And Peter remembered the words of Jesus, who said unto him,
Before the cock crows, you shall deny me three times.
And he went out, and wept bitterly.
All Commentaries on Matthew 26:75 Go To Matthew 26
Jerome
AD 420
“Peter sat without,” that he might see the event, and not excite suspicion by any approach to Jesus.
“And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.” I know that some out of a feeling of piety towards the Apostle Peter have interpreted this place to signify that Peter denied the Man and not the God, as though he meant, ‘I donot know the Man, because I know the God.’ But the intelligent reader will see that this is trifling, for if he denied not, the Lord spoke falsely when He said, “Thou shalt deny me thrice.”.
Not that Peter was of a different speech or nation, but a Hebrew as his accusers were; but every province and every district has its peculiarities, and he could not disguise his native pronunciation.
In another Gospel we read, that after Peter’s denial and thee cock-crow, the Saviour “looked upon Peter,” and by His look called forth those bitter tears; for it might not be that he on whom the Light of the world had looked should continue in the darkness of denial, wherefore, “he went out, and wept bitterly.” For he could not do penitence sitting in Caiaphas’ hall, but went forth from the assembly of the wicked, that he might wash away in bitter tears the pollution of his timid denial.
