Charles Spurgeon Commentary Mark 14:71-72

"But he began to curse, and to swear, I know not this man of whom ye speak. And straightway the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word, how that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept." — Mark 14:71-72 (ASV)

But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I do not know this man of whom you speak. And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said to him, Before the cockcrow twice, you will deny me thrice. And when he thought about it, he wept.

He does not say that he went out and wept bitterly, as Luke says in his version of the incident. This is Peter's own account of it, so he says as little as he can to his own credit, while he tells all that is to his discredit. You notice that there seem to be some slight differences between these two accounts, and it is quite natural that it should be so. If any two honest men here were to describe any scene that they had witnessed, the two would be sure to differ in some particulars, yet both accounts might be true.

Matthew tells us that Jesus said to Peter, Before the cock crow, you will deny me thrice; but Mark tells us that he said, Before the cock crow twice, you will deny me thrice. Yes; but there is no real contradiction, and the incident introduced by Mark shows how, to the very letter, both of those utterances of our Saviour were fulfilled. So it is with regard to those who spoke to Peter; when we come to another account, you will see that they differ very considerably, yet they are all true, nevertheless.