Charles Spurgeon Commentary John 18:10

"Simon Peter therefore having a sword drew it, and struck the high priest`s servant, and cut off his right ear. Now the servant`s name was Malchus." — John 18:10 (ASV)

Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.

Here is every prospect of a fight. Simon Peter has begun it, and the armed men will be eager to continue it.

We always have our Simon Peters around—men of emotion, men of impulse, men of impetuosity. They are not a bad sort of Christians, and I do not know what we should do without them. Our cold, frozen thinkers would not do much without our warmhearted Peters to help thaw them.

Still, Peter was only one of the twelve apostles; and though they call him the head of the church, he made a very poor head of the church just then. He drew a sword and began to use that carnal weapon by cutting off the right ear of Malchus. It was a great mercy that the Lord was there to heal the ear and to forbid the use of the sword in His defense.

And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.

This other disciple was, no doubt, John, who thus veiled himself as he did on other occasions.

Having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.

Peter struck at his head; he was not content with trying to wound, he meant to kill Malchus, and he did cut off his right ear.