Matthew 26:71

And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Benson Commentary

Matthew 26:71-72. When he was gone out into the porch — Or portico, as Dr. Doddridge renders it, who observes, “I apprehend that the word προαυλιον, (used by Mark here.) most exactly answers to the Latin word vestibulum, by which many interpreters render it. And, considering the magnificence of the Jewish buildings at this time, it is reasonable to conclude that this, which belonged to the high-priest’s palace, was some stately piazza, or colonnade; and therefore I choose rather to render it, portico, than porch, a word applicable to the meanest buildings of that kind.” Another maid saw him, and said, This fellow was also with Jesus — Whatever he may pretend to the contrary, and how positively soever he may deny it. And again he denied with an oath — A sin to which possibly he was not unaccustomed before our Lord called him. Saying, I do not know the man — Jesus was so public a person, and so well known to thousands, not at all in his interest, that this additional falsehood was most unnecessary; and, as it frequently happens when people allow themselves to transgress the bounds of truth, it was more likely to entangle and discover him than to clear him. A learned divine conjectures, that Peter was suffered to fall more foully than any of the rest of the apostles, except Judas the traitor, and to make more remarkable mistakes in his conduct, that we might thus be cautioned against that extravagant regard which would afterward be demanded to him and his pretended successors. How must these people, before whom Peter denied his Lord, be surprised when they saw, as no doubt some of them did, this timorous disciple, within the compass of a few weeks, when he was brought with John before the council, not only maintaining the cause and honour of Jesus, but boldly charging the murder of this Prince of life on the chief men of the nation, and solemnly warning them of their guilt and danger in consequence of it. Acts 4:5-12. Perhaps when it is said there, Matthew 26:13, that they took knowledge of Peter and John that they had been with Jesus, the meaning may be, that some of them, or their attendants, remembered Peter and John as the two persons who had followed Jesus thus far, when the rest had forsaken him. See Clarke’s Seventeen Sermons, p. 236, and Doddridge.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

26:69-75 Peter's sin is truly related, for the Scriptures deal faithfully. Bad company leads to sin: those who needlessly thrust themselves into it, may expect to be tempted and insnared, as Peter. They scarcely can come out of such company without guilt or grief, or both. It is a great fault to be shy of Christ; and to dissemble our knowledge of him, when we are called to own him, is, in effect, to deny him. Peter's sin was aggravated; but he fell into the sin by surprise, not as Judas, with design. But conscience should be to us as the crowing of the cock, to put us in mind of the sins we had forgotten. Peter was thus left to fall, to abate his self-confidence, and render him more modest, humble, compassionate, and useful to others. The event has taught believers many things ever since, and if infidels, Pharisees, and hypocrites stumble at it or abuse it, it is at their peril. Little do we know how we should act in very difficult situations, if we were left to ourselves. Let him, therefore, that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall; let us all distrust our own hearts, and rely wholly on the Lord. Peter wept bitterly. Sorrow for sin must not be slight, but great and deep. Peter, who wept so bitterly for denying Christ, never denied him again, but confessed him often in the face of danger. True repentance for any sin will be shown by the contrary grace and duty; that is a sign of our sorrowing not only bitterly, but sincerely.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

When he was gone out into the porch - The "entrance," or the small apartment between the outer door and the large hall in the center of the building. See plan of a house, Notes, Matthew 9:1-8. Peter was embarrassed and confused by the question, and to save his confusion from attracting notice, he went away from the fire into the porch, where he expected to be unobserved - yet in vain. By the very movement to avoid detection, he came into contact with another who knew him and repeated the charge. How clearly does it prove that our Lord was omniscient, that all these things were foreseen!

Another maid saw him - Mark simply says that "a maid" saw him. From Luke it would appear that "a man" spoke to him, Luke 22:58. The truth probably is that both were done. When he first went out, "a maid" charged him with being a follower of Jesus. He was probably there a considerable time. To this charge he might have been silent, thinking, perhaps, that he was concealed, and there was no need of denying Jesus then. Yet it is very likely that the charge would be repeated. A "man," also, might have repeated it; and Peter, irritated, provoked, perhaps thinking that he was in danger, "then" denied his Master the second time. This denial was in a stronger manner and with an oath. While in the porch, Mark says, the cock crew - that is, the first crowing, or not far from midnight.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Mt 26:57-75. Jesus Arraigned before the Sanhedrim Condemned to Die, and Shamefully Entreated—The Denial of Peter. ( = Mr 14:53-72; Lu 22:54-71; Joh 18:13-18, 24-27).

