Matthew 26:73 - Printer Friendly

ESV: After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.”

NIV: After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, 'Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.'

NASB: A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, 'You really are one of them as well, since even the way you talk gives you away.'

CSB: After a little while those standing there approached and said to Peter, "You really are one of them, since even your accent gives you away."

NLT: A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, 'You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.'

KJV: And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.

NKJV: And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.”

For the third time, Peter is accused of being a disciple of Jesus. These servants in the courtyard of the high priest's home have called Jesus "the Galilean" and "Jesus of Nazareth." Their association with this just-condemned "false messiah" is that He is from up north in the region of Galilee (Matthew 26:69–72).

As is the case in many nations, people from different parts of Israel had different accents. Those from the metropolis of Jerusalem did not pronounce words exactly as did those from the small towns to the north. Those who had heard Peter accused of being with Jesus, by the servant girls, now approach to say he even sounds like Jesus: "Your accent betrays you."

Morning is close. Jesus told Peter he would deny him three times before the rooster crowed (Matthew 26:30–35). Peter has denied even knowing Jesus twice so far. He's about to make it three.

Matthew 26:69–75 finds Peter sitting outside in the courtyard of the high priest's home. Inside, Jesus is being unfairly convicted and condemned to die. Three times, Peter is accused of being a Jesus-follower. Three times, he denies even knowing Jesus, swearing oaths and cursing himself if he is lying. Hearing a rooster, Peter remembers Jesus had said he would deny Him in exactly this way. The man who bragged he would die before turning from Jesus now flees in tears of shame. Parallel accounts are found in Mark 14:66–72, Luke 22:54–62, John 18:15–18, and John 18:25–27.

The Jewish religious leaders further their plots to arrest and kill Jesus, finding a willing traitor in Judas Iscariot. A woman anoints Christ with oil during a dinner at Bethany. Next, Jesus and the disciples hold the Passover meal in an upper room where Jesus predicts His arrests and introduces the sacrament of communion. Then Jesus prays in unimaginable agony in the garden of Gethsemane before being betrayed by Judas and captured. The disciples scatter. Before the high priest, Jesus explicitly claims to be divine. They convict Him of blasphemy and sentence Him to death. As this happens, Peter denies knowing Jesus and runs away in shame.

After a long series of teaching (Matthew 24—25), Matthew 26 begins with Jesus saying He will be delivered up for death. Christ is anointed at a dinner in Bethany and Judas agrees to turn Him over to the chief priests. Jesus holds a Passover meal with the disciples, predicts an act of treachery, and introduces the sacrament of communion. He tells the disciples they will run in fear and that Peter will deny Him, which happens just as prophesied. Christ prays in great sorrow in a garden and is then arrested and taken away and unfairly sentenced to death. After this, Jesus will be taken to the Roman governor, where Jewish leadership will press for Him to be executed as an insurgent.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.

Accessed 4/28/2024 9:26:34 AM