Peter answered, &c.— St. Peter, no doubt, was sincere in this protestation which he made; nevertheless he was greatly to blame for not payinga due attention to his Master's repeated predictions concerning his fall, (see Luke 22:34 and John 13:38.) for the preference which he gave himself above his brethren, and for depending upon his own strength, instead of begging assistance of him from whom all human sufficiency is derived. The 34th verse is expressed differently by St. Mark, who represents our Lord as saying, before the cock crow twice, &c. and from Mark 13:35 of that Gospel it appears, that one of the four watches of the night was named the cock-crowing: now as this ended with the second crowing, before the cock crow, is equivalent to before the cock crow twice, both signifying, "before the expiration of the watch called the cock-crowing;"—at three in the morning, when the cock commonly crows the second time. Or we may suppose that this expression in the three historians is elliptical; and that the twice is understood, and must be supplied. We have examples of this kind of ellipsis in other parts of Scripture.
Related Commentaries of Matthew 26:33
Matthew 26:33-35
33 Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offendedb because of thee, yet will I never be offended.
34 Jesus said unto him,Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
35 Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.