And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man!”
Parallel translations
- WEB Again he denied it with an oath, “I don’t know the man.”
- KJV And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.
- NKJV But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!”
- NASB And again he denied it, with an oath: “I do not know the man.”
- NLT Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said.
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 second time, now strengthening his lie with an oath. His resolve to protect himself is hardening into deeper sin.
Overview
Under continued pressure in the courtyard, Peter not only repeats his denial but reinforces it with an oath, calling God to witness a falsehood. This escalation shows how quickly fear can deepen one failure into another. The scene fulfills Jesus' earlier warning and underscores human frailty, even in a leading apostle, against the backdrop of Jesus' faithful endurance before His accusers.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Zech 8:17do not plot evil in your hearts against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely, for I hate all these things,” declares the LORD.
- Acts 5:3–4Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land?
- Isa 48:1“Listen to this, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, who have descended from the line of Judah, who swear by the name of the LORD, who invoke the God of Israel—but not in truth or righteousness—
- Mal 3:5“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and deny justice to the foreigner but do not fear Me,” says the LORD of Hosts.
- Zech 5:3–4Then he told me, “This is the curse that is going out over the face of all the land, for according to one side of the scroll, every thief will be removed; and according to the other side, every perjurer will be removed.
- Matt 26:74At that he began to curse and swear to them, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.
- 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.”
- Matt 5:34–36But I tell you not to swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
- Exod 20:7You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 26:72 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
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