Verse 10
Simon Peter therefore having a sword drew it, and struck the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. Now the servant's name was Malchus.
This rash action by Peter required another miracle to prevent his arrest and possible execution. Peter never knew until long afterward how thin the ice was upon which he skated that night.
Peter was intent on making good his boast of being willing to follow the Lord to prison and to death. This was the only blow struck in Jesus' defense, and one cannot help but admire Peter; wrong as he was, for striking it. For fuller exegesis of this incident and Peter's denials, see my Commentary on Matthew, under Matthew 26:51ff.
His right ear ... is another inadvertent touch of the eyewitness writer.
The servant's name was Malchus ... Both Peter and Malchus are named by John, but not in the synoptics. Fear of reprisal by the authorities probably led to the omission of Peter's name in early Gospels. The miracle of healing Malchus' ear is not recorded here, but the necessity for such a thing is revealed. Can the fact of Peter's not being arrested even after his assault with a sword upon the arresting officers be explained in any way, except in the light of the miracles wrought during the progress of the seizure?
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