Peter’s Denial (Mt 26.57-75; Mk 14.53-72; Lk 22.54-71):

Mk 14 53 Καὶ ἀπήγαγον τὸν Ἰησοῦν πρὸς τὸν ἀρχιερέα, καὶ συνέρχονται πάντες οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς. 54 καὶ ὁ Πέτρος ἀπὸ μακρόθεν ἠκολούθησεν αὐτῷ ἕως ἔσω εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τοῦ ἀρχιερέως καὶ ἦν συγκαθήμενος μετὰ τῶν ὑπηρετῶν καὶ θερμαινόμενος πρὸς τὸ φῶς. 55 οἱ δὲ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ ὅλον τὸ συνέδριον ἐζήτουν κατὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ μαρτυρίαν εἰς τὸ θανατῶσαι αὐτόν, καὶ οὐχ ηὕρισκον· 56 πολλοὶ γὰρ ἐψευδομαρτύρουν κατʼ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἴσαι αἱ μαρτυρίαι οὐκ ἦσαν. 57 καί τινες ἀναστάντες ἐψευδομαρτύρουν κατʼ αὐτοῦ λέγοντες 58 ὅτι Ἡμεῖς ἠκούσαμεν αὐτοῦ λέγοντος ὅτι Ἐγὼ καταλύσω τὸν ναὸν τοῦτον τὸν χειροποίητον καὶ διὰ τριῶν ἡμερῶν ἄλλον ἀχειροποίητον οἰκοδομήσω· 59 καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἴση ἦν ἡ μαρτυρία αὐτῶν. 60 καὶ ἀναστὰς ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς εἰς μέσον ἐπηρώτησεν τὸν Ἰησοῦν λέγων· Οὐκ ἀποκρίνῃ οὐδέν; τί οὗτοί σου καταμαρτυροῦσιν; 61 ὁ δὲ ἐσιώπα καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκρίνατο οὐδέν. πάλιν ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς ἐπηρώτα αὐτὸν καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· Σὺ εἶ ὁ χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ εὐλογητοῦ; 62 ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν· Ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ ὄψεσθε τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκ δεξιῶν καθήμενον τῆς δυνάμεως καὶ ἐρχόμενον μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. 63 ὁ δὲ ἀρχιερεὺς διαρρήξας τοὺς χιτῶνας αὐτοῦ λέγει· Τί ἔτι χρείαν ἔχομεν μαρτύρων; 64 ἠκούσατε τῆς βλασφημίας· τί ὑμῖν φαίνεται; οἱ δὲ πάντες κατέκριναν αὐτὸν ἔνοχον εἶναι θανάτου. 65 καὶ ἤρξαντό τινες ἐμπτύειν αὐτῷ καὶ περικαλύπτειν αὐτοῦ τὸ πρόσωπον καὶ κολαφίζειν αὐτὸν καὶ λέγειν αὐτῷ· Προφήτευσον, καὶ οἱ ὑπηρέται ῥαπίσμασιν αὐτὸν ἔλαβον.

66 Καὶ ὄντος τοῦ Πέτρου ⸂κάτω ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ ἔρχεται μία τῶν παιδισκῶν τοῦ ἀρχιερέως, 67 καὶ ἰδοῦσα τὸν Πέτρον θερμαινόμενον ἐμβλέψασα αὐτῷ λέγει· Καὶ σὺ μετὰ τοῦ Ναζαρηνοῦ ἦσθα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ· 68 ὁ δὲ ἠρνήσατο λέγων· Οὔτε οἶδα οὔτε ἐπίσταμαι σὺ τί λέγεις, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἔξω εἰς τὸ προαύλιον καὶ ἀλέκτωρ ἐφώνησεν. 69 καὶ ἡ παιδίσκη ἰδοῦσα αὐτὸν ἤρξατο πάλιν λέγειν τοῖς παρεστῶσιν ὅτι Οὗτος ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐστιν. 70 ὁ δὲ πάλιν ἠρνεῖτο. καὶ μετὰ μικρὸν πάλιν οἱ παρεστῶτες ἔλεγον τῷ Πέτρῳ· Ἀληθῶς ἐξ αὐτῶν εἶ, καὶ γὰρ Γαλιλαῖος εἶ καὶ ἡ λαλιά σου ὁμοιάζει· 71 ὁ δὲ ἤρξατο ἀναθεματίζειν καὶ ὀμνύναι ὅτι Οὐκ οἶδα τὸν ἄνθρωπον τοῦτον ὃν λέγετε. 72 καὶ εὐθὺς ἐκ δευτέρου ἀλέκτωρ ἐφώνησεν· καὶ ἀνεμνήσθη ὁ Πέτρος τὸ ῥῆμα ὡς εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὅτι Πρὶν ἀλέκτορα φωνῆσαι δὶς τρίς με ἀπαρνήσῃ, καὶ ἐπιβαλὼν ἔκλαιεν.

