The Meaning of Mark 14:72 Explained

Mark 14:72

KJV: And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.

YLT: and a second time a cock crew, and Peter remembered the saying that Jesus said to him -- 'Before a cock crow twice, thou mayest deny me thrice;' and having thought thereon -- he was weeping.

Darby: And the second time a cock crew. And Peter remembered the word that Jesus said to him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice; and when he thought thereon he wept.

ASV: And straightway the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word, how that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  the  second time  the cock  crew.  And  Peter  called to mind  the word  that  Jesus  said  unto him,  Before  the cock  crow  twice,  thou shalt deny  me  thrice.  And  when he thought thereon,  he wept. 

What does Mark 14:72 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Mark alone noted that this was the second time the cock crowed (cf. Mark 14:68). Peter had evidently received an earlier warning but had disregarded it. Now he remembered Jesus" prediction and broke down (Gr. epibalon, cf. Luke 22:61). He remembered too little and too late.
Peter now drops out of the picture until after Jesus" resurrection. He had finally learned his own weakness and consequently seems to have felt unable to face the pressure of public identification with Jesus.
The parallels between Peter"s behavior and Jesus" are all too evident. Both men faced a three-fold temptation. One defeated the tempter, and the other fell before him. While Jesus served God faithfully as His Servant on the upper floor, Peter failed to serve God faithfully on the lower floor. The reason for the difference goes back to Gethsemane. Disciples must learn from Peter"s failure as well as from Jesus" success.
"The importance and relevance of Peter"s denial for the church to which Mark writes is obvious. To a church under severe pressure of persecution it provided a warning. If denial of Jesus Christ was possible for an apostle, and one of the leaders of the apostles at that, then they must be constantly on guard lest they too deny Jesus. The story also provided assurance that if anyone did fail Jesus under the duress of persecution, there was always a way open for repentance, forgiveness, and restoration (cf. Mark 16:7)." [1]

Context Summary

Mark 14:53-72 - A Mockery Of Justice
A commission of the chief priests awaited the result of the treachery of Judas at the house of Caiaphas. They had made up their minds what to do, but the form of a trial was necessary. The false witnesses were obviously unable to establish a sufficient case, and our Lord maintained a dignified silence. It was too much for Caiaphas, and he put his prisoner on his oath. Our Lord made no attempt to parry the issue or turn aside from the challenge, but replied: I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. See Psalms 110:1; Daniel 7:13. Then followed a shameful scene, Mark 14:65. But our Lord was as self-restrained in the use of His mighty powers as if He had been one of the most helpless of men. The graphic story of the denial, which took place at the time of the trial in the servants' hall, was probably given to the evangelist by Peter himself. What a contrast between the strength of the Master and the weakness of the disciple! Yet Peter was forgiven and made the Apostle of the Pentecost! We may have hope! [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 14

1  A conspiracy against Jesus
3  Expensive perfume is poured on his head by a woman
10  Judas sells his Master for money
12  Jesus himself foretells how he will be betrayed by one of his disciples;
22  after the passover prepared, and eaten, institutes his last supper;
26  declares beforehand the flight of all his disciples, and Peter's denial
43  Judas betrays him with a kiss
46  Jesus is apprehended in the garden;
53  falsely accused and impiously condemned of the council;
65  shamefully abused by them;
66  and thrice denied by Peter

Greek Commentary for Mark 14:72

Called to mind [ανεμνηστη]
First aorist passive indicative. Matthew 26:75 has the uncompounded verb εμνηστη — emnēsthē while Luke 22:61 has another compound υπεμνηστη — hupemnēsthē was reminded. [source]
When he thought thereon [επιβαλων]
Second aorist active participle of επιβαλλω — epiballō It is used absolutely here, though there is a reference to το ρημα — to rhēma above, the word of Jesus, and the idiom involves τον νουν — ton noun so that the meaning is to put the mind upon something. In Luke 15:12 there is another absolute use with a different sense. Moulton (Prolegomena, p. 131) quotes a Ptolemaic papyrus Tb P 50 where επιβαλων — epibalōn probably means “set to,” put his mind on.Wept (εκλαιεν — eklaien). Inchoative imperfect, began to weep. Matthew 26:75 has the ingressive aorist εκλαυσεν — eklausen burst into tears. [source]
Wept [εκλαιεν]
Inchoative imperfect, began to weep. Matthew 26:75 has the ingressive aorist εκλαυσεν — eklausen burst into tears. [source]
When he thought thereon [ἐπιβαλὼν]
From ἐπί , uponand βάλλω , to throw. When he threw his thought upon it. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 14:72

