Mark 14:68

But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(68) And he went out into the porch.—The noun is not the same as that used by St. Matthew, but signifies literally “the space before the palace,” i.e., the vestibule. Substantially, of course, it comes to much the same meaning.

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

68. But he denied—"before all" (Mt 26:70).

saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest—in Luke (Lu 22:57), "I know Him not."

And he went out into the porch—the vestibule leading to the street—no doubt finding the fire-place too hot for him; possibly also with the hope of escaping—but that was not to be, and perhaps he dreaded that, too. Doubtless by this time his mind would be getting into a sea of commotion, and would fluctuate every moment in its resolves.

AND THE COCK CREW—(See on [1515]Lu 22:34). This, then, was the First Denial.

Peter's Second Denial of His Lord (Mr 14:69, 70).

There is here a verbal difference among the Evangelists, which without some information which has been withheld, cannot be quite extricated.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Mark 14:66"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

But he denied,.... That he was with Jesus, or a disciple of his:

saying, I know not; Jesus of Nazareth: neither understand I what thou sayest; about him, and of being with him: the last phrase, "neither understand I", is omitted in the Syriac and Persic versions:

and he went out into the porch; adjoining to the palace, to consider what to do, being surprised and confounded at such a challenge:

and the cock crew; the first time, being about midnight; and yet he took no notice of it, nor remembered what Christ had but a few hours before said to him: or if he did, he might hope he should not meet with another attack, or he should have more courage and strength than to deny a second time.

Geneva Study Bible

But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Mark 14:68. οὔτε οἶδα, etc., I neither know nor understand, thou, what thou sayest.—οὔτε-οὔτε connect closely the two verbs as expressing inability to comprehend what she means. The unusual emphatic position of σὺ (σὺ τί λέγεις, smoothed down into τί σὺ λ. in T.R.) admirably reflects affected astonishment.—ἐξῆλθεν: he slunk away from the fire into the forecourt—προαυλίον, here only in N. T.—καὶ ἀλέκτωρ ἐφώνησε: these words, omitted in [137] [138] [139], are of very dubious authenticity. Weiss and Holtzmann think they were inserted by copyists under the impression that the words of Jesus to Peter, Mark 14:30, meant that the cock was to crow twice in close succession, whereas the δὶς referred to the second time of cock-crowing, the beginning of the second watch after midnight. Schanz, while regarding this explanation of δὶς as unnatural, admits that it is difficult to understand how this first crow did not remind Peter of the Lord’s warning word.

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

[138] Codex Vaticanus (sæc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.

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

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

68. but he denied] Thrown off his guard and perhaps disconcerted by the searching glances of the bystanders, Peter replied at first evasively, that he neither knew nor understood what she meant. See Lange, Life, iv. p. 316. Others think it means, “I know Him not, neither understand I what thou sayest.”

into the porch] Anxious probably for a favourable opportunity of retiring altogether, the Apostle now moved towards the darkness of the porch. Here the second denial took place (Matthew 26:71-72), and for the first time a cock crew.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 68. - But he denied, saying, I neither know, nor understand what thou sayest. "This shows the great terror of Peter," says St. Chrysostom, "who, intimidated by the question of a poor servant-girl, denied his Lord; and who yet afterwards, when he had received the Holy Spirit, could say, 'We ought to obey God rather than man.'" I neither know, nor understand what thou sayest. Every word here is emphatic. It amounts to this: "So little do I know who this Jesus is, that I know not what you say or what you ask concerning him. I know not who or what he is or anything about him. A question has been raised as to the number of times that Peter denied our Lord. The narratives are best explained by the consideration that all the denials took place in the house of Caiaphas. Furthermore, the accounts of the evangelists may be reconciled thus: First, Peter denied the Lord in the court of the high priest, when he was first asked by the maidservant, as he sat over the fire (Matthew 24:69); secondly, he denied him with an oath; thirdly, when urged still more, he denied him with many oaths and execrations. The cock crew the first time after the first denial, when we read (Matthew 26:71) that he went out into the porch (προαύλιον). This crowing would be about one or two in the morning. The second crowing would not be until five or six. This shows us the length of time that the proceedings lasted. It was doubtless as Jesus through the court that he gave Peter that look of unutterable pain and grief which moved him at once to repentance. Mark 14:68

Vincent's Word Studies

Porch (προαύλιον)

Only here in New Testament. The vestibule, extending from the outside gate to the court.