And they led Jesus to the high priest and the high priest and the elders and the scribes all gathered together. And Peter followed him from a distance to the inside of the courtyard of the high priest and he sat with the guards and he was warming himself by the fire. And they high priests and all the Sanhedrin sought witnesses against Jesus in order to put him to dead, and they could not find any.  For many falsely testified against him and the witnesses were not in agreement. And some stood up to falsely testify against him saying, “We heard him saying, “I will tear down this hand made temple and in three days build another without hands. Not even in this were the witnesses in agreement. And the high priest arose into the middle before Jesus saying, “Do you not answer? What do these testify of you?” But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest stood before him and he said to him, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One? And Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man from the right hand coming in power and he will come with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his shirt saying, “What further need do we have of witnesses? You heard the blasphemy. What does it seem to you?” And they all condemned him of being guilty of death. And some began to hit him and say to him, “Prophesy!” and the guards beat him.

And Peter was below in the courtyard when one of the female slaves of the high priest came and she beheld Peter warming himself and she looking at him said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.” And he answered saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went outside into the gateway [and a rooster cried out]. And the servant girl saw him again and she said to those standing by, “This one is of them.” And again he denied it. And a little while the bystanders said to Peter, “Certainly you are of him, for you are Galilean [and your speech is the same].” But he answered cussing and swearing, “I do not know of this man which you speak!” And suddenly a rooster crowd a second time, and Peter remembered the words that Jesus said to him, “Before a rooster crows twice three times you will disown me and he broke down and cried.”

 

Mt 26 57 Οἱ δὲ κρατήσαντες τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀπήγαγον πρὸς Καϊάφαν τὸν ἀρχιερέα, ὅπου οἱ γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι συνήχθησαν. 58 ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ἠκολούθει αὐτῷ ἀπὸ μακρόθεν ἕως τῆς αὐλῆς τοῦ ἀρχιερέως, καὶ εἰσελθὼν ἔσω ἐκάθητο μετὰ τῶν ὑπηρετῶν ἰδεῖν τὸ τέλος. 59 οἱ δὲ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ τὸ συνέδριον ὅλον ἐζήτουν ψευδομαρτυρίαν κατὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ὅπως αὐτὸν θανατώσωσιν, 60 καὶ οὐχ εὗρον πολλῶν προσελθόντων ψευδομαρτύρων. ὕστερον δὲ προσελθόντες δύο 61 εἶπαν· Οὗτος ἔφη· Δύναμαι καταλῦσαι τὸν ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ διὰ τριῶν ἡμερῶν οἰκοδομῆσαι. 62 καὶ ἀναστὰς ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Οὐδὲν ἀποκρίνῃ; τί οὗτοί σου καταμαρτυροῦσιν; 63 ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἐσιώπα. καὶ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ἐξορκίζω σε κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος ἵνα ἡμῖν εἴπῃς εἰ σὺ εἶ ὁ χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ. 64 λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Σὺ εἶπας· πλὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀπʼ ἄρτι ὄψεσθε τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καθήμενον ἐκ δεξιῶν τῆς δυνάμεως καὶ ἐρχόμενον ἐπὶ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. 65 τότε ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς διέρρηξεν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ λέγων· Ἐβλασφήμησεν· τί ἔτι χρείαν ἔχομεν μαρτύρων; ἴδε νῦν ἠκούσατε τὴν ⸀βλασφημίαν· 66 τί ὑμῖν δοκεῖ; οἱ δὲ ἀποκριθέντες εἶπαν· Ἔνοχος θανάτου ἐστίν. 67 τότε ἐνέπτυσαν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκολάφισαν αὐτόν, οἱ δὲ ἐράπισαν 68 λέγοντες· Προφήτευσον ἡμῖν, χριστέ, τίς ἐστιν ὁ παίσας σε;

