Mark 14:54 Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.

◄ Mark 14:54 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.

English Standard Version
And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire.

New American Standard Bible
Peter had followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers and warming himself at the fire.

King James Bible
And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the high priest's courtyard. He was sitting with the temple police, warming himself by the fire.

International Standard Version
Peter followed Jesus at a distance as far as the high priest's courtyard. He was sitting with the servants and warming himself at the fire.

American Standard Version
And Peter had followed him afar off, even within, into the court of the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers, and warming himself in the light of the fire .

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Peter followed him from afar off, even into the court of the high priest; and he sat with the servants at the fire, and warmed himself.

Darby Bible Translation
And Peter followed him at a distance, till he was within the court of the high priest's palace; and he was sitting with the officers and warming himself in the light of the fire.

Young's Literal Translation
and Peter afar off did follow him, to the inside of the hall of the chief priest, and he was sitting with the officers, and warming himself near the fire.

Cross References

Matthew 26:3
Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, to the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,

Mark 14:66
And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there comes one of the maids of the high priest:

Mark 14:67
And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked on him, and said, And you also were with Jesus of Nazareth.

Mark 14:68
But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what you say. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.

Luke 22:54
Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off.

John 18:15
And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known to the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.

John 18:18
And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself.

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Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

14:53-65 We have here Christ's condemnation before the great council of the Jews. Peter followed; but the high priest's fire-side was no proper place, nor his servants proper company, for Peter: it was an entrance into temptation. Great diligence was used to procure false witnesses against Jesus, yet their testimony was not equal to the charge of a capital crime, by the utmost stretch of their law. He was asked, Art thou the Son of the Blessed? that is, the Son of God. For the proof of his being the Son of God, he refers to his second coming. In these outrages we have proofs of man's enmity to God, and of God's free and unspeakable love to man.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

54. And Peter followed him afar off, even into—or "from afar, even to the interior of."

the palace of the high priest—"An oriental house," says Robinson, "is usually built around a quadrangular interior court; into which there is a passage (sometimes arched) through the front part of the house, closed next the street by a heavy folding gate, with a smaller wicket for single persons, kept by a porter. The interior court, often paved or flagged, and open to the sky, is the hall, which our translators have rendered 'palace,' where the attendants made a fire; and the passage beneath the front of the house, from the street to this court, is the porch. The place where Jesus stood before the high priest may have been an open room, or place of audience on the ground floor, in the rear or on one side of the court; such rooms, open in front, being customary. It was close upon the court, for Jesus heard all that was going on around the fire, and turned and looked upon Peter (Lu 22:61)."

and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire—The graphic details, here omitted, are supplied in the other Gospels. Joh 18:18:

And the servants and officers stood there—that is, in the hall, within the quadrangle, open to the sky.

who had made a fire of coals—or charcoal (in a brazier probably).

for it was cold—John alone of all the Evangelists mentions the material, and the coldness of the night, as Webster and Wilkinson remark. The elevated situation of Jerusalem, observes Tholuck, renders it so cold about Easter as to make a watch fire at night indispensable.

And Peter stood with them and warmed himself—"He went in," says Matthew (Mt 26:58), "and sat with the servants to see the end." These two minute statements throw an interesting light on each other. His wishing to "see the end," or issue of these proceedings, was what led him into the palace, for he evidently feared the worst. But once in, the serpent coil is drawn closer; it is a cold night, and why should not he take advantage of the fire as well as others? Besides, in the talk of the crowd about the all-engrossing topic he may pick up something which he would like to hear. Poor Peter! But now, let us leave him warming himself at the fire, and listening to the hum of talk about this strange case by which the subordinate officials, passing to and fro and crowding around the fire in this open court, would while away the time; and, following what appears the order of the Evangelical Narrative, let us turn to Peter's Lord.

Jesus Is Interrogated by Annas—His Dignified Reply—Is Treated with Indignity by One of the Officials—His Meek Rebuke (Joh 18:19-23).

We have seen that it is only the Fourth Evangelist who tells us that our Lord was sent to Annas first, overnight, until the Sanhedrim could be got together at earliest dawn. We have now, in the same Gospel, the deeply instructive scene that passed during this non-official interview.

Joh 18:19:

The high priest—Annas.

then asked Jesus of His disciples and of His doctrine—probably to entrap Him into some statements which might be used against Him at the trial. From our Lord's answer it would seem that "His disciples" were understood to be some secret party.

Joh 18:20.

Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world—compare Joh 7:4. He speaks of His public teaching as now a past thing—as now all over.

I ever taught in the synagogue and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort—courting publicity, though with sublime noiselessness.

and in secret have I said nothing—rather, "spake I nothing"; that is, nothing different from what He taught in public: all His private communications with the Twelve being but explanations and developments of His public teaching. (Compare Isa 45:19; 48:16).

Joh 18:21:

Why askest thou Me? ask them which heard Me what I have said to them—rather, "what I said unto them."

behold, they know what I said—From this mode of replying, it is evident that our Lord saw the attempt to draw Him into self-crimination, and resented it by falling back upon the right of every accused party to have some charge laid against Him by competent witnesses.