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THE MESSAGE
Matthew 26:31
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
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- CondensedParallel Translations
Then Jesus said to them, “Tonight all of you will fall away because of me, for it is written:
Then saith Iesus vnto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night, For it is written, I will smite the Shepheard, and the sheepe of the flocke shall be scattered abroad.
Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'
Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I WILL STRIKE THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK WILL BE SCATTERED.'
Jesus told his followers, "Tonight you will all stumble in your faith on account of me, because it is written in the Scriptures: ‘I will kill the shepherd, and the sheep will scatter.' Zechariah 13:7
Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of Me this night [disillusioned about Me, confused, and some even ashamed of Me], for it is written [in the Scriptures], 'I WILL STRIKE THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK WILL BE SCATTERED.'
Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, 'I WILL STRIKE DOWN THE SHEPHERD, AND THE SHEEP OF THE FLOCK SHALL BE SCATTERED.'
Then Jesus *said to them, "You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.'
Then Jesus said to them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of Me. For it is written: 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'
Jesus said to his disciples, "During this very night, all of you will reject me, as the Scriptures say, ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'
Yeshua then said to them, "Tonight you will all lose faith in me, as the Tanakh says, ‘I will strike the shepherd dead, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'
Then saith Jesus to them, All *ye* shall be offended in me during this night. For it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
Jesus told the followers, "Tonight you will all lose your faith in me. The Scriptures say, ‘I will kill the shepherd, and the sheep will run away.'
Then saide Iesus vnto them, All yee shall be offended by me this night: for it is written, I wil smite the shepheard, and the sheepe of the flocke shalbe scattered.
Then Jesus said to them, All of you will deny me this night; for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of his flock will be scattered.
Then Jesus said to them, "This very night all of you will run away and leave me, for the scripture says, ‘God will kill the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'
Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of me during this night, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'
Then Jesus said to them, You all will be offended in Me during this night. For it has been written, "I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered." Zech. 13:7
Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended in me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
Then said Jesus to them, All of you will be turned away from me this night: for it is said in the Writings, I will put to death the keeper of the sheep, and the sheep of the flock will be put to flight.
Then Yeshua said to them, "All of you will be offended by me tonight, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered abroad.'
Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will turn against me this very night. For it is written,Zechariah 13:7; Matthew 11:6; Mark 14:27; John 16:32;">[xr] 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'Zechariah 13:7">[fn]
THEN said Jeshu unto them, You all shall be offended in me this night; for it is written, I will strike the shepherd, and scattered shall be the sheep of his flock.
Then said Jesus to them: Ye will all be offended in me this night; for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of his flock will be dispersed.
Then sayth Iesus vnto them: All ye shalbe offeded because of me this night. For it is written: I wyll smyte the shephearde, and the sheepe of the flocke shalbe scattered abrode.
Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended in me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be offended by me tonight, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered abroad.'
Then saith Jesus to them, All ye will be offended at me this night, for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.
Then said Jesus, "This night all of you will stumble and fail in your fidelity to me; for it is written, `I will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered in all directions.'
Thanne Jhesus seide to hem, Alle ye schulen suffre sclaundre in me, in this niyt; for it is writun, Y schal smyte the scheeperde, and the scheep of the flok schulen be scaterid.
Then Jesus says to them, All you shall be offended in me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
Then saith Jesus to them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
Then Jesus said to them, "This night you will all fall away because of me, for it is written: ‘ I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. '
Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will strike the Shepherd,And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' Zechariah 13:7 ">[fn]
On the way, Jesus told them, "Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'
Jesus said to them, "All of you will be ashamed of Me and leave Me tonight. For it is written, ‘I will kill the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be spread everywhere.'
Then Jesus said to them, "You will all become deserters because of me this night; for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'
Then, Jesus saith unto them - All ye, will find cause of stumbling in me, during this night; for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and, the sheep of the flock, will be scattered abroad;
Then Jesus saith to them: All you shall be scandalized in me this night. For it is written: I will strike the shepherd: and the sheep of the flock shall be dispersed.
Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of me this night; for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'
Then sayd Iesus vnto them: all ye shall be offended by me this night. For it is wrytten. I will smyte ye shepe herde and the shepe of ye flocke shalbe scattered abroode.
then saith Jesus to them, `All ye shall be stumbled at me this night; for it hath been written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad;
Then sayde Iesus vnto them. This night shal ye all be offended in me. For it is wrytten: I wil smyte the shepherde, and the shepe of the flocke shalbe scatered abrode.
then said Jesus to them, I shall be the occasion of your revolting all from me this night: for it is written, "I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered."
As they rode over to Olive Hill, Jesus told them, "Tonight, all of y'all are gonna shuck out on me. The Good Book says, 'The Boss will slay the Trail Guide and the herd will scatter.'
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
All: Matthew 26:56, Matthew 11:6, Matthew 24:9, Matthew 24:10, Mark 14:27, Mark 14:28, Luke 22:31, Luke 22:32, John 16:32
I will: Isaiah 53:10, Zechariah 13:7
and the: Job 6:15-22, Job 19:13-16, Psalms 38:11, Psalms 69:20, Psalms 88:18, Lamentations 1:19, Ezekiel 34:5, Ezekiel 34:6
Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 17:2 - I will smite Job 6:21 - ye see Matthew 5:30 - offend Matthew 13:21 - is Matthew 28:6 - as Mark 1:2 - written Mark 2:20 - be taken John 13:37 - why John 16:1 - General John 18:4 - knowing
Cross-References
But Abram told the king of Sodom, "I swear to God , The High God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, this solemn oath, that I'll take nothing from you, not so much as a thread or a shoestring. I'm not going to have you go around saying, ‘I made Abram rich.' Nothing for me other than what the young men ate and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; they're to get their share of the plunder."
Abraham got up early the next morning, got some food together and a canteen of water for Hagar, put them on her back and sent her away with the child. She wandered off into the desert of Beersheba. When the water was gone, she left the child under a shrub and went off, fifty yards or so. She said, "I can't watch my son die." As she sat, she broke into sobs.
Abraham got up early in the morning and saddled his donkey. He took two of his young servants and his son Isaac. He had split wood for the burnt offering. He set out for the place God had directed him. On the third day he looked up and saw the place in the distance. Abraham told his two young servants, "Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I are going over there to worship; then we'll come back to you."
Jacob said, "First, swear to me." And he did it. On oath Esau traded away his rights as the firstborn. Jacob gave him bread and the stew of lentils. He ate and drank, got up and left. That's how Esau shrugged off his rights as the firstborn.
Finally, Abimelech told Isaac: "Leave. You've become far too big for us."
So Isaac left. He camped in the valley of Gerar and settled down there. Isaac dug again the wells which were dug in the days of his father Abraham but had been clogged up by the Philistines after Abraham's death. And he renamed them, using the original names his father had given them.
Later that same day, Isaac's servants came to him with news about the well they had been digging, "We've struck water!" Isaac named the well Sheba (Oath), and that's the name of the city, Beersheba (Oath-Well), to this day.