69 Ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ἐκάθητο ἔξω ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ· καὶ προσῆλθεν αὐτῷ μία παιδίσκη λέγουσα· Καὶ σὺ ἦσθα μετὰ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Γαλιλαίου· 70 ὁ δὲ ἠρνήσατο ⸀ἔμπροσθεν πάντων λέγων· Οὐκ οἶδα τί λέγεις. 71 ἐξελθόντα δὲ εἰς τὸν πυλῶνα εἶδεν αὐτὸν ἄλλη καὶ λέγει τοῖς ἐκεῖ· Οὗτος ἦν μετὰ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου· 72 καὶ πάλιν ἠρνήσατο μετὰ ὅρκου ὅτι Οὐκ οἶδα τὸν ἄνθρωπον. 73 μετὰ μικρὸν δὲ προσελθόντες οἱ ἑστῶτες εἶπον τῷ Πέτρῳ· Ἀληθῶς καὶ σὺ ἐξ αὐτῶν εἶ, καὶ γὰρ ἡ λαλιά σου δῆλόν σε ποιεῖ· 74 τότε ἤρξατο καταθεματίζειν καὶ ὀμνύειν ὅτι Οὐκ οἶδα τὸν ἄνθρωπον. καὶ εὐθέως ἀλέκτωρ ἐφώνησεν· 75 καὶ ἐμνήσθη ὁ Πέτρος τοῦ ῥήματος Ἰησοῦ εἰρηκότος ὅτι Πρὶν ἀλέκτορα φωνῆσαι τρὶς ἀπαρνήσῃ με, καὶ ἐξελθὼν ἔξω ἔκλαυσεν πικρῶς.

And they grabbing Jesus lead to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and elders had gathered. But Peter followed him from afar as far as the courtyard of the high priest and he went inside sat down with the guards to see the result. And the high priest and the Sanhedrin kept seeking false testimony against Jesus in order to put him to death, and they found no false witnesses to come forward. But later two came forward. And they said, “This one said, ‘I am able to tear down the temple of God and rebuild it in three days. And the high priest stood saying to him, “You do not answer? What is this they testify against you?”  And Jesus was silent. And the high priest said to him, “I put you under a oath before the Living God that you should tell if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You said it, but I say to you after now you will see the Son of Man descending from the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest tore his robe saying, “He blasphemed! What more witness do we need? Behold! Now you’ve heard the blasphemy! What do you suppose?” And they answered  saying, “He is guilty of death.” Then they spit upon his face and they hit him, and they slapped him saying, “Prophesy, Christ, who was it that hit you?”

And Peter sat outside in the courtyard and a slave girl came to him saying, “You were also with Jesus the Galilean.” And he denied it in front of everyone saying, “I do not know of whom you speak.” And as he went out into the gate to see him another and she said [to those there], “This one was with Jesus of Nazareth”, and again he answered with an oath, “I do not know the man!” After a short while the bystanders approached him saying to Peter, “Certainly also you are one of his, for also your speech gives you away.”  Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the words of Jesus  saying, “Before a rooster crows three times  you will disown me.” And he went out side and wept bitterly.

