1 Or, I neither know, nor understand: thou, what sayest thou?
2 Gr. forecourt.
3 Many ancient authorities omit and the cock crew.
4 Or, And he began to weep.
5 Gr. bondservants.
6 Gr. a fire of charcoal.
a Each of the four Gospels records three denials; but the details differ considerably, as must always be the case where in each narrative a few facts are selected out of many sayings and doings. We have seen (footnote on [§ 154]) that there were three stages of the Jewish trial, (l) before Annas, (2) before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin for informal examination, (3) before them in a formal trial. Now John gives only the first of the three stages, Luke only the last, Matthew and Mark give the second stage fully, and the third in brief mention. If Peter's denials ran through all three (and Luke says in ver. 59 that there was an hour between his second and third denials), then no one of the four Gospels could give each of the denials precisely at the time of its occurrence; and so each Gospel merely throws them together, as in another way we here bring them together in one section. There is no difficulty about the substantial fact of the denials; and we must be content with our inability to arrange all the circumstances into a complete programme.
§ 157. AFTER DAWN, JESUS IS FORMALLYa CONDEMNED BY THE SANHEDRIN
Friday