Matthew 26:71

Mat 26:71-72. When he was gone out into the porch — Or portico, as Dr. Doddridge renders it, who observes, “I apprehend that the word προαυλιον, (used by Mark here.) most exactly answers to the Latin word vestibulum, by which many interpreters render it. And, considering the magnificence of the Jewish buildings at this time, it is reasonable to conclude that this, which belonged to the high-priest’s palace, was some stately piazza, or colonnade; and therefore I choose rather to render it, portico, than porch, a word applicable to the meanest buildings of that kind.” Another maid saw him, and said, This fellow was also with Jesus — Whatever he may pretend to the contrary, and how positively soever he may deny it. And again he denied with an oath — A sin to which possibly he was not unaccustomed before our Lord called him. Saying, I do not know the man — Jesus was so public a person, and so well known to thousands, not at all in his interest, that this additional falsehood was most unnecessary; and, as it frequently happens when people allow themselves to transgress the bounds of truth, it was more likely to entangle and discover him than to clear him. A learned divine conjectures, that Peter was suffered to fall more foully than any of the rest of the apostles, except Judas the traitor, and to make more remarkable mistakes in his conduct, that we might thus be cautioned against that extravagant regard which would afterward be demanded to him and his pretended successors. How must these people, before whom Peter denied his Lord, be surprised when they saw, as no doubt some of them did, this timorous disciple, within the compass of a few weeks, when he was brought with John before the council, not only maintaining the cause and honour of Jesus, but boldly charging the murder of this Prince of life on the chief men of the nation, and solemnly warning them of their guilt and danger in consequence of it. Act 4:5-12. Perhaps when it is said there, Mat 26:13, that they took knowledge of Peter and John that they had been with Jesus, the meaning may be, that some of them, or their attendants, remembered Peter and John as the two persons who had followed Jesus thus far, when the rest had forsaken him. See Clarke’s Seventeen Sermons, p. 236, and Doddridge.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

maid Peter’s denial

Cf Mat 26:69; Mar 14:69; Luk 22:58; Joh 18:25 A discrepancy has been imagined in these accounts. Let it be remembered that an excited crowd had gathered, and that Peter was interrogated in two places: "With the servants" Mat 26:58 where the first charge was made Mat 26:69, "the porch" where a great number of people would be gathered, and where the second and third interrogations were made by "another maid" and by the crowd, i.e. "they"; Mat 26:71; Mat 26:73; Joh 18:25

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 26:71. Ἐξελθόντα, as he was going forth) The flying from temptation, when it is too late, involves fresh danger.—ἄλλη, another) sc. maid-servant; and simultaneously the former, who instigated this other, and also a male attendant. See Mar 14:69, and Luk 22:58. The denial, made under one impulse, to the questions of more than one interrogator, is considered as one: and yet he is said to have denied thrice:[1164] [how often, therefore, must he have uttered the denial!]—Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου, Jesus the Nazarene) the surname Nazarene is added to distinguish Him from the many others who bore the name at that time. The Son of God bore a name common amongst men.

[1164] The threefold denial of Peter is not to be reckoned by the distinctness of the persons, who interrogated him indiscriminately, nor with reference to the variety of expressions, several of which were comprised in one denial; but in relation to the diversity of place, time, and degree, characterizing each denial respectively. His first simple denial was succeeded by an oath, and this was succeeded thirdly by curses and imprecations added to the former protestations: Mat 26:70; Mat 26:72; Mat 26:74.—Harm., p. 535.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat_26:71. Ἐξελθόντα] from the court-yard to the porch, which, passing through some part of the buildings that stood round the four sides of the former, conducted into the anterior court outside (προαύλιον; according to Mar_14:68, it was in this latter that the present denial took place). Comp. Hermann, Privatalterth. § 19. 9 ff. In spite of the plain meaning of πυλών, door, doorway (see Luk_16:20; Act_10:17; Act_12:13 f., Mat_14:13; Revelation 21), it is usually supposed that it is the outer court in front of the house, the προαύλιον (see Poll. i. 77, ix. 16), that is meant.

αὐτοῖς ἐκεῖ] ἐκεῖ belongs to λέγει, while αὐτοῖς, in accordance with a loose usage of frequent occurrence (Winer, p. 137 f. [E. T. 181]), is meant to refer to the people generally whom she happened to meet with. It would be wrong to connect ἐκεῖ with καὶ οὗτος (Matthaei, Scholz), because in such a connection it would be meaningless.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 26:71 . εἰς τ . πυλῶνα , to or towards the gateway, away from the crowd in the court. ἄλλη ( παιδίσκη ), another saw him, and said, not to him, but to others there (not easy to escape 1). οὗτος , etc., this person, pointing to him, was, etc.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 71. Unto them that were there] Instead of λεγει τοις εκει. και, more than one hundred MSS., many of which are of the first authority and antiquity, have λεγει αυτοις. εκει και, she saith unto them, this man was THERE also. I rather think this is the genuine reading. τοις might have been easily mistaken for αυτοις, if the first syllable αυ were but a little faded in a MS. from which others were copied: and then the placing of the point after εκει. instead of after αυτοις. would naturally follow, as placed after τοις, it would make no sense. Griesbach approves of this reading.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

And again he denied with an oath,.... He denied a second time, that he had ever been with Jesus, or was a disciple of his; and to put it out of all doubt, and an end to all dispute about it, and further charge of this kind, as he hoped, he annexed an oath to it: he swore by the God of truth; made a solemn appeal to the omniscient God, the searcher of hearts, that he was so far from being ever with Jesus of Nazareth, or a disciple of his, that, says he,