Matthew 26:75 He went out and wept bitterly [εχελτων εχω εκλαυσεν πικρως]
Luke adds that the Lord turned and looked upon Peter (Luke 22:61). That look brought Peter back to his senses. He could not stay where he now was with the revilers of Jesus. He did not feel worthy or able to go openly into the hall where Jesus was. So outside he went with a broken heart. The constative aorist here does not emphasize as Mark‘s imperfect does (Mark 14:72, εκλαιεν — eklaien) the continued weeping that was now Peter‘s only consolation. The tears were bitter, all the more so by reason of that look of understanding pity that Jesus gave him. One of the tragedies of the Cross is the bleeding heart of Peter. Judas was a total wreck and Peter was a near derelict. Satan had sifted them all as wheat, but Jesus had prayed specially for Peter (Luke 22:31.). Will Satan show Peter to be all chaff as Judas was? [source]
Mark 11:21 Peter calling to remembrance [αναμνηστεις ο Πετρος]
First aorist participle, being reminded. Only in Mark and due to Peter‘s story. For his quick memory see also Mark 14:72. [source]
Mark 14:68 What thou sayest [συ τι λεγεις]
Can be understood as a direct question. Note position of thou Only here in the New Testament. Plato uses it of a prelude on a flute. It occurs also in the plural for preparations the day before the wedding. Here it means the vestibule to the court. Matthew 26:71 has πυλωνα — pulōna a common word for gate or front porch.And the cock crew Omitted by Aleph B L Sinaitic Syriac. It is genuine in Mark 14:72 where “the second time” (εκ δευτερου — ek deuterou) occurs also. It is possible that because of Mark 14:72 it crept into Mark 14:68. Mark alone alludes to the cock crowing twice, originally (Mark 14:30), and twice in Mark 14:72, besides Mark 14:68 which is hardly genuine. [source]
Mark 14:68 thou [συ]
Only here in the New Testament. Plato uses it of a prelude on a flute. It occurs also in the plural for preparations the day before the wedding. Here it means the vestibule to the court. Matthew 26:71 has πυλωνα — pulōna a common word for gate or front porch.And the cock crew Omitted by Aleph B L Sinaitic Syriac. It is genuine in Mark 14:72 where “the second time” (εκ δευτερου — ek deuterou) occurs also. It is possible that because of Mark 14:72 it crept into Mark 14:68. Mark alone alludes to the cock crowing twice, originally (Mark 14:30), and twice in Mark 14:72, besides Mark 14:68 which is hardly genuine. [source]
Mark 14:68 And the cock crew [και αλεκτωρ επωνησεν]
Omitted by Aleph B L Sinaitic Syriac. It is genuine in Mark 14:72 where “the second time” (εκ δευτερου — ek deuterou) occurs also. It is possible that because of Mark 14:72 it crept into Mark 14:68. Mark alone alludes to the cock crowing twice, originally (Mark 14:30), and twice in Mark 14:72, besides Mark 14:68 which is hardly genuine. [source]
John 18:26 Did not I see thee in the garden with him? [ουκ εγω σε ειδον εν τωι κηπωι μετ αυτου]
This staggering and sudden thrust expects an affirmative answer by the use of ουκ — ouk not μη — mē as in John 18:17, John 18:25, but Peter‘s previous denials with the knowledge that he was observed by a kinsman of Malchus whom he had tried to kill (John 18:10) drove him to the third flat denial that he knew Jesus, this time with cursing and swearing (Mark 14:71; Matthew 26:73). Peter was in dire peril now of arrest himself for attempt to kill. Straightway As in Matthew 26:74 while Luke has παραχρημα — parachrēma (Luke 22:60). Mark (Mark 14:68, Mark 14:72) speaks of two crowings as often happens when one cock crows. See Matthew 26:34 for αλεκτωρ — alektōr (cock). That was usually the close of the third watch of the night (Mark 13:35), about 3 a.m. Luke 22:61 notes that Jesus turned and looked on Peter probably as he passed from the rooms of Annas to the trial before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin (the ecclesiastical court). See Mrs. Browning‘s beautiful sonnets on “The Look”. [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 14:72 mean?

And immediately for the second time a rooster crowed remembered - Peter the word that had said to him Jesus - Before [the] rooster twice crows three times Me you will deny having broken down he began to weep
καὶ εὐθὺς ἐκ δευτέρου ἀλέκτωρ ἐφώνησεν ἀνεμνήσθη Πέτρος τὸ ῥῆμα ὡς εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ἰησοῦς ὅτι Πρὶν ἀλέκτορα δὶς φωνῆσαι τρίς με ἀπαρνήσῃ ἐπιβαλὼν ἔκλαιεν

εὐθὺς  immediately 
Parse: Adverb
Root: εὐθέως  
Sense: straightway, immediately, forthwith.
δευτέρου  the  second  time 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: δεύτερον 
Sense: the second, the other of two.
ἀλέκτωρ  a  rooster 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀλέκτωρ  
Sense: a cock, or male of any bird, a rooster.
ἐφώνησεν  crowed 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: φωνέω 
Sense: to sound, emit a sound, to speak.
ἀνεμνήσθη  remembered 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀναμιμνῄσκω  
Sense: to call to remembrance, to remind, to admonish.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Πέτρος  Peter 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Πέτρος  
Sense: one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.
ῥῆμα  word 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: ῥῆμα  
Sense: that which is or has been uttered by the living voice, thing spoken, word.
ὡς  that 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ὡς 
Sense: as, like, even as, etc.
εἶπεν  had  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
αὐτῷ  to  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Ἰησοῦς  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
ὅτι  - 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
Πρὶν  Before 
Parse: Adverb
Root: πρίν  
Sense: before, formerly.
ἀλέκτορα  [the]  rooster 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀλέκτωρ  
Sense: a cock, or male of any bird, a rooster.
δὶς  twice 
Parse: Adverb
Root: δίς  
Sense: twice.
φωνῆσαι  crows 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: φωνέω 
Sense: to sound, emit a sound, to speak.
τρίς  three  times 
Parse: Adverb
Root: τρίς  
Sense: thrice.
με  Me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
ἀπαρνήσῃ  you  will  deny 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἀπαρνέομαι  
Sense: to deny.
ἐπιβαλὼν  having  broken  down 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἐπιβάλλω  
Sense: to cast upon, to lay upon.
ἔκλαιεν  he  began  to  weep 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κλαίω  
Sense: to mourn, weep, lament.