Mark 14:30
in Mark 14“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, that thou to-day, even this night, before the cock crow twice, shalt deny me thrice.
KJV
And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.
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This verse in Mark 14
Commentary
13 notes on this verseThat Thou - Συ is added by ABEGHKLMS - V, eighty-eight others, Syriac, Arabic, Persic, Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, Slavonic, Vulgate, Saxon, Theophylact, and Euthymsus. It adds much to the energy of the passage, every word of which is deeply emphatical. Verily, I say unto thee, that Thou, This Day, in This Very Night, before the cock shall crow Twice, Thou wilt deny Me.
This site's exposition
Even if all fall away, I never will.
on Mark 14:29-31
Peter declared, Even if all fall away, I never will. Papias traced this Gospel to Peter’s preaching, so this record of his fall is his own.
This site's exposition
before the rooster crows twice
Mark alone records the rooster crowing twice. Augustine holds that this detail sharpens the other Gospels and agrees with them. Theophylact sets out the order: one denial, a first crow, two more denials, then the second crow.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(iii. 2. de Con. Evan) Though all the Evangelists say that the Lord foretold that Peter was to deny before the cock crew, Mark alone has related it more minutely, wherefore some from inattention suppose that he does not agree with the others. For the whole of Peter's denial is threefold; if it had begun altogether after the cock crew, the other three Evangelists would seem to have spoken falsely, in saying, that before the cock crew, he would deny him thrice. Again, if he had finished the entire threefold denial before the cock began to crow, Mark would in the person of the Lord seem to have said needlessly, Before the cock crow twice, thou shall deny me thrice. But because that threefold denial began before the first cock-crowing, the other three did not notice when Peter was to finish it, but how great it was to be, that is, threefold, and when it was to begin, that is, before the cock crew, although the whole was conceived in his mind, even before the first cock crew; but Mark has related more plainly the interval between his words themselves.
God knows in us even what we ourselves do not know in ourselves. For Peter did not know his weakness when he heard from the Lord that he would deny him three times.
The Medieval Church3 voices
But Peter objects; and for this he hears the following: "before the cock crows twice, you will deny Me three times." It happened thus: immediately after Peter denied the first time, the cock crowed; then, when Peter denied the second and third time, the cock …
We are to understand that it happened thus; Peter denied once, then the cock crew, but after he had made two more denials, then the cock crew for the second time.
And Jesus said to him: Truly, I say to you that today, in this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times. And Peter, in the fervor of his faith, made a promise, and the Savior, as God, knew the …
5 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
Who is the cock, the harbinger of day, but the Holy Ghost? by whose voice in prophecy, and in the Apostles, we are roused from our threefold denial, to most bitter tears after our fall, for we have thought evil of God, spoken evil of our neighbours, and done evil to ourselves.
(ubi sup.) Peter then promised in the ardour of his faith, and the Saviour as God knew what was to happen. Wherefore it goes on: And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, that this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And Jesus saith unto him, verily I say unto thee,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
We see in these verses, how well our Lord foreknew the weakness and infirmity of His disciples. He tells them plainly what they were going to do: "All of you shall desert Me." He tells Peter in particular of the astounding sin which he was about to commit, "This night, before the rooster crows twice, you shall deny Me three times." Yet our Lord's fore-knowledge did not prevent His choosing these twelve disciples to be His apostles. He allowed them to be His intimate friends and companions, knowing perfectly well what they would one day do.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
We see in these verses, how well our Lord foreknew the weakness and infirmity of His disciples. He tells them plainly what they were going to do: "All of you shall desert Me." He tells Peter in particular of the astounding sin which he was about to commit, "This night, before the rooster crows twice, you shall deny Me three times." Yet our Lord's fore-knowledge did not prevent His choosing these twelve disciples to be His apostles. He allowed them to be His intimate friends and companions, knowing perfectly well what they would one day do. With a clear foresight of the melancholy weakness and lack of faith which they would exhibit at the end of His ministry — He granted them the mighty privilege of being continually with Him, and hearing His voice. This is a remarkable fact, and deserves to be had in continual remembrance. Let us take comfort in the thought that the Lord Jesus does not cast off His believing people because of failures and imperfections . He knows what they are. He takes them, as the husband takes the wife — with all their blemishes and defects; and once joined to Him by faith, He will never leave them. He is a merciful and compassionate High-priest. It is His glory to pass over the transgressions of His people, and to cover their many sins. He knew what they were before conversion — wicked, guilty, and defiled; yet He loved them. He knows what they will be after conversion — weak, erring, and frail; yet He loves them. He has undertaken to save them, notwithstanding all their shortcomings, and what He has undertaken He will perform. Let us learn to pass a charitable judgment on the conduct of professing believers. Let us not set them down in a low place, and say they have no grace — because we see much weakness and corruption in them.
