And as Peter was beneath in the palace ,.... Not at the lower and further end of the room, but in the lower part of it; that part in which Jesus and the sanhedrim were, being upon an advanced ground, with steps ascending to it: there cometh one of the maids of the high priest ; the same that kept the door, and let him in. The Ethiopic version renders it, "a daughter of the high priest". read more
Peter's fall. The painful declaration that the words of the prophet, "I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered abroad," would find their fulfillment in them, and in "All ye shall be offended," roused Peter's spirit, and with a bold but mistaken estimate of his own courage and devotion, he fearlessly, even presumptuously, affirmed, "Although all shall be offended, yet will not I." St. Luke has preserved for us words which throw much light upon the incident of Peter's... read more
Parallel passages: Matthew 26:57-75 ; Luke 22:54-62 ; John 18:13-27 — The denial by Peter. I. THE CAUSES THAT LED TO PETER 'S SIN 1. —The first cause of Peter's sin. The first cause, as we may infer from this very chapter, was self-confidence. Our Lord foretold the smiting of the Shepherd, as predicted long before in ancient prophecy—of himself the good Shepherd, appropriating the title; and along with the smiting of the Shepherd, he foretold, as a consequence,... read more
Peter denying Christ. The seeming discrepancies of the accounts by the evangelists of Peter's threefold denial are explained on the ground of their independency of one another, and their making prominent various portions of a lengthened and complex series of actions. "Three denials are mentioned by all the evangelists, and three occasions are distinguished; but on some of these there was more than one speaker, and probably more than one answer." This circumstance was— I. AN EVIDENCE... read more
And as Peter was beneath in the court . The room in which the Sanhedrim were assembled was an upper chamber. read more
Peter's denial. The story of our Savior's humiliation and suffering is a story not only of the malice and the injustice of his enemies, but of the frailty and unfaithfulness of his professed friends. It is true that the priests and elders apprehended him with violence and condemned him with unrighteousness; and that the Roman governor, against his own convictions, and influenced by his weakness and his selfish interests, condemned him to a cruel death. But it is also true, that of the... read more
Extremes meet in character. I. SELF - CONFIDENCE AND WEAKNESS . What is a man without self-reliance? Yet it seems to fail, and offers no security in temptation. In a true self-reliance is contained dependence and trust. Confidence in our thought is right, if we recognize that our true views are revealed to us; that it is not we who think, but God who thinks in us. Separated from our root in God, whether in thought or will, we become mere individuals. Once isolate the picture of... read more
See this fully explained in the notes at Matthew 26:57-75. read more
Mark 14:66-72. And as Peter was beneath in the palace This whole paragraph respecting Peter’s three-fold denial of Christ is explained at large in the notes on Matthew 26:69-75. When he thought thereon he wept In the original it is, και επιβαλων εκλαιε , which words are interpreted very differently by different commentators. Dr. Whitby thinks our translation of the words may be maintained; “for though Casaubon,” says he, “gave no instance of this signification of the word, Constantine... read more
Get Bible verse every day in your inbox
Read on Mobile
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Mark 14:66-72
We have here the story of Peter's denying Christ. 1. It began in keeping at a distance from him. Peter had followed afar off (Mark 14:54), and now was beneath in the palace, at the lower end of the hall. Those that are shy of Christ, are in a fair way to deny him, that are shy of attending on holy ordinances, shy of the communion of the faithful, and loth to be seen on the side of despised godliness. 2. It was occasioned by his associating with the high priest's servants, and sitting among... read more