Matthew 26:33

Syriac Peshitta (NT Only)

ܥܢܳܐ ܟ݁ܺܐܦ݂ܳܐ ܘܶܐܡܰܪ ܠܶܗ ܐܳܦ݂ܶܢ ܟ݁ܽܠܢܳܫ ܢܶܬ݂ܟ݁ܫܶܠ ܒ݁ܳܟ݂ ܐܶܢܳܐ ܡܬ݂ܽܘܡ ܠܳܐ ܐܶܬ݂ܟ݁ܫܶܠ ܒ݁ܳܟ݂ ܀

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Though: Mark 14:29, Luke 22:33, John 13:36-38, John 21:15

yet: Psalms 17:5, Psalms 119:116, Psalms 119:117, Proverbs 16:18, Proverbs 16:19, Proverbs 20:6, Proverbs 28:25, Proverbs 28:26, Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 12:10, Philippians 2:3, 1 Peter 5:5, 1 Peter 5:6

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 20:11 - Let not him 2 Kings 8:13 - he should do Matthew 13:21 - is Matthew 14:28 - bid Luke 9:55 - Ye know John 13:8 - Thou shalt John 18:17 - I am not Romans 11:18 - Boast not 1 Corinthians 10:12 - General Philippians 1:10 - without

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Peter answered and said unto him,.... Who was always a forward man, free to speak his mind, and was often the mouth of the rest; observing what Christ had affirmed concerning all of them, that that very night, in a very short space of time, they would be offended because of him; and knowing the strong love he had for Christ, and being persuaded it could never be his case, thus addresses him;

though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended: his sense is, that though all the men in the world, friends, and foes, though even all the rest of the disciples, who were his most intimate friends, most closely attached to him, and who dearly loved him, and sincerely believed in him, should be so stumbled at what should befall him, as to flee from him, and be tempted to relinquish his cause, and interest; yet nothing should ever cause him, in the least, to stumble and fall, to desert him, or hesitate about him, or cause him to take the least umbrage and offence at what might come upon him; and this he was positive of would be the case, not only that night, but ever after. No doubt he said this in the sincerity of his heart, and out of his great fervour of affection for Christ; but what he failed in, was trusting to his own strength, being self-confident; and in entertaining greater opinion of himself, and his steady attachment to Christ, than of the rest of the disciples; and in contradicting what Christ had so strongly affirmed of them all, without any exception, and so of himself, and had confirmed by so glaring a prophecy concerning this matter.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Jesus foretells the fall of Peter - This is also recorded in Mark 14:27-31; Luke 22:31-34; John 13:34-38.

Matthew 26:31

Then saith Jesus unto them - The occasion of his saying this was Peter’s bold affirmation that he was ready to die with him, John 13:36

Jesus had told them that he was going away - that is, was about to die. Peter asked him whither he was going. Jesus replied that he could not follow him then, but should afterward. Peter, not satisfied with that, said that he was ready to lay down his life for him. Then Jesus distinctly informed them that all of them would forsake him that very night.

All ye shall be offended because of me - See the notes at Matthew 5:29. This language means, here, you will all stumble at my being taken, abused, and set at naught; you will be ashamed to own me as a teacher, and to acknowledge yourselves as my disciples; or, my being betrayed will prove a snare to you all, so that you will be guilty of the sin of forsaking me, and, by your conduct, of denying me.

For it is written ... - See Zechariah 13:7. This is affirmed here to have reference to the Saviour, and to be fulfilled in him.

I will smite - This is the language of God the Father. I will smite means either that I will give him up to be smitten (compare Exodus 4:21 with Exodus 8:15, etc.), or that I will do it myself. Both of these things were done. God gave him up to the Jews and Romans, to be smitten for the sins of the world Romans 8:32; and he himself left him to deep and awful sorrows - to bear “the burden of the world’s atonement” alone. See Mark 15:34.

The Shepherd - The Lord Jesus - the Shepherd of his people, John 10:11, John 10:14. Compare the notes at Isaiah 40:11.

The sheep - This means here particularly “the apostles.” It also refers sometimes to all the followers of Jesus, the friends of God, John 10:16; Psalms 100:3.

Shall be scattered abroad - This refers to their fleeing, and it was fulfilled in that. See Matthew 26:56.

Matthew 26:32

But after I am risen ... - This promise was given them to encourage and support them, and also to give them an indication where he might be found.

He did not deny that he would first appear to a part of them before he met them all together (compare Luke 24:13-31, Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5), but that he would meet them all in Galilee. This was done. See Mark 16:7; Matthew 28:16.

Galilee - See the notes at Matthew 2:22.

Matthew 26:33

Peter answered ... Though all men ... - The word “men” is improperly inserted here by the translators. Peter meant only to affirm this of “the disciples.” This confidence of Peter was entirely characteristic. He was ardent, sincere, and really attached to his Master. Yet this declaration was made evidently:

1.From true love to Jesus;

2.From too much reliance upon his own strength;

3.From ignorance of himself, and of the trials which he was soon to pass through.

And it most impressively teaches us:

1.That no strength of attachment to Jesus can justify such confident promises of fidelity, made without dependence on him.

2.That all promises to adhere to him should be made relying on him for aid.

3.That we little know how feeble we are until we are tried.

4.That Christians may be left to great and disgraceful sins to show them their weakness.

Luke adds that Jesus said to Peter that Satan had desired to have him, that he might sift him as wheat - that is, that he might thoroughly test him. But Jesus says that he had prayed for him that his faith should not fail, and charged him when he was “converted” - that is, when he was “turned” from this sin - to strengthen his brethren; to wit, by teaching them to take warning by his example. See the notes at Luke 22:31-33.

Matthew 26:34

This night - This was in the “evening” when this was spoken, after the observance of the Passover, and, we may suppose, near nine o’clock p.m.

Before the cock crow - Mark and Luke add, before the cock crowed twice. The cock is accustomed to crow twice once at midnight, and once in the morning at break of day. The latter was commonly called cock-crowing. See Mark 13:35. This was the time familiarly known as “the cock-crowing,” and of this Matthew and John speak, without referring to the other. Mark and Luke speak of the “second” crowing, and mean the same time, so that there is no contradiction between them.

Deny me thrice - That is, as Luke adds, deny that “thou knowest” me. See Matthew 26:74.

Matthew 26:35

Will I not deny thee - Will not deny my connection with thee, or that I knew thee.

“All” the disciples said the same thing, and all fled at the approach of danger, “forsaking” their Master and Friend, and practically denying that they knew him, Matthew 26:56.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 33. Peter - said unto him, Though all men shall be offended - yet will I never — The presumptuous person imagines he can do every thing, and can do nothing: thinks he can excel all, and excels in nothing: promises every thing, and performs nothing. The humble man acts a quite contrary part. There is nothing we know so little of as ourselves - nothing we see less of than our own weakness and poverty. The strength of pride is only for a moment. Peter, though vainly confident, was certainly sincere - he had never been put to a sore trial, and did not know his own strength. Had this resolution of his been formed in the strength of God, he would have been enabled to maintain it against earth and hell. This most awful denial of Christ, and his abandoning him in the time of trial, was sufficient to have disqualified him for ever from being, in any sense, head of the Church, had such a supremacy been ever designed him. Such a supremacy was never given him by Christ; but the fable of it is in the Church of Rome, and the mock Peter, not Peter the apostle, is there and there only to be found.