Luke 22:57 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But he denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know him."

NIV: But he denied it. "Woman, I don’t know him," he said.

NASB: But he denied it, saying, 'I do not know Him, woman!'

CSB: But he denied it: "Woman, I don’t know him."

NLT: But Peter denied it. 'Woman,' he said, 'I don’t even know him!'

KJV: And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not.

NKJV: But he denied Him, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.”

Peter is beginning to realize that he may have made a mistake. He has followed the crowd of priests, guards, and servants who arrested Jesus to the home of the high priest. He has joined some of the bystanders at a fire. But he doesn't want to be identified. Unfortunately, a servant girl does recognize him. She tells the men at the fire, "This man also was with him" (Luke 22:56). Peter denies it.

When Judas helped the priests, Pharisees, scribes, and elders arrest Jesus, he didn't fully understand what was happening. He apparently didn't know they wanted to arrest Him so they could have Him killed. Peter is in a similar frame of mind. Jesus warned that Peter would deny Him three times that night. Peter insisted his loyalty would never fail, not even if he were sent to prison or killed (Luke 22:33–34). Peter doesn't seem to realize that Jesus' warning is coming true at this moment.

We don't know why Peter is here in the first place. Is he trying to prove Jesus wrong? Does he think he can rescue Jesus? Whatever he thought initially, he now realizes he is in the courtyard of the high priest. Within earshot, members of the Sanhedrin—the ruling Jewish council—are trying to produce charges against Jesus. Peter is sitting amongst some of the men who arrested Jesus. He's in a very precarious position. Not only can he not save Jesus, but it doesn't look like Jesus can save him.

So, when the servant girl accuses him of being one of Jesus' disciples, all he can think to do is lie.

Luke 22:54–62 begins the account of Jesus' trials before the religious leaders. These continue through the end of the chapter (Luke 22:71). Peter tried to physically defend Jesus (Luke 22:49–50). Now, he stands next to a relative of the man he maimed (John 18:26). Matthew 26:58, 69–75, Mark 14:54, 66–72, and John 18:15–18, 25–27 heighten the tension by going back and forth between the religious authorities' attempts to destroy Jesus by getting Him to admit He is the Messiah and Peter's attempts to save himself by denying he follows Jesus.

Luke 22 is a long chapter which records events leading to Jesus' political trials and crucifixion. He has successfully taught crowds at the temple and proved His authority over the religious leaders (Luke 19:47—20). Meanwhile the leaders have spent the week planning to arrest Jesus and have Him killed (Luke 19:47–48). This chapter records the Last Supper, the arrest on the Mount of Olives, and the trials before the Jewish religious leaders. Matthew 26, Mark 14, and John 18 cover much of the same information.

Luke 23 continues Jesus' trials before Pilate and Herod Antipas. He is then led to the cross where He forgives His murderers and saves a thief before He dies. In Luke 24, Jesus rises from the dead, meets two disciples while they travel, and explains to them how the Old Testament prophesied the death of the Messiah. In the final scene of the gospel, Jesus is reunited with His disciples, blesses them, and ascends into heaven.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.