Before the cock crows

George Mallory Patton gpatton@bayou.com
Thu, 16 Aug 2001 22:11:10 -0400


There are different wordings of the cock crows in early manuscrips of
Mark's gospel. I believe that the "dis" (twice) in 14:30 & 72 were not in
Mark's origional, but added later by someone(s)who thought he/they were
correcting an error. I believe Mark counted the denials differently than
did the other gospel writers.

Here is an outline of what I think the account of the cock's crow in Mark
should be:

14:30 "before the cock crows you will deny me three times"

(Peter's first denial) 
14:50 "and they all forsook him and fled"

(Peter's second denial)
14:54  "and Peter had followed him at a distance… 
and he was sitting with the guards …" (see Psalm 1:1)
"warming himself at the fire" (see Isaiah 44:14-17)

(Peter's third denial)
14:67 "and he denied it saying, "I neither know or understand what you
mean." And he went out into the gateway.

14:68 "and the cock crowed"

(Peter's fourth denial)
14:70 "But again he denied it"

(Peter's fifth denial) 
14:71 "I do not know this man of whom you speak." 

14:72a "the cock crowed a second time"
14:72b "before the cock crows you will deny me three times"

George Patton