But he denied it, saying, “I do not know and I do not understand what you are saying.” And he went out into the courtyard, and the rooster crowed.
Peter’s first denial begins with an evasive word. He not only says that he does not know Jesus, but he pretends that he does not understand the question. This is the common course of sin: first the heart tries to hide, then the speech becomes false. The rooster’s crow was the first reminder of the word the Lord had spoken beforehand, but Peter still does not fully wake up. God often gives the conscience small signs before a heavier fall, but a person can ignore them if fear rules over him.