When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
When Jesus came into the coasts, х ta (G3588) meree (G3313)] - 'the parts;' that is, the territory or region: In Mark (Mark 7:27) it is "the towns" or 'villages' х koomas (G2968)].
Of Cesarea Philippi. It lay at the foot of mount Lebanon, near the sources of the Jordan, in the territory of Dan, and at the northeast extremity of Palestine. It was originally called Panium (from a cavern in its neighbourhood dedicated to the god Pan) and Paneas. Philip, the tetrarch, the only good son of Herod the Great, in whose dominions Paneas lay, having beautified and enlarged it, changed its name to Cesarea, in honour of the Roman emperor, and added Philippi after his own name, to distinguish it from the other Cesarea (Acts 10:1) on the northeast coast of the Mediterranean sea. (Joseph Ant. 15: 10, 3; 18: 2,1.) This quiet and distant retreat Jesus appears to have sought, with the view of talking over with the Twelve the fruit of His past labours, and breaking to them for the first time the sad intelligence of His approaching death.
He asked his disciples - "by the way," says Mark (Mark 8:27), and "as He was alone praying," says Luke (Luke 9:18) --
Saying Whom (or more grammatically, "Who") do men say that I the Son of man am? [or, 'that the Son of man is'-recent editors omitting here the me (G3165) of Mark and Luke; though the evidence seems pretty nearly balanced] - q.d., 'What are the views generally entertained of Me, the Son of man, after going up and down among them so long?' He had now closed the first great stage of His ministry, and was just entering on the last dark one. His spirit, burdened, sought relief in retirement, not only from the multitude, but even for a season from the Twelve. He retreated into "the secret place of the Most High," pouring out His soul "in supplications and prayers, with strong crying and tears" (Hebrews 5:7). On rejoining His disciples, and as they were pursuing their quiet journey, He asked them this question.