Lk 22 54 Συλλαβόντες δὲ αὐτὸν ἤγαγον καὶ εἰσήγαγον εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ ἀρχιερέως· ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ἠκολούθει μακρόθεν. 55 περιαψάντων δὲ πῦρ ἐν μέσῳ τῆς αὐλῆς καὶ συγκαθισάντων ἐκάθητο ὁ Πέτρος ⸀μέσος αὐτῶν. 56 ἰδοῦσα δὲ αὐτὸν παιδίσκη τις καθήμενον πρὸς τὸ φῶς καὶ ἀτενίσασα αὐτῷ εἶπεν· Καὶ οὗτος σὺν αὐτῷ ἦν· 57 ὁ δὲ ἠρνήσατο λέγων· Οὐκ οἶδα αὐτόν, γύναι. 58 καὶ μετὰ βραχὺ ἕτερος ἰδὼν αὐτὸν ἔφη· Καὶ σὺ ἐξ αὐτῶν εἶ· ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ἔφη· Ἄνθρωπε, οὐκ εἰμί. 59 καὶ διαστάσης ὡσεὶ ὥρας μιᾶς ἄλλος τις διϊσχυρίζετο λέγων· Ἐπʼ ἀληθείας καὶ οὗτος μετʼ αὐτοῦ ἦν, καὶ γὰρ Γαλιλαῖός ἐστιν· 60 εἶπεν δὲ ὁ Πέτρος· Ἄνθρωπε, οὐκ οἶδα ὃ λέγεις. καὶ παραχρῆμα ἔτι λαλοῦντος αὐτοῦ ἐφώνησεν ἀλέκτωρ. 61 καὶ στραφεὶς ὁ κύριος ἐνέβλεψεν τῷ Πέτρῳ, καὶ ὑπεμνήσθη ὁ Πέτρος τοῦ λόγου τοῦ κυρίου ὡς εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὅτι Πρὶν ἀλέκτορα φωνῆσαι σήμερον ἀπαρνήσῃ με τρίς. 62 καὶ ἐξελθὼν ἔξω ἔκλαυσεν πικρῶς.

63 Καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ συνέχοντες αὐτὸν ἐνέπαιζον αὐτῷ δέροντες, 64 καὶ περικαλύψαντες αὐτὸν ἐπηρώτων λέγοντες· Προφήτευσον, τίς ἐστιν ὁ παίσας σε; 65 καὶ ἕτερα πολλὰ βλασφημοῦντες ἔλεγον εἰς αὐτόν.

66 Καὶ ὡς ἐγένετο ἡμέρα, συνήχθη τὸ πρεσβυτέριον τοῦ λαοῦ, ἀρχιερεῖς τε καὶ γραμματεῖς, καὶ ἀπήγαγον αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ συνέδριον αὐτῶν, 67 λέγοντες· Εἰ σὺ εἶ ὁ χριστός, εἰπὸν ἡμῖν. εἶπεν δὲ αὐτοῖς· Ἐὰν ὑμῖν εἴπω οὐ μὴ πιστεύσητε· 68 ἐὰν δὲ ἐρωτήσω, οὐ μὴ ἀποκριθῆτε. 69 ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν δὲ ἔσται ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καθήμενος ἐκ δεξιῶν τῆς δυνάμεως τοῦ θεοῦ. 70 εἶπαν δὲ πάντες· Σὺ οὖν εἶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ; ὁ δὲ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἔφη· Ὑμεῖς λέγετε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι. 71 οἱ δὲ εἶπαν· Τί ἔτι ἔχομεν μαρτυρίας χρείαν; αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἠκούσαμεν ἀπὸ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ.

And arresting him they led him into the house of the high priest, and Peter followed at a distance. And there was a fire kindling in the middle of the courtyard and Peter sat down among them. And a slave girl seeing him sitting there before the light and looking at hi said, “Also this one was with him.” And he answered saying, “I don’t know him, woman.” And after a little another one beheld him saying, Also you are of him, “But Peter said, Man, I am not!” And about an hour passed and another insisted saying, “In truth, also this one was with him, for also he is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know of whom you speak.” And immediately, while speaking, a rooster crowd and the Lord turned to look at Peter, and Peter remembered the words of the Lord as he said to him, “Before a rooster crows three times today you will disown me” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

And the me  around him mocked him beating him, and covering him they asked him saying, “Prophesy, who’s the one striking you?!” And many other blasphemies they said to him.

And as it was becoming day the elders of the people, high priests, and the scribes, also led him away into their Sanhedrin, saying, “If you are the Christ, tell us.” And he said to them, “If I say to you, you will not believe. And if I ask, you will not answer.” And from now the Son of Man will be seated from the right hand of the power of God.” And they all said, “You are the Son of God?” And he said to them, “You said that I am.” And they said, “What more witness do we need?” For we have heard these things from his own mouth.”

