Matthew 26:51

And behold, one of them that were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and smote the servant of the high priest, and struck off his ear.

This passage affords strong evidence of the early date of Matthew which was surely written during the lifetime of Peter, else his name would have been given here. John, writing much later, either after Peter's death or danger had subsided, did not hesitate to name both Peter who drew the sword and Malchus who received it. From the human view, one must admire Peter. His was the only blow struck in defense of the Lord, although struck contrary to Jesus' will and without his approval. By such bold action, Peter was beginning, so he probably thought, to make good his boast that he was ready to die for the Lord. His sincerity is evident, for that was no ordinary blow. If Malchus had not dodged, one may surmise that Peter would have split his head open. Furthermore, Peter was striking toward the high priest, which indicated that he recognized where the hatred and enmity against Christ were centered.