For the exposition, see on [1366]Mr 14:53-72.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Matthew 26:72".

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And when he was gone out into the porch,.... The Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read, "the gate": and so does Munster's Hebrew Gospel; but more rightly it is rendered, "the porch": he did not attempt to go out at the door, and run away, though he could gladly have done it; but he feared to do this, lest, as this would discover him, they should pursue him, and overtake him, and bring him before the sanhedrim: he chose rather to keep his ground, but was very uneasy; and therefore moved into the porch, where he sat very pensive, considering what was proper for him to do; when

another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, this fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth: she speaks of Christ in the same contemptuous manner, as her fellow servant had done; for this appellation of Christ was commonly, if not always used by way of contempt; and she means the same thing by his being with him, the other did, and is rather more spiteful, and bent on mischief; for, the other addressed him alone, and what she said, said to himself; but this directs her speech to the servants and officers that were near at hand, and uses him in a very scurrilous manner: this sorry fellow, that is sauntering and lurking about here, is certainly one of this man's disciples.

Geneva Study Bible

And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Matthew 26:71. Ἐξελθόντα] from the court-yard to the porch, which, passing through some part of the buildings that stood round the four sides of the former, conducted into the anterior court outside (προαύλιον; according to Mark 14:68, it was in this latter that the present denial took place). Comp. Hermann, Privatalterth. § 19. 9 ff. In spite of the plain meaning of πυλών, door, doorway (see Luke 16:20; Acts 10:17; Acts 12:13 f., Matthew 14:13; Revelation 21), it is usually supposed that it is the outer court in front of the house, the προαύλιον (see Poll. i. 77, ix. 16), that is meant.

αὐτοῖς ἐκεῖ] ἐκεῖ belongs to λέγει, while αὐτοῖς, in accordance with a loose usage of frequent occurrence (Winer, p. 137 f. [E. T. 181]), is meant to refer to the people generally whom she happened to meet with. It would be wrong to connect ἐκεῖ with καὶ οὗτος (Matthaei, Scholz), because in such a connection it would be meaningless.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Matthew 26:71. εἰς τ. πυλῶνα, to or towards the gateway, away from the crowd in the court.—ἄλλη (παιδίσκη), another saw him, and said, not to him, but to others there (not easy to escape 1).—οὗτος, etc., this person, pointing to him, was, etc.

Bengel's Gnomen

Matthew 26:71. Ἐξελθόντα, as he was going forth) The flying from temptation, when it is too late, involves fresh danger.—ἄλλη, another) sc. maid-servant; and simultaneously the former, who instigated this other, and also a male attendant. See Mark 14:69, and Luke 22:58. The denial, made under one impulse, to the questions of more than one interrogator, is considered as one: and yet he is said to have denied thrice:[1164] [how often, therefore, must he have uttered the denial!]—Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου, Jesus the Nazarene) the surname Nazarene is added to distinguish Him from the many others who bore the name at that time. The Son of God bore a name common amongst men.

[1164] The threefold denial of Peter is not to be reckoned by the distinctness of the persons, who interrogated him indiscriminately, nor with reference to the variety of expressions, several of which were comprised in one denial; but in relation to the diversity of place, time, and degree, characterizing each denial respectively. His first simple denial was succeeded by an oath, and this was succeeded thirdly by curses and imprecations added to the former protestations: Matthew 26:70; Matthew 26:72; Matthew 26:74.—Harm., p. 535.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 71. - The porch; τὸν πυλῶμνα. The passage between the street and the court. Peter had walked towards the gate, either in unmeaning restlessness, or with some notion of escaping further questioning. Another maid saw him. We gather from the other accounts that both the porteress and some other domestics assailed him at this time. Jesus of Nazareth. Christ was popularly so known (see Matthew 21:11). Matthew 26:71

Vincent's Word Studies

Gone out

Through fear of being further questioned.