It is wonderful to read the words of Matthew 16:18 quoted by so many commenters all in one place (i.e. the posting below about the excellent article in the Wanderer.) I thought about posting this as a comment, but a blog post allows better handling of the Greek script.
Many of us grew up on the beautiful Douay version: “And I say to thee, thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” This is basically the same translation as the King James Version (KJV), the New International Version (NIV) and a variety of minor Protestant translations over a long period of time, although Hades is sometimes used in the English translation, rather than hell. Hades is the actual word in the original Greek.
I have two points I’d like to make: 1) concerns about the current RSV translation, and 2) about perhaps a deeper meaning of “prevail.”
The first point: The Catholic RSV (Catechism, Canadian liturgies, bible studies) translation says: “…and the powers of death shall not prevail against it.” Now this has quite a different meaning than the Greek “gates of hell” and scholars have acknowledged there are elements of the RSV which need refinement. However, why this quote is changed from what has been used for so many centuries doesn’t make sense to me. It is not a Protestant / Catholic hassle at all. The Greek text, which both translating “sides” use (and increasingly collaborate on in translations as well) says:
The Second Point I’d like to make is about the usual interpretation of “prevail” in the common quotation of Matthew 16:18. We often and primarily take it that Hell (evil in its many forms) will not overcome the Church. But there is at least as much reason to read it that Hell will not be able to withstand the Church or Christ’s teachings. It is as if the Church is a battering ram against the Gates of Hell. It would seem that is perhaps the reason “gates” is used in the original Greek, so that we wouldn’t miss the point.
Thus, a reasonable understanding of “not prevail” would seem to include that the gates of hell will not be strong or robust against the Church; i.e. a more complete understanding seems to be that the gates of hell will neither be able to overcome the Church, nor to withstand her.
I didn’t go back to the Septuagint to glean the OT meanings in Greek, but just wanted to share more of the strength of Matthew 16:18, which has been so readily springing to our minds, and to express concern about the RSV translation. If others have done more or differently with the Greek, please share.
Bronze, Coubertin Foundry, no. 5. Posthumous cast authorized by Musée Rodin, 1981
636.9 x 401 x 84.8 cm.
Gift of the B. Gerald Cantor Collection
1985.86
