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Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed.
John 18:27 · New Living Translation
Parallel translations
  • WEB Peter therefore denied it again, and immediately the rooster crowed.
  • KJV Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew.
  • BSB Peter denied it once more, and immediately a rooster crowed.
  • NKJV Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.
  • NASB Peter then denied it again, 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 13:38Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for me? Most certainly I tell you, the rooster won’t crow until you have denied me three times.
  • Luke 22:60–62But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you are talking about!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed.
  • Mark 14:71–72But he began to curse, and to swear, “I don’t know this man of whom you speak!”
  • Matt 26:34Jesus said to him, “Most certainly I tell you that tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”
  • Matt 26:74–75Then he began to curse and to swear, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately the rooster crowed.
  • Mark 14:68But he denied it, saying, “I neither know, nor understand what you are saying.” He went out on the porch, and the rooster crowed.
  • Mark 14:30Jesus said to him, “Most certainly I tell you, that you today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”
  • Luke 22:34He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will by no means crow today until you deny that you know me three times.”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on John 18:27YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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.