Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man’s disciples? He saith, I am not.
Parallel translations
- WEB Then the maid who kept the door said to Peter, “Are you also one of this man’s disciples?” He said, “I am not.”
- BSB At this, the servant girl watching the door said to Peter, “Aren’t you also one of this man’s disciples?” “I am not,” he answered.
- NKJV Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.”
- NASB Then the slave woman who was the doorkeeper *said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?” He *said, “I am not.”
- NLT The woman asked Peter, “You’re not one of that man’s disciples, are you?” “No,” he said, “I am not.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The servant girl at the door asks Peter if he is one of Jesus' disciples, and he denies it. This is Peter's first denial.
Overview
Confronted by a lowly servant rather than a powerful official, Peter fails, fulfilling Jesus' prediction (13:38). His flat 'I am not' stands in stark contrast to Jesus' bold 'I am' before the soldiers. The scene exposes human frailty even in a devoted disciple, and sets up the grace of Peter's later restoration (21:15-19).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Matt 26:69–70Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.
- John 18:25And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not.
- Luke 22:56–57But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him.
- John 18:16But 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.
- Mark 14:66–68And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest:
- Matt 26:33Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.
- Luke 22:54Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off.
- John 21:15So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
- Acts 12:13And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.
- John 18:8Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way:
- John 18:5They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 18:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.