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John 18:26

ESV One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, "Did I not see you in the garden with him?"
NIV One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, "Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?"
NASB One of the slaves of the high priest, who was related to the one whose ear Peter cut off, *said, 'Did I not see you in the garden with Him?'
CSB One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, "Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?"
NLT But one of the household slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, 'Didn’t I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus?'
KJV One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him?
NKJV One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?”

What does John 18:26 mean?

When Jesus was arrested, Peter attempted to make good on his earlier boast (John 13:37). Despite Jesus negotiating to have the disciples left unharmed (John 18:8), Peter struck back. Using a small sword, he lashed out and somehow struck a servant, cutting off the man's ear (John 18:10–11). Now, having followed Jesus at some distance, Peter is in a different kind of danger. He has already been asked, twice, about his relationship to the man being interrogated inside (John 18:17, 25). Both times, he's lied in order to avoid being caught.

John is the only one of the Gospel writers to mention the name of the servant Peter wounded in Gethsemane. That's likely because John—the unnamed disciple of this passage—had familiarity with the high priest's household (John 18:15–16). The man now speaking to Peter, it seems, wasn't merely present when violence occurred, it was one of his own relatives who was maimed. His memory of the event is both vivid and personal.

Unlike the previous two questions, which assumed the answer would be "no," this challenge about Peter's identity is more self-assured. The servant speaking is confident that the Galilean (Matthew 26:73) standing there is the same one who recently assaulted his relative and fellow servant. Peter is in deep trouble.
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