Peter denied it once more, and immediately a rooster crowed.
Parallel translations
- WEB Peter therefore denied it again, and immediately the rooster crowed.
- KJV Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew.
- NKJV Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.
- NASB Peter then denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed.
- NLT Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed.
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
Peter denies Jesus a third time, and immediately the rooster crows. Jesus' prediction is fulfilled.
Overview
The third denial and the crowing of the rooster fulfill Jesus' words in 13:38. John does not record Peter's weeping (as the other Gospels do), but the fulfilled prophecy underscores both Jesus' foreknowledge and Peter's failure. This low point sets the stage for the grace of restoration, reminding readers that even great falls are not beyond Christ's redeeming love.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- John 13:38“Will you lay down your life for Me?” Jesus replied. “Truly, truly, I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.
- Luke 22:60–62“Man, I do not know what you are talking about,” Peter replied. While he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
- Mark 14:71–72But he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak!”
- Matt 26:34“Truly I tell you,” Jesus declared, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
- Matt 26:74–75At that he began to curse and swear to them, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.
- Mark 14:68But he denied it. “I do not know or even understand what you are talking about,” he said. Then he went out to the gateway, and the rooster crowed.
- Mark 14:30“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”
- Luke 22:34But Jesus replied, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”
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 18:27 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.