· Translation: KJV

Matthew 26:74Then he began to curse and to swear, "I don't know the man!" Immediately the rooster crowed.

The setting

Jerusalem, Israel. High priest's courtyard, dawn breaking. Peter calls down curses on himself while swearing he doesn't know Jesus. A rooster crows in the distance...

The emotion here: heartbroken at recording the complete collapse of Jesus' closest friend

The original word

katanathematizō (καταναθεματίζειν) — to invoke a curse upon oneself, the strongest possible oath

Why it matters

Roosters crowed at the fourth watch (3-6 AM), marking the approach of dawn and the end of night

Read with care

What most readers miss in Matthew 26:74

The rooster crowed WHILE Peter was still speaking — God's timing was perfect

Common misconceptionPeople think the rooster crowing was coincidence. Jesus specifically predicted this exact moment twelve hours earlier at the Last Supper.

Bible Genome reading

Matthew 26:74 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerPeter
Eragospel
Primary emotionanxious
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power10%
Quotability80%
Memorability95%
Crisis relevance95%
Standalone50%
Themes:denialprophecy fulfilled

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Matthew 26

Matthew 26:74 comes from the book of Matthew, written during the gospel period. The setting is a royal palace. These words are attributed to Peter. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include denial, prophecy fulfilled. Notable phrases: began to curse and to swear; rooster crowed.

Your reflection

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