John 18:16

But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(16) But Peter stood at the door without.—i.e., at the door of the court. He remained here with the crowd. Jesus as a prisoner, and the other disciple as a friend of the high priest, went into the court.

Unto her that kept the door.—Comp. Acts 12:13 and 2Samuel 4:6 (LXX.). That women “kept the door” among the Jews we know from Josephus (Ant vii. 2, § 1).

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

18:13-27 Simon Peter denied his Master. The particulars have been noticed in the remarks on the other Gospels. The beginning of sin is as the letting forth of water. The sin of lying is a fruitful sin; one lie needs another to support it, and that another. If a call to expose ourselves to danger be clear, we may hope God will enable us to honour him; if it be not, we may fear that God will leave us to shame ourselves. They said nothing concerning the miracles of Jesus, by which he had done so much good, and which proved his doctrine. Thus the enemies of Christ, whilst they quarrel with his truth, wilfully shut their eyes against it. He appeals to those who heard him. The doctrine of Christ may safely appeal to all that know it, and those who judge in truth bear witness to it. Our resentment of injuries must never be passionate. He reasoned with the man that did him the injury, and so may we.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the notes at Matthew 26:57-58.

Another disciple - Not improbably John. Some critics, however, have supposed that this disciple was one who dwelt at Jerusalem, and who, not being a Galilean, could enter the palace without suspicion. John, however, mentions the circumstance of his being known to them, to show why it was that he was not questioned as Peter was. It is not probable that any danger resulted from its being known that he was a follower of Jesus, or that any harm was meditated on them for this. The questions asked Peter were not asked by those in authority, and his apprehensions which led to his denial were groundless.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

16. But Peter stood at the door without—by preconcerted arrangement with his friend till he should get access for him.

Then went out that other … and spake to her that kept the door, and brought in Peter—The naturalness of these small details is not unworthy of notice. This other disciple first made good his own entrance on the score of acquaintance with the high priest; this secured, he goes forth again, now as a privileged person, to make interest for Peter's admission. But thus our poor disciple is in the coils of the serpent. The next steps will best be seen by inverting Joh 18:17 and Joh 18:18.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

This further confirmeth the conjecture of those, who think that other disciple was none of the apostles, but a favourer of Christ, that lived in Jerusalem, and was of some repute either for estate or place; so as he had not only an acquaintance with the high priest, but also with his family; and could gain admittance into his palace, not only for himself but also for his friend.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

But Peter stood at the door without,.... It being difficult to get in; and perhaps he might be fearful too of going in, lest he should be known; however, he waited, if he could hear or see anything, and for a proper opportunity of entrance: it would have been well if he had took the hint of providence, access not being easy, and have gone his way; for he was now at the door of temptation: it would have been best for him, if he had kept without; and indeed at a greater distance; but his curiosity had led him thus far, and he hoped for an opportunity of getting nearer, which offered in the following manner:

then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest; seeing Peter through the window, by the light of the moon, for it was full moon; and knowing him, who he was, concluded he had a mind to come in, and hear and see what he could, steps out,

and spake unto her that kept the door; which might be thought more properly the business of menservants; but these being employed in apprehending and guarding Jesus, the maid, servants might be obliged to take this post. The Ethiopic version, in the next verse, calls her the doorkeeper's daughter; her father might be the porter, and he being busy, she supplied his place. Though there is no need of these conjectures, since it was usual with other nations, and it might be with the Jews, for women to be doorkeepers, as Pignorius (l) has shown out of Plautus, Petronius, Pausanias, and others. However, the other disciple, who was a man of figure and authority, and was known by the servants of the family, ordered her to open the door, and let Peter in; who accordingly did:

and brought in Peter; into the hall, where Jesus was, under the examination of the high priest.

(l) De Servis, p. 454, 455.

Geneva Study Bible

But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

John 18:16-18. Peter, who had no acquaintance in the house, had not been admitted into the court (αὐλή, John 18:15), but stood, after John had gone in with the procession, outside at the door;[212] hence John obtains, by means of the portress (Joseph. Antt. vii. 2. 1; Acts 12:13), permission to introduce him. The εἰσήγαγε refers to John; by Erasmus, Grotius, Ewald, and several others, it is referred to the portress, but in that way would give an unnecessary change of subject. The portress at the gate within the court asks of Peter, when admitted: “But art not thou also,” etc.? The καί carries the presupposition that John, whom she had notwithstanding also admitted for acquaintance’ sake, was a disciple of Jesus; the negative question rests on the feeling that probably she ought not otherwise to have admitted him.

τοῦ ἀνθρ. τούτου] contemptuously, not compassionately (Chrysostom, Theophylact, and several others).

After the denial, Peter, whom, notwithstanding, his love to the Lord still detains at least in the open place, finds himself among the slaves (of Annas) and the officers of justice (the soldiers, John 18:3, appear to have gone with Jesus into the building as an escort), with whom he stands at the fire of coals in the court, and warms himself. Holding aloof, he would have been seized. John, probably by help of his acquaintanceship, pressed with others into the interior of the house, not exactly into the audience-chamber.