Jacob learned that Laban's sons were talking behind his back: "Jacob has used our father's wealth to make himself rich at our father's expense." At the same time, Jacob noticed that Laban had changed toward him. He wasn't treating him the same. That's when God said to Jacob, "Go back home where you were born. I'll go with you." So Jacob sent word for Rachel and Leah to meet him out in the field where his flocks were. He said, "I notice that your father has changed toward me; he doesn't treat me the same as before. But the God of my father hasn't changed; he's still with me. You know how hard I've worked for your father. Still, your father has cheated me over and over, changing my wages time and again. But God never let him really hurt me. If he said, ‘Your wages will consist of speckled animals' the whole flock would start having speckled lambs and kids. And if he said, ‘From now on your wages will be streaked animals' the whole flock would have streaked ones. Over and over God used your father's livestock to reward me. "Once, while the flocks were mating, I had a dream and saw the billy goats, all of them streaked, speckled, and mottled, mounting their mates. In the dream an angel of God called out to me, ‘Jacob!' "I said, ‘Yes?' "He said, ‘Watch closely. Notice that all the goats in the flock that are mating are streaked, speckled, and mottled. I know what Laban's been doing to you. I'm the God of Bethel where you consecrated a pillar and made a vow to me. Now be on your way, get out of this place, go home to your birthplace.'" Rachel and Leah said, "Has he treated us any better? Aren't we treated worse than outsiders? All he wanted was the money he got from selling us, and he's spent all that. Any wealth that God has seen fit to return to us from our father is justly ours and our children's. Go ahead. Do what God told you." Jacob did it. He put his children and his wives on camels and gathered all his livestock and everything he had gotten, everything acquired in Paddan Aram, to go back home to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan. Laban was off shearing sheep. Rachel stole her father's household gods. And Jacob had concealed his plans so well that Laban the Aramean had no idea what was going on—he was totally in the dark. Jacob got away with everything he had and was soon across the Euphrates headed for the hill country of Gilead. Three days later, Laban got the news: "Jacob's run off." Laban rounded up his relatives and chased after him. Seven days later they caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. That night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and said, "Be careful what you do to Jacob, whether good or bad." When Laban reached him, Jacob's tents were pitched in the Gilead mountains; Laban pitched his tents there, too. "What do you mean," said Laban, "by keeping me in the dark and sneaking off, hauling my daughters off like prisoners of war? Why did you run off like a thief in the night? Why didn't you tell me? Why, I would have sent you off with a great celebration—music, timbrels, flutes! But you wouldn't permit me so much as a kiss for my daughters and grandchildren. It was a stupid thing for you to do. If I had a mind to, I could destroy you right now, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, ‘Be careful what you do to Jacob, whether good or bad.' I understand. You left because you were homesick. But why did you steal my household gods?" Jacob answered Laban, "I was afraid. I thought you would take your daughters away from me by brute force. But as far as your gods are concerned, if you find that anybody here has them, that person dies. With all of us watching, look around. If you find anything here that belongs to you, take it." Jacob didn't know that Rachel had stolen the gods. Laban went through Jacob's tent, Leah's tent, and the tents of the two maids but didn't find them. He went from Leah's tent to Rachel's. But Rachel had taken the household gods, put them inside a camel cushion, and was sitting on them. When Laban had gone through the tent, searching high and low without finding a thing, Rachel said to her father, "Don't think I'm being disrespectful, my master, that I can't stand before you, but I'm having my period." So even though he turned the place upside down in his search, he didn't find the household gods. Now it was Jacob's turn to get angry. He lit into Laban: "So what's my crime, what wrong have I done you that you badger me like this? You've ransacked the place. Have you turned up a single thing that's yours? Let's see it—display the evidence. Our two families can be the jury and decide between us. "In the twenty years I've worked for you, ewes and she-goats never miscarried. I never feasted on the rams from your flock. I never brought you a torn carcass killed by wild animals but that I paid for it out of my own pocket—actually, you made me pay whether it was my fault or not. I was out in all kinds of weather, from torrid heat to freezing cold, putting in many a sleepless night. For twenty years I've done this: I slaved away fourteen years for your two daughters and another six years for your flock and you changed my wages ten times. If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not stuck with me, you would have sent me off penniless. But God saw the fix I was in and how hard I had worked and last night rendered his verdict." Laban defended himself: "The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flock is my flock—everything you see is mine. But what can I do about my daughters or for the children they've had? So let's settle things between us, make a covenant—God will be the witness between us." Jacob took a stone and set it upright as a pillar. Jacob called his family around, "Get stones!" They gathered stones and heaped them up and then ate there beside the pile of stones. Laban named it in Aramaic, Yegar-sahadutha (Witness Monument); Jacob echoed the naming in Hebrew, Galeed (Witness Monument). Laban said, "This monument of stones will be a witness, beginning now, between you and me." (That's why it is called Galeed—Witness Monument.) It is also called Mizpah (Watchtower) because Laban said, " God keep watch between you and me when we are out of each other's sight. If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives when there's no one around to see you, God will see you and stand witness between us." Laban continued to Jacob, "This monument of stones and this stone pillar that I have set up is a witness, a witness that I won't cross this line to hurt you and you won't cross this line to hurt me. The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor (the God of their ancestor) will keep things straight between us." Jacob promised, swearing by the Fear, the God of his father Isaac. Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and worshiped, calling in all his family members to the meal. They ate and slept that night on the mountain. Laban got up early the next morning, kissed his grandchildren and his daughters, blessed them, and then set off for home.