Juxtaposing Mk and Mt:

Mk transitions from Jesus in Gethsemane, then betrayed, then brought before his accusers. He transitions to Jesus before Pilate. Mt does the same, except before Jesus is brought to Pilate he discusses Judas’ remorse. In Mk Peter is in the courtyard when a servant girl of the high priest recognizes him as being with Jesus “the Nazarene”. He denies it and goes to the porch. The same girl sees him again and tells the bystanders and he denies it. Then the bystanders ask him noting he is a Galilean. He cusses and denies Christ, then a rooster crows a second time and Peter remembers that Jesus said he would deny him three times before a rooster crows twice. He begins weeping. In Mt Peter is in the courtyard when the servant girl recognizes him as being with Jesus “the Galilean”. He denies it and goes into the gateway. Then a different girl sees him saying he is with Jesus “of Nazareth”. He denies it “with an oath”. Bystanders accuse him because of his speech (accent). He cusses and denies Christ, then a rooster crows. Peter remembers Jesus saying that before a rooster crows he would deny him three times. He goes and weeps.

Juxtaposing Mk and Lk: 

Mk transitions from Jesus in Gethsemane, then betrayed, then brought before his accusers. He transitions to Jesus before Pilate.  Lk does the same, though he does move Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin until after Peter’s denial.  In Mk Peter is in the courtyard when a servant girl of the high priest recognizes him as being with Jesus “the Nazarene”. He denies it and goes to the porch. The same girl sees him again and tells the bystanders and he denies it. Then the bystanders ask him noting he is a Galilean. He cusses and denies Christ, then a rooster crows a second time and Peter remembers that Jesus said he would deny him three times before a rooster crows twice. He begins weeping. In Lk Peter follows Jesus from a distance after the arrest. A fire is kindled in the courtyard and Peter sits with everyone. A servant girl says he was with “him”, but Peter denies it addressing the “woman”. Then “another” (masculine, singular) recognizes him and says Peter is “one of them!” He addresses him as “man” and denies Jesus. An hour later another man says Peter knows Jesus because he is a Galilean (following Mk in being explicit here). Peter addresses him as “man” and says he doesn’t know what he is saying. Then a rooster crows, Jesus turns and looks at Peter, Peter remembers Jesus saying that before the rooster crows he will have denied Jesus three times (agreement with Mt over Mk on this detail). Peter then goes and weeps bitterly.

Juxtaposing Mt and Lk:

Mt transitions from Jesus in Gethsemane, then betrayed, then brought before his accusers. He transitions to Judas showing remorse before going to the scene of Jesus before Pilate. Lk follows this order without the story of Judas and he moves Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin until after Peter’s denial. In Mk Peter is in the courtyard when a servant girl of the high priest recognizes him as being with Jesus “the Nazarene”. He denies it and goes to the porch. The same girl sees him again and tells the bystanders and he denies it. Then the bystanders ask him noting he is a Galilean. He cusses and denies Christ, then a rooster crows a second time and Peter remembers that Jesus said he would deny him three times before a rooster crows twice. He begins weeping. In Lk Peter follows Jesus from a distance after the arrest. A fire is kindled in the courtyard and Peter sits with everyone. A servant girl says he was with “him”, but Peter denies it addressing the “woman”. Then “another” (masculine, singular) recognizes him and says Peter is “one of them!” He addresses him as “man” and denies Jesus. An hour later another man says Peter knows Jesus because he is a Galilean (following Mk in being explicit here). Peter addresses him as “man” and says he doesn’t know what he is saying. Then a rooster crows, Jesus turns and looks at Peter, Peter remembers Jesus saying that before the rooster crows he will have denied Jesus three times (agreement with Mt over Mk on this detail). Peter then goes and weeps bitterly.

Unique to Mk:

In Mk Jesus is of Nazareth. Also, the second to notice Peter is the same girl as the first time.  The rooster crows twice before Peter denies Christ. 

Unique to Mt: 

In Mt the second servant girl is different. Peter swears by an oath and he is recognized because of his speech.

Unique to Lk:

In Lk Peter knows where Jesus is because he followed him from a distance. There is fire in the courtyard. The second servant to recognize Jesus is male. Instead of a group of people there is a second male, third witness. Somehow Jesus and Peter make eye contact.