Matthew 26:71

71 As he moved over toward the gate, someone else said to the people there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazarene."

Matthew 26:71 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 26:71

And when he was gone out into the porch
The Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read, "the gate": and so does Munster's Hebrew Gospel; but more rightly it is rendered, "the porch": he did not attempt to go out at the door, and run away, though he could gladly have done it; but he feared to do this, lest, as this would discover him, they should pursue him, and overtake him, and bring him before the sanhedrim: he chose rather to keep his ground, but was very uneasy; and therefore moved into the porch, where he sat very pensive, considering what was proper for him to do; when

another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, this
[fellow] was also with Jesus of Nazareth:
she speaks of Christ in the same contemptuous manner, as her fellow servant had done; for this appellation of Christ was commonly, if not always used by way of contempt; and she means the same thing by his being with him, the other did, and is rather more spiteful, and bent on mischief; for, the other addressed him alone, and what she said, said to himself; but this directs her speech to the servants and officers that were near at hand, and uses him in a very scurrilous manner: this sorry fellow, that is sauntering and lurking about here, is certainly one of this man's disciples.

Matthew 26:71 In-Context

69 All this time, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard. One servant girl came up to him and said, "You were with Jesus the Galilean."
70 In front of everybody there, he denied it. "I don't know what you're talking about."
71 As he moved over toward the gate, someone else said to the people there, "This man was with Jesus the Nazarene."
72 Again he denied it, salting his denial with an oath: "I swear, I never laid eyes on the man."
73 Shortly after that, some bystanders approached Peter. "You've got to be one of them. Your accent gives you away."
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.