Saul did something really foolish that day. He addressed the army: "A curse on the man who eats anything before evening, before I've wreaked vengeance on my enemies!" None of them ate a thing all day.
But David said, "Your father knows that we are the best of friends. So he says to himself, ‘Jonathan must know nothing of this. If he does, he'll side with David.' But it's true—as sure as God lives, and as sure as you're alive before me right now—he's determined to kill me."
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Then saith Jesus unto them,.... Either before they went out of the house, where they had been eating the passover, and the supper; or as they were going along to the Mount of Olives; which latter rather seems to be the case:
all ye shall be offended because of me this night. The words are spoken to the eleven disciples; for Judas was now gone to the high priests, to inform them where Jesus was going that night, and to receive of them a band of men and officers to apprehend him; which is what would be the occasion of all the rest of the disciples being offended: for when they should see their master betrayed by one of themselves, and the officers seize him and bind him, and lead him away as a malefactor, our Lord here suggests, that they would be filled with such fear and dread, that everyone of them would forsake him and run away, and provide for their own safety; yea, would be so stumbled at this unexpected event, that they would begin to stagger and hesitate in their minds, whether he was the Messiah, or not, as the two disciples going to Emmaus, seem to intimate; they would be so shocked with this sad disappointment, and so offended, or stumble, as to be ready to fall from him: and their faith in him must have failed, had he not prayed for them, as he did for Peter; for they thought of nothing else but a temporal kingdom, which they expected would now quickly be set up, and they be advanced to great honour and dignity; but things taking a different turn, it must greatly shock and affect them; and it was to be the case not of one or two only, but of all of them: and that because of him, whom they dearly loved, and with whom they had been eating the passover, and his own supper, and had had such a comfortable opportunity together; and because of his low estate, his being seized and bound, and led away by his enemies; as the Jews were before offended at him, because of the meanness of his parentage and education: and this was to be that very night; and it was now very late, it may reasonably be supposed to be midnight: for since the last evening, or sun setting, they had ate the passover, the ceremonies of which took up much time, and after that the Lord's supper; then the Hallell, or hymn was sung, when Christ discoursed much with his disciples, and delivered those consolatory and instructive sermons, about the vine and other things, occasioned by the fruit of the vine, they had been just drinking of, recorded in the 15th and 16th chapters of John; and put up that prayer to his Father for them, which stands in the 17th chapter; and indeed within an hour or two after, see
Mark 14:37, this prediction of Christ's had its accomplishment, and which he confirms by a prophetic testimony:
for it is written, in Zechariah 13:7,
I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered. This text is miserably perverted by the Jewish writers; though they all agree, that by "the shepherd", is meant some great person, as a king; so the Targum renders it, "kill the king, and the princes shall be scattered": one u of them says, that a wicked king of Moab is designed; another w, a king of the Ishmaelites, or of the Turks; and a third x, that any, and every king of the Gentiles is meant; a fourth says y, it is a prophecy of the great wars that shall be in all the earth, in the days of Messiah ben Joseph; and a fifth z, after having taken notice of other senses, mentions this as the last: that
"the words "my shepherd, and the man my fellow", in the former part of the verse, are to be understood of Messiah, the son of Joseph; and because he shall be slain in the wars of the nations, therefore the Lord will whet his glittering sword against the nations, to take vengeance on them; and on this account says, "awake, O sword! for my shepherd, and for the man my fellow": as if the Lord called the sword and vengeance to awake against his enemies, because of Messiah ben Joseph, whom they shall slay; and who shall be the shepherd of the flock of God, and by reason of his righteousness and perfection, shall be the man his fellow; and when the nations shall slay that shepherd, the sword of the Lord shall come and smite the shepherd; that is, every shepherd of the Gentiles, and their kings; for because of the slaying of the shepherd of Israel, every shepherd of their enemies shall be slain, and their sheep shall be scattered; for through the death of the shepherds, the people that shall be under them, will have no standing.''
