The Meaning of Mark 14:68 Explained

Mark 14:68

KJV: But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.

YLT: and he denied, saying, 'I have not known him, neither do I understand what thou sayest;' and he went forth without to the porch, and a cock crew.

Darby: But he denied, saying, I know not nor understand what thou sayest. And he went out into the vestibule; and a cock crew.

ASV: But he denied, saying, I neither know, nor understand what thou sayest: and he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But  he denied,  saying,  I know  not,  neither  understand I  what  thou  sayest.  And  he went  out  into  the porch;  and  the cock  crew. 

What does Mark 14:68 Mean?

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 14:68

I neither know nor understand [ουτε οιδα ουτε επισταμαι]
This denial is fuller in Mark, briefest in John. [source]
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]
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]
Into the porch [εις το προαυλιον]
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. [source]
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]
Porch [προαύλιον]
Only here in New Testament. The vestibule, extending from the outside gate to the court. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 14:68

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]
1 Peter 4:16 Let him not be ashamed [μη]
Prohibition with αισχυνω — mē and present passive imperative of εν τωι ονοματι τουτωι — aischunō Peter had once been ashamed to suffer reproach or even a sneer for being a disciple of Christ (Mark 14:68). See the words of Jesus in Mark 8:38 and Paul‘s in 2 Timothy 1:12. Peter is not ashamed now. In this name Of Christian as in Mark 9:41, “because ye are Christ‘s.” [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 14:68 mean?

- But he denied [it] saying Neither I know nor even understand you what say And he went forth out into the porch and the rooster crowed
δὲ ἠρνήσατο λέγων Οὔτε οἶδα οὔτε ἐπίσταμαι σὺ τί λέγεις καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἔξω εἰς τὸ προαύλιον ‹καὶ ἀλέκτωρ ἐφώνησεν›

  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἠρνήσατο  he  denied  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀρνέομαι  
Sense: to deny.
λέγων  saying 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
Οὔτε  Neither 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: οὔτε  
Sense: neither, and not.
οἶδα  I  know 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: οἶδα  
Sense: to see.
οὔτε  nor  even 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: οὔτε  
Sense: neither, and not.
ἐπίσταμαι  understand 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐπίσταμαι  
Sense: to put one’s attention on, fix one’s thoughts on, to turn one’s self or one’s mind to, put one’s thought upon a thing.
λέγεις  say 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
ἐξῆλθεν  he  went  forth 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐξέρχομαι 
Sense: to go or come forth of.
ἔξω  out 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ἔξω  
Sense: without, out of doors.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
προαύλιον  porch 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: προαύλιον  
Sense: fore-court, porch.
ἀλέκτωρ  the  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.