Albert Barnes Commentary Matthew 16:17

"And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven." — Matthew 16:17 (ASV)

And Jesus answered—Blessed are you, Simon Bar-jona is the same as Simon son of Jona. Bar is a Syriac word, signifying son. The father of Peter, therefore, was Jona, or Jonas (John 1:42; John 21:16, 17).

Blessed. That is, happy, honoured, demonstrating a proper spirit, and entitled to the approval of God.

For flesh and blood. This phrase commonly means man (Ephesians 6:12), and it has been commonly supposed that he meant to say that man had not revealed it. But Jesus seems rather to have referred to himself.

"This truth you have not learned from my lowly appearance, from my human nature, from my apparent rank and standing in the world. You, Jews, were expecting to know the Messiah by his external splendour, his pomp and power as a man.

"But you have not learned me in this manner. I have shown no such indication of my Messiahship. Flesh and blood have not shown it.

"In spite of my appearance—my lowly state—my lack of resemblance to what you have expected—you have learned it, taught by God."

They had been taught this by his miracles, his instructions, and the direct teachings of God on their minds. To reveal is to make known, or to communicate something that was previously unknown or secret.

but my Father (1 John 4:15; 1 John 5:20).