Matthew 26:74

74 Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed.

Matthew 26:74 in Other Translations

74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.

74 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, "I do not know the man." And immediately the rooster crowed.

74 Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed.

74 Then he got really nervous and swore. "I don't know the man!"

74 Then he started to curse and to swear with an oath, "I do not know the man!" Immediately a rooster crowed,

Matthew 26:74 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 26:74

Then began he to curse, and to swear
He swore before, and now he began "to curse"; not Christ, as Saul compelled some to blaspheme him, who professed him, and as the Jews formerly cursed Christ, and his followers, in their synagogues: for Peter's crime was bad enough, it need not be made worse than it was: he could never call Jesus accursed; in so doing he would have sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost; but he cursed himself; "he began to imprecate himself", as the Arabic version renders it; he made dreadful imprecations and wishes; wished that all the miseries and calamities he could think of might fall upon him, if he was one of the disciples of Jesus of Nazareth, or knew anything of him: saying,

I know not the man;
if I do, God do so to me, or more also: let vengeance light upon me; may I be the most miserable creature in the world, if I know anything of him;

and immediately the cock crew:
as he was swearing and cursing in this manner; as soon as ever the words were out of his mouth, and he had in this sad and solemn manner three times denied that he knew Christ, or was ever with him, or a disciple of his. It is forbid, by a Jewish canon, to keep cocks at Jerusalem; it runs thus ^F3:

``they do not bring up cocks in Jerusalem, because of the holy things, neither do the priests in all the land of Israel, because of the purifications.''

Whether this canon was then in being, or how it was dispensed with, or whether there was any particular providence in the cock being here now, and so nigh the high priest's palace, is not certain; but one there was: nor can the Jews deny that there were cocks at Jerusalem; for they themselves speak of a cock, (Mylvwryb lqonv) ^F4, "that was stoned at Jerusalem".

---

FOOTNOTES:

F3 Misn. Bava Kama, c. 7. sect. 7. T. Bab. Bava Kama, fol. 82. 2. Abot R. Nathan, c. 35. Maimon. Hilch. Beth Habechirah, c. 7. sect. 14. Shalshelet Hakabala, fol. 9. 2.
F4 T. Hieros Erubin, fol. 26. 1. Caphtor, fol. 42. 1.

Matthew 26:74 In-Context

72 He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”

73 After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”

74 Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed.

75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.