Mark 14:72

And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(72) When he thought thereon.—The Greek word is a somewhat peculiar one, and means literally “throwing at,” or “on.” The English version assumes that it means “casting his mind or thoughts,” just as “to reflect” is “to bend the mind,” and is probably right. The marginal readings give two conjectures. Yet another may be found in the idea that the word describes St. Peter’s action “casting himself down, he wept,” but there is not enough authority for any other interpretation to justify a change in the text.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

14:66-72 Peter's denying Christ began by keeping at a distance from him. Those that are shy of godliness, are far in the way to deny Christ. Those who think it dangerous to be in company with Christ's disciples, because thence they may be drawn in to suffer for him, will find it much more dangerous to be in company with his enemies, because there they may be drawn in to sin against him. When Christ was admired and flocked after, Peter readily owned him; but will own no relation to him now he is deserted and despised. Yet observe, Peter's repentance was very speedy. Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall; and let him that has fallen think of these things, and of his own offences, and return to the Lord with weeping and supplication, seeking forgiveness, and to be raised up by the Holy Spirit.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this fully explained in the notes at Matthew 26:57-75.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

72. And the second time the cock crew—The other three Evangelists, who mention but one crowing of the cock—and that not the first, but the second and last one of Mark—all say the cock crew "immediately," but Luke (Lu 22:60) says, "Immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew." Alas!—But now comes the wonderful sequel.

The Redeemer's Look upon Peter, and Peter's Bitter Tears (Mr 14:72; Lu 22:61, 62).

It has been observed that while the beloved disciple is the only one of the four Evangelists who does not record the repentance of Peter, he is the only one of the four who records the affecting and most beautiful scene of his complete restoration (Joh 21:15-17).

Lu 22:61:

And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter—How? it will be asked. We answer, From the chamber in which the trial was going on, in the direction of the court where Peter then stood—in the way already explained. See on [1516]Mr 14:66. Our Second Evangelist makes no mention of this look, but dwells on the warning of his Lord about the double crowing of the cock, which would announce his triple fall, as what rushed stingingly to his recollection and made him dissolve in tears.

And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept—To the same effect is the statement of the First Evangelist (Mt 26:75), save that like "the beloved physician," he notices the "bitterness" of the weeping (Lu 22:62). The most precious link, however, in the whole chain of circumstances in this scene is beyond doubt that "look" of deepest, tenderest import reported by Luke alone (Lu 22:61). Who can tell what lightning flashes of wounded love and piercing reproach shot from that "look" through the eye of Peter into his heart!

And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice.

Lu 22:62:

And Peter went out and wept bitterly—How different from the sequel of Judas' act! Doubtless the hearts of the two men towards the Saviour were perfectly different from the first; and the treason of Judas was but the consummation of the wretched man's resistance of the blaze of light in the midst of which he had lived for three years, while Peter's denial was but a momentary obscuration of the heavenly light and love to his Master which ruled his life. But the immediate cause of the blessed revulsion which made Peter "weep bitterly" (Mt 26:75) was, beyond all doubt, this heart-piercing "look" which his Lord gave him. And remembering the Saviour's own words at the table, "Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not" (Lu 22:31, 32), may we not say that this prayer fetched down all that there was in that look to pierce and break the heart of Peter, to keep it from despair, to work in it "repentance unto salvation not to be repented of," and at length, under other healing touches, to "restore his soul?" (See on [1517]Mr 16:7).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Mark 14:66"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the second time the cock crew,.... Immediately, as soon as he had so said and swore, as the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions read, and as it is read in one of Beza's copies; which was about three of the clock in the morning, and is what is properly called the cock crowing:

and Peter called to mind; upon hearing the cock crow a second time,

the word that Jesus said unto him, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice: as he now had done twice, to the maid or maids, and a third time to the servants that stood by the fire along with him:

and when he thought thereon; on the words of Christ, and on his sin in denying him, and on the aggravated circumstances of it. The Arabic version renders it, "he turned himself to weep"; he turned away from the company, he threw himself out of it, and got out of doors as fast as he could, and broke out into a violent fit of weeping. The Syriac, Persic, and Vulgate Latin versions, render it, "he began to weep"; this phrase is omitted in the Ethiopic version: some choose to render it, "he looked upon him", that is, on Christ: as Christ looked upon him; which produced true evangelical repentance in him, so Peter looked upon his dear Lord with concern, whom he so had shamefully denied; he looked upon him and mourned, he looked upon him with an eye of faith, and sorrowed for his sin after a godly sort: but the true sense of the word is, "he covered himself"; he cast his garment over his head, he veiled himself as mourners did, who covered their heads, and their faces, and even their lips. So Maimonides (o);

"from whence, says he, is uncovering the head, forbidden a mourner? For, lo! it is said to Ezekiel 24:17, "cover not thy lips" at all, for the rest of mourners are obliged to the covering of the head; the linen cloth, or veil, with which he covers his head, he covers with a part of it, a little over his mouth; as it is said, Leviticus 13:45, "He shall put a covering upon his upper lip": and Onkelos paraphrases it, , "as a mourner he shall cover himself".''

