SEV Biblia, Chapter 26:74
Entonces comenz a imprecarse, y a jurar, diciendo : No conozco al hombre. Y un gallo cant luego.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 26:74
Verse 74. Then began he to curse and to swear] Rather, Then he began positively to affirm-kataqematizein, from kata intensive, and tiqhmi, I lay down, place, affirm. But the common reading is katanaqematizein, which signifies to wish curses on himself. The former reading is supported by almost every MS. of value, and is, beyond dispute, the true reading, and has been received by Griesbach into the text. The business is bad enough, but the common reading makes it worse. In ver. 72, Peter is said to deny with an oath; here, he positively affirms and swears, probably by the name of God, for this is the import of the word omnuein. This makes the fourth and final gradation in the climax of Peter's fall. From these awful beginnings it is not unfair to conclude that Peter might have gone almost as far as Judas himself, had not the traitorous business been effected before. Yet all this evil sprung simply from the fear of man. How many denials of Christ and his truth have sprung since, from the same cause! The cock crew] This animal becomes, in the hand of God, the instrument of awaking the fallen apostle, at last, to a sense of his fall, danger, and duty. When abandoned of God, the smallest thing may become the occasion of a fall; and, when in the hand of God, the smallest matter may become the instrument of our restoration. Let us never think lightly of what are termed little sins: the smallest one has the seed of eternal ruin in it. Let us never think contemptibly of the feeblest means of grace: each may have the seed of eternal salvation in it. Let us ever remember that the great Apostle Peter fell through fear of a servant maid, and rose through the crowing of a cock.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 74. Then began he to curse, and to swear , etc.] 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 Peters 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 f1620 : 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 priests 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, ylwryb lqsn f1621 , that was stoned at Jerusalem.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 69-75 - Peter's sin is truly related, for the Scriptures deal faithfully. Ba company leads to sin: those who needlessly thrust themselves into it may expect to be tempted and insnared, as Peter. They scarcely can com out of such company without guilt or grief, or both. It is a grea fault to be shy of Christ; and to dissemble our knowledge of him, when we are called to own him, is, in effect, to deny him. Peter's sin wa aggravated; but he fell into the sin by surprise, not as Judas, with design. But conscience should be to us as the crowing of the cock, to put us in mind of the sins we had forgotten. Peter was thus left to fall, to abate his self-confidence, and render him more modest, humble compassionate, and useful to others. The event has taught believer many things ever since, and if infidels, Pharisees, and hypocrite stumble at it or abuse it, it is at their peril. Little do we know ho we should act in very difficult situations, if we were left to ourselves. Let him, therefore, that thinketh he standeth, take hee lest he fall; let us all distrust our own hearts, and rely wholly of the Lord. Peter wept bitterly. Sorrow for sin must not be slight, but great and deep. Peter, who wept so bitterly for denying Christ, neve denied him again, but confessed him often in the face of danger. Tru repentance for any sin will be shown by the contrary grace and duty that is a sign of our sorrowing not only bitterly, but sincerely __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
τοτε 5119 ADV ηρξατο 756 5662 V-ADI-3S καταναθεματιζειν 2653 5721 V-PAN και 2532 CONJ ομνυειν 3660 5721 V-PAN οτι 3754 CONJ ουκ 3756 PRT-N οιδα 1492 5758 V-RAI-1S τον 3588 T-ASM ανθρωπον 444 N-ASM και 2532 CONJ ευθεως 2112 ADV αλεκτωρ 220 N-NSM εφωνησεν 5455 5656 V-AAI-3S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
74. To curse (kataqematizein). A new development of profanity. Hitherto he had merely sworn. Now he adds imprecation; invoking curses on himself if the case be not as he says.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
26:74 {qen began he to curse and to swear} (tote rxato kataqematizein kai omnuein). He repeated his denial with the addition of profanity to prove that he was telling the truth instead of the lie that they all knew. His repeated denials gave him away still more, for he could not pronounce the Judean gutterals. He called down on himself (kataqematizein) imprecations in his desperate irritation and loss of self-control at his exposure. {The cock crew} (alektwn efwnesen). No article in the Greek, just "a cock crew" at that juncture, "straightway" (euqus). But it startled Peter.
