John 18:25

Was standing and warming himself

(ην εστως κα θερμαινομενος). Two periphrastic imperfects precisely as in verse John 18:18, vivid renewal of the picture drawn there. John alone gives the examination of Jesus by Annas (John 18:19-24) which he places between the first and the second denials by Peter. Each of the Four Gospels gives three denials, but it is not possible to make a clear parallel as probably several people joined in each time. This time there was an hour's interval (Luke 22:59). The question and answer are almost identical with verse John 18:17 and "put in a form which almost suggested that Peter should say 'No'" (Bernard), a favourite device of the devil in making temptation attractive.