The Meaning of Luke 22:55 Explained

Luke 22:55

KJV: And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them.

YLT: and they having kindled a fire in the midst of the court, and having sat down together, Peter was sitting in the midst of them,

Darby: And they having lit a fire in the midst of the court and sat down together, Peter sat among them.

ASV: And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the court, and had sat down together, Peter sat in the midst of them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  when they  had kindled  a fire  in  the midst  of the hall,  and  were set down together,  Peter  sat down  among  them. 

What does Luke 22:55 Mean?

Context Summary

Luke 22:54-62 - The Disciple Who Denied His Lord
Peter loved Christ truly, but miscalculated his strength. Be very careful not to adventure yourself into the midst of temptation. If God leads you thither, that is another matter. We do well to remember Psalms 1:1-3. Let us beware of warming ourselves at the world's fires. It was the firelight falling on his face that revealed Peter, and his brogue that betrayed him.
If, even at that hour, however, He had looked to God, a way of escape would have been found. "He delivereth and rescueth, and worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth," Daniel 6:27. But Peter sought to save himself from the results of his folly and sin; only to land deeper and deeper in the morass.
What a look that must have been, Luke 22:61! But, even now, when we sin, Christ looks at us from out of His holy heaven, with such mingled pity and love, that these constitute the worst torment. There is no need of literal fire to make hell. Disappointed love is hotter than "coals of juniper." [source]

Chapter Summary: Luke 22

1  The leaders conspire against Jesus
3  Satan prepares Judas to betray him
7  The apostles prepare the Passover
19  Jesus institutes his holy supper;
21  covertly foretells of the traitor;
24  rebukes the rest of his apostles from ambition;
31  assures Peter his faith should not fail;
34  and yet he should deny him thrice
39  He prays in the mount, and sweats blood;
47  is betrayed with a kiss;
50  he heals Malchus' ear;
54  he is thrice denied by Peter;
63  shamefully abused;
66  and confesses himself to be the Son of God

Greek Commentary for Luke 22:55

When they had kindled a fire [περιαπσαντων πυρ]
Genitive absolute, first aorist active participle of περιαπτω — periaptō an old verb, but here only in the N.T. Kindle around, make a good fire that blazes all over. It was April and cool at night. The servants made the fire. [source]
And had sat down together [και συνκατισαντων]
Genitive absolute again. Note συν — sun - (together), all had taken seats around the fire.Peter sat in the midst of them (εκατητο ο Πετρος μεσος αυτων — ekathēto ho Petros mesos autōn). Imperfect tense, he was sitting, and note μεσος — mesos nominative predicate adjective with the genitive, like John 1:26, good Greek idiom. [source]
Peter sat in the midst of them [εκατητο ο Πετρος μεσος αυτων]
Imperfect tense, he was sitting, and note μεσος — mesos nominative predicate adjective with the genitive, like John 1:26, good Greek idiom. [source]
Kindled [περιαψάντων]
Lit., kindled all round ( περί ): set in full blaze. [source]
Hall []
Or court. See on Mark 14:54. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Luke 22:55

John 18:15 Followed [ηκολουτει]
Imperfect active of ακολουτεω — akoloutheō “was following,” picturesque and vivid tense, with associative instrumental case τωι Ιησου — tōi Iēsou Another disciple Correct text without article ο — ho (genuine in John 18:16). Peter‘s companion was the Beloved Disciple, the author of the book (John 21:24). Was known unto the high priest Verbal adjective from γινωσκω — ginōskō to know (Acts 1:19) with dative case. How well known the word does not say, not necessarily a personal friend, well enough known for the portress to admit John. “The account of what happened to Peter might well seem to be told from the point of view of the servants‘ hall” (Sanday, Criticism of the Fourth Gospel, p. 101). Entered in with Jesus Second aorist active indicative of the double compound συνεισερχομαι — suneiserchomai old verb, in N.T. here and John 6:22. With associative instrumental case. Into the court It is not clear that this word ever means the palace itself instead of the courtyard (uncovered enclosure) as always in the papyri (very common). Clearly courtyard in Mark 14:66 (Matthew 26:69; Luke 22:55). Apparently Annas had rooms in the official residence of Caiaphas. [source]
Ephesians 2:6 Made to sit with him [συνεκατισεν]
First aorist active indicative of συνκατιζω — sunkathizō old causative verb, but in N.T. only here and Luke 22:55. [source]

What do the individual words in Luke 22:55 mean?

They having kindled then a fire in [the] midst of the courtyard and having sat down together was sitting - Peter among them
Περιαψάντων δὲ πῦρ ἐν μέσῳ τῆς αὐλῆς καὶ συνκαθισάντων ἐκάθητο Πέτρος μέσος αὐτῶν

Περιαψάντων  They  having  kindled 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ἅπτω 
Sense: to fasten to, adhere to.
πῦρ  a  fire 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: πῦρ  
Sense: fire.
μέσῳ  [the]  midst 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: μέσος  
Sense: middle.
τῆς  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
αὐλῆς  courtyard 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: αὐλή  
Sense: among the Greeks in Homer’s time, an uncovered space around the house, enclosed by a wall, in which the stables stood, hence among the Orientals that roofless enclosure by a wall, in the open country in which the flocks were herded at night, a sheepfold.
συνκαθισάντων  having  sat  down  together 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: περικαθίζω 
Sense: to cause to sit down together, place together.
ἐκάθητο  was  sitting 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κάθημαι  
Sense: to sit down, seat one’s self.
  - 
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.