hebrew wordplay works in the Bible:

    1. Sound-alike words (Paronomasia):
    • The most common type of wordplay involves using words that sound alike but have different meanings. For example, in Psalm 88:15, the word pun (פָּן) is used, which can mean "to turn, to be perplexed, to be distracted". This word is related to the root pun (פונ), which also has connotations of turning or being confused.
    • The Hebrew word dabar (דָּבָר) can mean "word," "talk," or "thing," demonstrating its versatility in different contexts.
    • In the Song of Songs, the word zāmir (זָמִיר) can mean both "pruning" and "singing," creating a connection between the two actions associated with the changing seasons.
    • Sabbath (שַׁבָּת) is derived from the Hebrew word shavat, meaning "to cease or desist," highlighting the cessation of work on the Sabbath.
    1. Root word connections:
    • Sometimes, wordplay is based on the root of a word, where different forms of the same root are used to create a connection. For example, in Mark 14:11, the high priests "listened" (wayyishmeu) and were "delighted" (wayyismehu), both derived from the same root.
    • In Mark 14:65, "blindfold" (satar) and "hit" (satar) are both derived from the same root, perhaps suggesting a connection between the two actions.
    1. Examples in the New Testament:
    • While the New Testament was originally written in Greek, some scholars have identified Hebrew wordplay in its Greek text, particularly in the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke).
    • For example, in Mark 13:21, the phrase "See here ... see there" corresponds to the Hebrew "hinneh hennah ... hinneh hennah".
    • Matthew 9:8 uses the word "saw" (wayyiru) and "feared" (wayyiru) in close proximity.
    1. Purpose of Wordplay:
    • Wordplay in the Bible is not just for humor; it can also be used to:
      • Emphasize a point or theme.
      • Create layers of meaning.
      • Highlight connections between different concepts.
      • Add depth and richness to the text.
      • Engage the reader or listener.
    1. Finding Wordplay:
    • Identifying wordplay in the Bible requires a good understanding of Hebrew and a sensitivity to the nuances of the language.
    • Concordances, lexicons, and commentaries can be helpful resources for exploring wordplay.
    • Some scholars have dedicated their work to studying and identifying wordplay in the Bible.

    👉 see also What are Hebrew Word Puns?

    👉 https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Parashah/Summaries/Vayera/Wordplay/wordplay.html ↩︎

  3. Matt-07#v24

    Matthew 7:24-27 - NKJV

    24. “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
    25. and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
    26. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:
    27. and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

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  4. Shema - highest Jewish prayer, recited at least twice a day - Yeshua refers to this when being asked about the greatest of the commandments

    Mark 12:29 - NKJV

    29. Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.

    Deuteronomy 6:4 - NKJV

    30. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!

    Deuteronomy 6:5 - NKJV

    31. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

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  5. see Gal-03#v29

    Galatians 3:29 - NKJV

    29. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

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  6. Gen-12#v2

    Genesis 12:2-3 - NKJV

    2. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.
    3. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

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  7. https://www.thehiddenorchard.com

    https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd69jhzyO6Hzpf-Ct_CVWjEeU3HkCvjtU&si=bfPm-fO7Bfm1d8wm ↩︎

  8. 1 Pet-02#v4

    1 Peter 2:4-6 - NKJV

    4. Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
    5. you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
    6. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”

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