And so it is said of Haman (p),

"that he went to his house, and mourned for his daughter, , "and put a covering on his head as a mourner": for his daughter, and for his reproach.''

And this, it seems, was the custom of the Ishmaelites: hence that saying (q),

"all veiling (in mourning) which is not as the veiling of the Ishmaelites (who cover all the face), is no veiling?''

And thus Peter, through shame, and as a token of sorrow and mourning for his sin, threw his garment over him:

and he wept; as Matthew says, "bitterly": being fully convinced of his sin, and heartily sorry lot it; See Gill on Matthew 26:75.

(o) Hilch. Ebel, c. 5. sect. 19. (p) Targum in Esther vi. 12. Vid. Targum in Micah 3.7. (q) T. Bab. Moed. Katon, fol. 24. 1.

Geneva Study Bible

And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Mark 14:72. εὐθὺς: omitted in the MSS. which insert a first cock-crow in Mark 14:68, as implying that this was the first crow at that hour, as in Mt.—ἐκ δευτέρου (omitted in [141] [142] because apparently implying a first cock-crow during the denial, which they omit) must be understood with Weiss as referring to the second time of cock-crowing (three in the morning), the first being at midnight.—ἐπιβαλὼν: another puzzle in Mk.’s vocabulary; very variously interpreted. Most modern interpreters adopt the rendering in the A. V[143] and R. V[144], “when he thought thereon” (ἐπιβαλὼν τὸν νοῦν). Weizsäcker: “er bedachte es und weinte”. Theophylact took ἐπιβ = ἐπικαλυψάμενος τὴν κεφαλήν, having covered his head (that he might weep unrestrainedly), a rendering which Fritzsche and Field (Otium Nor.) decidedly support. Field remarks: “it may have been a trivial or colloquial word, such as would have stirred the bile of a Phrynichus or a Thomas Magister, who would have inserted it in their Index Expurgatorius, with a caution: ἐπιβαλὼν μὴ λέγε ἀλλὰ ἐγκαλυψάμενος ἢ ἐπικαλυψάμενος”. Brandt (Die Ev. Gesch., p. 31), adopting a suggestion by Holwerda, thinks the original word may have been ἐκβαλὼν = going out, or flinging himself out. Klostermann ingeniously suggests: “stopped suddenly in his course of denial, like a man, running headlong, knocking suddenly against an obstacle in his way”. The choice seems to lie between the renderings: “thinking thereon” and “covering his head”.

[141] Codex Sinaiticus (sæc. iv.), now at St. Petersburg, published in facsimile type by its discoverer, Tischendorf, in 1862.

[142] Codex Regius--eighth century, represents an ancient text, and is often in agreement with א and B.

[143] Authorised Version.

[144] Revised Version.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

72. And Peter called to mind] That glance of sorrow went straight to the Apostle’s heart; all that his Lord had said, all His repeated warnings rushed back to his remembrance, and lit up the darkness of his soul. He could contain himself no longer, and

when he thought thereon] for so we have rendered the original word. Others render it (i) abundantly = “he wept abundantly,” as in the margin; others (ii) “he began to weep;” others (iii) “he threw his mantle over his head;” others (iv) “he flung himself forth and wept,”

he wept] Not with the remorse of Judas, but the godly sorrow of true repentance. Observe that the Apostle has not lessened his fault, for it is from him, doubtless, through St Mark, we are informed “that the first crowing of the cock did not suffice to recal him to his duty, but a second was needed.” Lange.

Bengel's Gnomen

Mark 14:72. Ἐπιβαλὼν ἔκλαιε, he betook himself) To weeping, or, as Stapulensis interprets it, He broke forth into weeping. The French happily express it, il sc mit à pleurer Theophr. charact., περὶ λογοποιΐας· εὐθὺς ἐρωτῆσαι—καὶ ἐπιβαλὼν ἐρωτᾶν: as to which see Casaubon [Engl. Ver., When he thought thereon.]

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 72. - And when he thought thereon, he wept (καὶ ἐπὶβαλὼν ἔκλαιε, not ἔκλαυςε,). The word implies a long and continued weeping. This concludes the preliminary trial, the whole proceedings of which were illegal.



Mark 14:72

Vincent's Word Studies

When he thought thereon (ἐπιβαλὼν)

From ἐπί, upon, and βάλλω, to throw. When he threw his thought upon it.