CXXVII.
PETER THRICE DENIES THE LORD.
(Court of the high priest's residence. Friday before and about dawn.)
aMATT. XXVI. 58, 69-75; bMARK
XIV. 54, 66-72; cLUKE XXII. 54-62;
dJOHN XVIII. 15-18, 25-27.
a58 But {d15
And} Simon Peter followed Jesus [leaving Jesus in the palace of the
high priest, we now turn back to the garden of Gethsemane at the time when
Jesus left it under arrest, that we may follow the course of Simon Peter
in his threefold denial of the Master], and so did another
disciple. [This other disciple was evidently the apostle John, who
thus speaks of himself impersonally.] Now that disciple was known unto
the high priest, and entered in with Jesus into the court of the high priest
[John's acquaintanceship appears to have been with the household as well
as with the high priest personally, for we find that it is used as a permit
at the doorway. It is likely that the high priest knew John rather in a
business way--Acts iv. 13];
b54 And Peter had followed him afar off, aunto the
court of the high priest, d16
but Peter was standing at the door without. So the other disciple, who
was known unto the high priest, went out and spake unto her that kept the
door, and brought in Peter. beven within, into the court of
the high priest [For courts of houses see p.
182. It is still customary to have female porters at the houses of
the great and rich. See Acts xii. 13. John would have shown a truer kindness
to Peter had he let him stay out]; d17
The maid therefore that kept the door saith unto Peter, Art thou also one
of this man's disciples? He saith, I am not. aand [Peter]
entered in [The doorkeeper evidently recognized John as a disciple,
and was therefore suspicious of Peter. The cowardly "I am not" of Peter
is a sad contrast to the strong "I am he" of Jesus], [700]
d18 Now the servants and the officers were standing there,
having made a fire of coals; for it was cold; and they were warming themselves:
and Peter also was with them [they were gathered around a little smokeless
charcoal fire], c55 And when
they had kindled a fire in the midst of the court, and had sat down together,
Peter asat with the officers, cin the midst of them.
ato see the end. [Though his faith in Christ was shaken,
he still loved him enough to see what would become of him.] band
he was sitting with the officers, and warming himself in the light of
the fire. c56 And
a69 Now bas dSimon Peter awas
sitting {dstanding} awithout bbeneath
in the court, there cometh {acame} unto him, ca certain
bone of the maids of the high priest;
67 and seeing Peter cas he sat in the light of the fire,
bwarming himself, she looked {cand looking} stedfastly
upon him, said, {bsaith, asaying,} Thou also wast
with Jesus the Galilaean. bthe Nazarene, even Jesus.
cThis man also was with him.
a70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou
sayest. bI neither know, nor understand what thou sayest: cWoman,
I know him not. dThey said therefore unto him, Art thou also
one of his disciples? He denied, and said, I am not. band
he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.
a71 And when he was gone out into the porch, cafter
a little while another saw him, and said, Thou also art one of them.
But Peter said, Man, I am not. b69
And aanother bthe maid saw him, and began again to
say {asaith} unto them that were there, bthat stood
by, This is one of them. aThis man also was with Jesus
of Nazareth. b70 But {a72
And} again he denied bit. awith an oath, I know not
the man. [Peter's second denial was of a quadruple nature. He denied
to four different parties, but in such quick succession that the event
is regarded as one.]
73 And after a little cafter the space of about one hour another
confidently affirmed, saying, Of a [701] truth
this man also was with him; for he is a Galilaean.
60 But Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. bAgain
they that stood by acame and said to Peter, Of a truth thou
also art one of them; bfor thou art a Galilaean. afor
thy speech maketh thee known. And immediately, while he yet spake, the
cock crew. d26 One of the
servants of the high priest, being a kinsman of him whose ear Peter cut
off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him?
b70 But d27 Peter
therefore denied again:
a74 Then began he to curse and to swear, I know not the {bthis}
aman. bof whom ye speak.
72 And straightway cimmediately, while he yet spake, bthe
second time the cock crew. [Exasperated by the repeated accusations,
Peter loses his temper and begins to emphasize his denial by profanity.
Desire to make good his denial is now supreme in his thoughts and the Lord
whom he denies is all but forgotten.]
c61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered
bAnd Peter called to mind the word, cof the Lord,
awhich Jesus had said, bhow that he said unto him,
aBefore the cock crow, btwice, cthis thou
shalt deny me thrice. 62 And he went
out, bAnd when he thought thereon, he wept. cbitterly.
[When Peter remembered the loving tenderness of Jesus manifested when he
foretold Peter's crime it formed a background against which the sin appeared
in all its hideous enormity.]
[FFG 700-702]