I do not know the man: meaning not only that he had no personal knowledge of him, or acquaintance with him; but that he had never seen the man in his life, nor did he know what manner of man he was. This, as it was a downright falsehood, it was what he had no need to have said; for there were multitudes that knew Christ in this sense, who never joined with him, or became his disciples. This was so much overdoing it, that it was much it had not given them a suspicion of him. Those that would excuse Peter's sin, by supposing that he meant, that he knew Christ to be God, and did not know him as a mere man, have no foundation for such a supposition; and indeed, such an ambiguous expression, and mental reservation, is no other than dealing fallaciously. Peter knew Christ in every sense; he knew him spiritually, whom to know is life eternal: and he valued the knowledge of him above all things else: he knew him to be God, and the Son of God; he knew him as mediator, and the Saviour of lost sinners; he knew him as man, and had had personal intimacy and conversation with him of a long time, and yet now denies he knew him; and that with an oath, adding perjury to lying; and so it is, that one sin leads on to another. This instance of Peter's shows the wickedness and deceitfulness of man's heart; and what the best of men are, or would be, when left to themselves, and of God: they become like other men, even like the men of the world, whose mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

71 And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.

Ver. 71. And when he was gone out, &c.] The orifice of his wound was not yet closed, and therefore bled afresh so soon again. Thus Lot committed incest two nights together; &c. {See Trapp on "Mat 26:43"}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

When he was gone out into the porch - The “entrance,” or the small apartment between the outer door and the large hall in the center of the building. See plan of a house, Notes, Mat 9:1-8. Peter was embarrassed and confused by the question, and to save his confusion from attracting notice, he went away from the fire into the porch, where he expected to be unobserved - yet in vain. By the very movement to avoid detection, he came into contact with another who knew him and repeated the charge. How clearly does it prove that our Lord was omniscient, that all these things were foreseen!

Another maid saw him - Mark simply says that “a maid” saw him. From Luke it would appear that “a man” spoke to him, Luk 22:58. The truth probably is that both were done. When he first went out, “a maid” charged him with being a follower of Jesus. He was probably there a considerable time. To this charge he might have been silent, thinking, perhaps, that he was concealed, and there was no need of denying Jesus then. Yet it is very likely that the charge would be repeated. A “man,” also, might have repeated it; and Peter, irritated, provoked, perhaps thinking that he was in danger, “then” denied his Master the second time. This denial was in a stronger manner and with an oath. While in the porch, Mark says, the cock crew - that is, the first crowing, or not far from midnight.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

As he went out of the gate another maid. St. Mark says, he went out before the court. By the Greek, he seems to have gone out of the court into the porch. He went from the fire, but returned thither again: for by St. John, (xviii. 25,) this second denial was at the fire. St. Luke seems to say it was a man,[9] that spoke to him: and St. John, that they were several that spoke to him: it is likely both a girl and a man. (Witham)

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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]

Aluis, Greek: eteros, says St. Luke. St. John says, Greek: eipon auto.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Mark hath the same, Mar 14:70, more shortly. So Luke, Luk 22:58. It is like Peter, upon the first alarm, began to shift away, and was got into the porch, but there another meets him with the same charge. Here, to the former lie which he had told, and here repeateth, he adds an oath for the confirmation of what he had said. What are the best of men, when God leaves them to their own strength! But the temptation yet riseth higher.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

PETER’S SECOND DENIAL.

The place, the porch.

71. Gone out into the porch — As soon as he was able, Peter withdrew in fear from the scene of the charge. But it was only to encounter at the door a similar hazard. By comparing with Mark and Luke, it appears that two maidens and a man at that place recognized him at once. To them all he denies with an oath, a very convincing proof that he has not been a disciple of Jesus!

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The porch; to . The passage between the street and the court. Peter had walked towards the gate, either in unmeaning restlessness, or with some notion of escaping further questioning. Another maid saw him. We gather from the other accounts that both the porteress and some other domestics assailed him at this time. Jesus of Nazareth. Christ was popularly so known. (see Mat_21:11)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

71. When he was gone out into the porch. Alarmed by the accusation, he withdrew into the porch, an arched passage that led from without into the inner court. This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. It is another maid that follows him and makes the charge. In both cases the charges were based on conjecture.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

When he went out

"When Peter went out"

gateway

opening in the wall around a courtyard

said to those there

"said to the people who were sitting there"

He again denied it with an oath, "I do not know the man!"

"he denied it again by swearing, 'I do not know the man!'"

translationWords

Nazareth

oath

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

(M) 71. And another saw him when he had gone out into the gateway, and saith to those there, This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.] Mk. has: “And he went outside into the antecourt; and the maid-servant saw him, and began to say to those who stood by that this man is (one) of them.”—ἄλλη] Mt. infers from the change of scene that the ἡ παιδίσκη of Mk. was different from the maid-servant of the previous verse.—οὗτος ἦν, κ.τ.λ. ] Mt. assimilates to the previous charge, but substitutes for Mk.’s Ναζαρηνοῦ, Ναζωραίου: cf. 2:23.—λέγει] Avoiding, as often, Mk.’s ἤρξατο. Mt. omits Mk.’s ὅτι, as often, and πάλιν, which would not harmonise with ἄλλη.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Gone out. Through fear of being further questioned.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.