Matthew 26:72

And againe hee denied with an oath, I doe not know the man. Matthew 26:72 (KJV)

The passage records a denial made with an oath, the speaker stating, “I know not the man.” In a closely related verse, Matthew 26:74 (KJV) states: “Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.” Both verses emphasize the repeated denial and the immediate response of the cock’s crow. The wording varies slightly between “I do not know the man” and “I know not the man,” but the essential content remains the same: a firm refusal to acknowledge the person in question, expressed under oath.

A note on the textual reference indicates that some readers have observed that Matthew chapter 26 does not contain a verse 72 in certain versions or translations. The Book of Matthew is composed of 28 chapters, and the final verse of the entire Gospel is chapter 28, verse 20. This observation has led to the comment that “verse 72 does not exist in any version or translation,” suggesting a possible discrepancy in citation or manuscript tradition.

The combined material therefore presents three key points: first, the explicit denial with an oath; second, the accompanying curse, swear, and the cock’s immediate crow as recorded in verse 74; and third, the scholarly remark that the cited verse number (26:72) is absent from the canonical text, which concludes at chapter 28, verse 20. These elements together highlight the textual details surrounding the denial narrative and the importance of accurate verse referencing in biblical study.