At that he began to curse and swear to them, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.
Parallel translations
- WEB Then he began to curse and to swear, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately the rooster crowed.
- KJV Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
- NKJV Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed.
- NASB Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.
- NLT Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the 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 with curses and oaths, and immediately the rooster crows. His failure is now complete, just as Jesus foretold.
Overview
Peter calls down curses on himself to convince his accusers he never knew Jesus, sinking to his lowest point. The crowing rooster instantly fulfills Jesus' prophecy from earlier that night, exposing both Peter's weakness and the Lord's perfect foreknowledge. This moment of total failure makes Peter's later restoration by the risen Christ all the more a display of grace.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Rev 3:19Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.
- John 18:27Peter denied it once more, and immediately a rooster crowed.
- Matt 10:28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
- Mark 14:71–72But he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak!”
- 1 Cor 16:22If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be under a curse. Come, O Lord!
- Acts 23:12–14When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
- Rom 9:3For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my own flesh and blood,
- 1 Sam 14:24–28Now the men of Israel were in distress that day, for Saul had placed the troops under an oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food before evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the troops tasted any food.
- Mark 14:30“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”
- Judg 21:18But we cannot give them our daughters as wives.” For the Israelites had sworn, “Cursed is he who gives a wife to a Benjamite.”
- 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.
- Luke 22:60“Man, I do not know what you are talking about,” Peter replied. While he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
- John 21:15–17When they had finished eating, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love Me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he answered, “You know I love You.” Jesus replied, “Feed My lambs.”
- Matt 10:32–33Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven.
- Matt 27:25All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”
- Judg 17:2said to his mother, “The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you and about which I heard you utter a curse—I have the silver here with me; I took it.” Then his mother said, “Blessed be my son by the LORD!”
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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 26:74 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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