The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 529

Ver. 67.-The scene thnt ensuecl upon the formed tl1e vestibule or poroh; this wae- verdict being pronounced is beyond measure closeJ towards the street hy a honvy gate, hideous o.nd unexo.mpled. When the meet- hiwing in it a email wicket for the use of ing broke up, Jesus ,ms for a time left to visitors, kept by a porter or other servant. the hrutnl cru!'ltt8n.-l theunbridled insolence A damsel. This was the fenmle portereBB- of tbc guRros and scrrnnts. Involuntarily, who kept the wicket by which Peter was by their profRnily Rnd coarseness, they ful- admitted. 8110 appear& to have ho.d some filled the words of the prophet, speaking in suspicion of him from the first, o.nd to have the Person of llfrssio.11, "I gftYe my back followed him with her remarks from the- to tbe smiters, and my cheeks to them that gate, and to have continued them when plucked off the lio.ir; I hid not my foce he sat down with the servants at the lite from shame and spitting" (Isa. I. 6). D:d kindled in the open court. Thou also wast. they spit in his face. A monstrons indig'llity, with J'esus of Galilee. She snys, "Thou so regarded by all people o.t a.II times (Numb. also" in reference to John, whom she had xii. 14; Deut. nv. 9; Job ux. 10). first admitted, and who seems to have been llntf'eted him (,1<0A-&d>11ra.v a vTbv) ; struck him in no Jnngor, though Peter had great fears- ,mtl, fata. Smote him with the pal.ms of their for his own safety. Though the porteress hands U#rL..-«rav). There \s some doubt probably had no persono.l knowledge of the whether the verb here mrons " to smite with apostle, yet scanning bis features by the 8 rod" or "to slap in the foce with the open light of the fire, noting hie perturbed aspect hand;" but as we have o.lready had mention and his restless aotions, and reflecting on of striking with the hands, it is probable his companionship with John, she con.- that beating with a stick is here intended. jectared that he was a disciple of Christ, Ver. 68.-Prophesy; di1Jine, gue~s. They and more tho.n once hazarded the assertion had previously blindfolded him (Mark xiv. with the view of eliciting a definite answer. 65; Luke xxii. 64), and now in derision of Ver. 70.-He denied before them all This his supernatural powers they mockingly bid was the first be.tell of o.ccusations and denia.ls.- him to name the person who struck ilim.. Tbe equivocal denial was made vehemently Thou Christ. They use the term sarcasti- and openly, eo that o.11 around heo.rd it. It cally. " Yon call yourself Christ, the Prophet does not seem that he would have-incurred of God; well, then, divine miraculously, any danger if he bail boldly oonfessed his without seeing, who is he that lllllOte thee." discipleship, so tho.t this renunciation was gratuitous and unnecessary. I know not Vere. 69-75.-The three denial., of St. what thou sayest. This is virtually a Peter. (Mark xiv. 66-72; Lake xxii 55- denial of the allegation mad.a, though in an 62; John xviii 17, 18, 25-27.) indirect and evasive form, implying," I do not know who.t you are alluding to." Ver. 69.-There is much apparent discre- Ver. 71.-The porch; -rov ..-uAliiva. The pancy in the fonr accounts of Peter's denials, passage between the street and the court. both o.s regards the scene, the persons, Peter had walked towards tLe gate, either and tLe words U&ed. St. Matthew groups in unmeaning restlessness, or with some· ihem all together in one view without special notion. of escaping furtlier questioning. regard to time and place. The fact doubt- An.other maid sa.w him. We gather from. less is this-that Peter did not distinctly the other accounts tho.t both the porteress- three times, in three separate utterances, and some other domestics assailed him at deny Christ, but that on three occasions, this time. J'esus of Nazareth. Christ wall' and under di1ferent circumstances, and in populurly so known (see oh. xxi. 11). many duferent words, he committed this Ver. 72.-With an oath, Assailed on all Bin. There are, as it were, three groups of sides, and fearing that his simple word questions and replies, and the evangelists woulJ not be taken, Peter now to one and have recorded BDch portions of these details all makes a curt denial, accompanying it as seemed good to them, or such as they with an oath. He was thoroughly deter- were best acquainted with. Peter sat (wa, mined not to compromise himself, and to- tJittir.g) without in the pa.la.oe (-rfi auAfi). silence all suspicion. This was the second•- We have seen (ver. 4B)that Peter was intro- stage of his fall. I do n.ot kn.ow the man. duced by John into the open court round I have no knowledge of this Jesus of whom- which the palace was built, and on one you are speaking. He oalls his beloved side of which waa the chamber in which the Master "the man" I examination of Jesus was going on. He Ver. 73.-After e. while; µ.e-ra. µ.11<poi,: after was within the palace enclosure, but outside a little interval. About an hour, according ~be principal apartment; hence he is said to St. Luke. Meantime bad occurred the 1n the te1:t to Lave been without. Admis- exarnino.tion a.nd informal oondemno.tion of eion to the courtyard waa gained by a Christ, followed by the brutalities of tile puso.ge thr!Jllgh the side of a ho1110, which atten.dants, an<I the Lord's tem_porary con, on. xxvr. 1-75.) TIIE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 50ii