Now though this is a most wretched perversion of the passage, to make the word "shepherd" in the former part of it, to signify one person, and in the other part of it another; yet shows the conviction of their minds, that the Messiah is not be excluded from the prophecy, and of whom, without doubt, it is spoken, and rightly applied by him, who is concerned in it, the Lord Jesus Christ; who feeds his flock like a shepherd, is the great shepherd of the sheep, the chief shepherd, the good shepherd, that laid down his life for the sheep; which is intended by the smiting of him: in the text in
Zechariah 13:7 it is read, "smite the shepherd"; being an order of Jehovah the Father's, to Justice, to awake its sword, and sheath it in his son, his equal by nature, his shepherd by office; and here, as his own act, and what he would do himself, "I will smite the shepherd"; for his ordering Justice to smite, is rightly interpreted doing it himself. The Jews cannot object to this, when their own interpreters in general explain it thus, ××©× ××ר×ת, "God shall cut off the shepherd" a. The sufferings of Christ, which are meant by the smiting him, were according, not only to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, the will of his good pleasure, but according to his will of command; which justice executed, and Christ was obedient to, and in which Jehovah had a very great hand himself: he bruised him, he put him to grief, he made his soul an offering for sin; he spared him not, but delivered him up into the hands of men, justice, and death, for us all: the latter clause, "and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered", respects the disciples, and their forsaking Christ, and fleeing from him, when be was apprehended; for then, as was foretold in this prophecy, and predicted by Christ, they all forsook him and fled, and were scattered every man to his own, and left him alone. In Zechariah it is only said, "the sheep shall be scattered", Zechariah 13:7: here, the sheep of the flock; though the Evangelist Mark reads it, as in the prophet, Mark 14:27, and so the Arabic here, and the sense is the same; for the sheep are the sheep of the flock, Christ's little flock, the flock of slaughter, committed to his care; unless it may be thought proper to distinguish between the sheep and the flock; and by "the flock" understand, all the elect of God, and by "the sheep", the principal of the flock; "the rams of his sheep", or "flock", as the Syriac version renders it; the apostles of Christ, who are chiefly, if not solely intended; though others of Christ's followers might be stumbled, offended, and staggered, as well as they; as Cleophas was, one of the two that went to Emmaus.
u R. Sol. Jarchi, in Zech. xiii. 7. w Isaac Chizzuk Emuna, par. 1. c. 37. p. 310. x R. David Kirachi, in Zech. xiii. 7. y R. Aben Ezra in ib. z Abarbitnel, Mashmia Jeshua, fol. 74. 4. a R. Aben. Ezra, R. David Kimchi, & Miclol Yophi in loc.
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 Peterâs 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 âthe burden of the worldâs atonementâ 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 âthe apostles.â 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 âmenâ is improperly inserted here by the translators. Peter meant only to affirm this of âthe disciples.â 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 âconvertedâ - that is, when he was âturnedâ 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 âeveningâ when this was spoken, after the observance of the Passover, and, we may suppose, near nine oâclock 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 âthe cock-crowing,â and of this Matthew and John speak, without referring to the other. Mark and Luke speak of the âsecondâ crowing, and mean the same time, so that there is no contradiction between them.
Deny me thrice - That is, as Luke adds, deny that âthou knowestâ 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.
âAllâ the disciples said the same thing, and all fled at the approach of danger, âforsakingâ their Master and Friend, and practically denying that they knew him, Matthew 26:56.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 31. All ye shall be offended — Or rather, Ye will all be stumbled - ÏανÏÎµÏ Ï Î¼ÎµÎ¹Ï ÏκανδαλιÏθηÏεÏθε - ye will all forsake me, and lose in a great measure your confidence in me.
This night — The time of trial is just at hand.
I will smite the shepherd — It will happen to you as to a flock of sheep, whose shepherd has been slain - the leader and guardian being removed, the whole flock shall be scattered, and be on the point of becoming a prey to ravenous beasts.