[212] It was the street door of the court, the αὐλεία θύρα (see Dorvill. ad Char. p. 31, Amst.; Dissen, ad Pind. Nem. i. 19, p. 361).

Expositor's Greek Testament

John 18:16. Peter, not being known to the household, was excluded and stood outside at the door, πρὸς τῇ θύρᾳ ἔξω, cf. John 20:11. John, missing him, spoke to the doorkeeper and introduced him. τῇ θυρωρῷ, female doorkeepers appear 2 Samuel 4:6, Acts 12:13, and see Wetstein.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

16. stood] Or, was standing; the descriptive imperfect again, Comp. John 18:5; John 18:15. The details here also indicate the report of an eyewitness. ‘At the door without’ seems to indicate that the ‘court’ was inside rather than in front of the building.

her that kept the door] Comp. Rhoda, Acts 12:13.

Bengel's Gnomen

John 18:16. Ἔξω, without) The disciple, although known as such (John has not added in this place κεκρυμμένον, secretly, as in ch. John 19:38),[381] walking in openly, is safer than Peter, who was not known as such, and who acts timidly. General hatred of religion admits of an exception in the case of personal friends, so as to connive at them.—εἶπε, spake) asking her to allow him to bring in Peter.

[381] Perhaps if ἄλλος is to be read without the article in ver. 15, Joseph, who is called μαθητής in ch. John 19:38, and who, from his wealth and position, is not unlikely to have known Caiaphas; or rather Nicodemus, who must have known him, as being one of the Sanhedrim, ch. John 3:1, who also would be conscious as such of their plot against Jesus, and so would take care to be present at the trial, and who is mentioned ch. John 19:39, was the ἄλλος μαθητής here meant. The openness of Nicodemus’ avowal, already contrasted with his timidity at first, which led them to ask, ch. John 7:52, Art thou also of Galilee? makes him the probable person: comp. ver. 50.—E. and T.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 16, 17. - But Peter was standing at the door without. Up to this moment Peter had only pressed as far as to the outer door; the other disciple had gone bravely in. The hum of voices was now deadened by the closed door dividing Peter from his Lord. The height, the cold, the strange blighting of all his expectations, the necessary conviction forced upon him that he had implicated himself by the assault he had delivered on the servant of the high priest, combined to induce a new and desponding mood. All hope had fled. Then John bethought him of the condition of his friend, and so we read that the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, therefore went out to the entrance-door, and finding Peter there, spake to her who kept the door (cf. Acts 12:13). His appeal may easily be supplied - and he brought in Peter. The other evangelists imply that before Peter was challenged the fire of coals had been lighted, and that the apostle, with the servants and with the rest of the group who had apprehended Jesus gathered round it. He placed himself as if he were an unconcerned spectator, identified himself, as it were, rather with the captors than with the Lord; nor is the narrative of John inconsistent with the synoptic statement. In Ver. 18 the incident is certainly introduced by the writer after he mentioned the challenge. Still, he states it as a condition of the denial rather than as a subsequent event. Matthew describes his position as "without, in the court," not in the audience-chamber, but in a court opening "upon" it or "above" it, as Mark (Mark 14:66) implies. Luke tells us he was "sitting m the midst of the court," with the glow of the burning charcoal on his face, "he was πρὸς τὸ φῶς," where the maiden might see him more attentively than when she hurriedly admitted him. "The other disciple" had moved swiftly on to some corner where he could see and hear all that was happening to the Master. But Peter's first step downwards had been already inwardly taken. Before he had verbally denied his Lord, he had acted as though he were indifferent to the result (see Hanna's 'Last Day of our Lord's Passion,' John 2.). Matthew's and Mark's accounts represent Peter's first and other denials as taking place after the mockery of Jesus that followed upon his great confession of Messiahship. Luke places them all three together before the formal examination or confession, and before the judicial condemnation. John's account throws much needed light upon the synoptic narrative, which is more inconsistent with itself than with that of the Fourth Gospel. Matthew's method of putting together into connected concurrent groups miracles, events, sayings, or parables which are allied to each other, will explain the substantially identical report contained in his and Mark's Gospels. There are with all differences some remarkable coincidences.

(1) All four accounts describe our Lord's prediction of Peter's denial.

(2) All four evangelists agree to represent the first temptation as proceeding from "a certain maiden," "one of the maids of the high priest," or "a damsel." John's Gospel explains the point by saying, the maid who kept the door (ἡ θυρωρός) said therefore, seeing she had admitted him, not in the rush of the other servants, but at the request of "the other disciple" - considerable meaning is thus put into her words, which is lost in the synoptists by lack of the hint already given By John - Art thou, as well as my acquaintance yonder, also one of this Man's disciples? He saith, I am not. The other evangelists amplify this negative in various ways. Mark, the reporter of Peter's own preaching, aggravates throughout the heinousness of Peter's fall, adding, "He denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest." His position was sufficiently taken, and he thought to have established for himself a perfect incognito. John 18:16

Vincent's Word Studies

Stood

Properly, was standing.

Door

The door opening from the street into the court.

Her that kept the door (τῇ θυρωρῷ)

See on John 10:3.