The words behind it
22 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| λέγει | legei | says | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| αὐτῷ | auto | to him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰησοῦς· | iesous | Jesus; | G2424 → | 908 times |
| ἀμὴν | amen | Amen | G281 → | 127 times |
| λέγω | lego | I say | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| σοι | soi | to you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| σὺ | su | yourself | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| σήμερον | semeron | now | G4594 → | |
| ταύτῃ | taute | this | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| τῇ | tea | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| νυκτὶ | nukti | night | G3571 → | 61 times |
| πρὶν | prin | before | G4250 → | |
| ἢ | e | than | G2228 → | 342 times |
| δὶς | dis | twice | G1364 → | |
| ἀλέκτορα | alektora | [the] rooster | G220 → | 12 times |
| φωνῆσαι | phonesai | crowing | G5455 → | 43 times |
| τρίς | tris | three times | G5151 → | |
| με | me | Me | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ἀπαρνήσῃ. | aparnese | you will deny. | G533 → | 11 times |
ΚαὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
λέγειsays
legeiG3004 →1325 times
αὐτῷto him
autoG846 →5565 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
Ἰησοῦς·Jesus;
iesousG2424 →908 times
ἀμὴνAmen
amenG281 →127 times
λέγωI say
legoG3004 →1325 times
σοιto you
soiG4771 →2973 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
σὺyourself
suG4771 →2973 times
σήμερονnow
semeronG4594 →
ταύτῃthis
tauteG3778 →1381 times
τῇ<the>
teaG3588 →19766 times
νυκτὶnight
nuktiG3571 →61 times
πρὶνbefore
prinG4250 →
ἢthan
eG2228 →342 times
δὶςtwice
disG1364 →
ἀλέκτορα[the] rooster
alektoraG220 →12 times
φωνῆσαιcrowing
phonesaiG5455 →43 times
τρίςthree times
trisG5151 →
μεMe
meG3165 →1936 times
ἀπαρνήσῃ.you will deny.
aparneseG533 →11 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
John 13:38“Will you lay down your life for Me?” Jesus replied. “Truly, truly, I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.
it leads to
- Matthew 26:34
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus declared, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 22:34
But Jesus replied, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”
- Matthew 26:34
Through
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.”
it leads to
- John 13:38
“Will you lay down your life for Me?” Jesus replied. “Truly, truly, I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.
- Matthew 26:74
At that he began to curse and swear to them, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed.
- Mark 14:71–72
But he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak!”
- John 18:27
Peter denied it once more, and immediately a rooster crowed.
- John 13:38
Through
John 18:17At this, the servant girl watching the door said to Peter, “Aren’t you also one of this man’s disciples?” “I am not,” he answered.
it leads to
- Matthew 26:69–70
Meanwhile, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came up to him. “You also were with Jesus the Galilean,” she said.
- Matthew 26:33
Peter said to Him, “Even if all fall away on account of You, I never will.”
- Matthew 26:69–70
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies19
On this chapter
About Mark
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Augustine of Hippo, TRACTATE ON JOHN 32.5; Bede, On the Gospel of Mark; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, Mark; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Pseudo-Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark.