“Jesus came
Into the district
Of Caesarea Philippi.
He asked his disciples.
‘Who do people say
That the Son of Man is?’”
Ἐλθὼν δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὰ μέρη Καισαρίας τῆς Φιλίππου ἠρώτα τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ λέγων Τίνα λέγουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι εἶναι τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου;
Now this question about the Son of Man can be found in Mark, chapter 8:27, and Luke, chapter 9:18, but there are slight differences. In Luke, he is not in Caesarea Philippi, a gentile Roman city about 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee at the base of Mount Hermon, where there was a shrine to the Greek god Pan. In Matthew, it was when Jesus came into the district or region of Caesarea Philippi (Ἐλθὼν δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὰ μέρη Καισαρίας τῆς Φιλίππου). Obviously, he had his disciples with him. Then he asked or questioned his disciples (μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ λέγων) who did people or men think the Son of Man was (Τίνα λέγουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι εἶναι τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου). In Mark, they were on their way to this northern area in Caesarea Philippi. Jesus wanted to know what his disciples were thinking.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 