What Does Luke 22:54 Mean in the King James?
Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
Peter keeps following, but the Greek measures the gap as a length: movement toward Jesus and distance from him coexist.
THE MEANING
You can be moving behind Jesus and still remain far from him. The verse holds both facts together: Peter continues to follow, and the distance stays visible.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that continuing to follow proves closeness: Peter follows, yet the distance is still named.
THE ROOT
μακρόθεν
makrothen
GROWS FROM
μακρ-
makr-
long; extended in distance
“afar off” in this verse is makrothen. The Greek word pictures distance as length. The same μακρ- (makr-, “long”) appears in μακροθυμία (makrothymia, “slow to heat”), where the length is time before heat; here it makes the distance between following and nearness visible.
ALSO GROWS
makros: long
μακρός
The root’s basic sense is length, which μακρόθεν applies to the space between Peter and Jesus.
makran: far away
μακράν
This related form describes people once “far off” who are brought near in Ephesians 2:13.
makrothymia: slow to heat; long-tempered
μακροθυμία
The shared μακρ- (makr-, “long”) marks an extended interval, whether in space or before anger flares.
ἠκολούθει
ēkolouthei
GROWS FROM
ἀκολουθ-
akolouth-
follow; accompany
“followed” in this verse is ēkolouthei. The verb is in the imperfect, presenting Peter’s following as ongoing. That continuing movement does not cancel the distance named alongside it.
ALSO GROWS
akolouthos: follower; companion
ἀκόλουθος
The related noun names someone who accompanies another, while this verse specifies how far behind Peter remains.
akolouthia: following; sequence
ἀκολουθία
The word family can describe an unfolding sequence, echoing the continuing action in ἠκολούθει (ēkolouthei, “was following”).
THE PATTERN
Scripture names distance plainly even when relation remains or nearness is still possible.
My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.THE THREAD
But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.Matthew repeats the same Greek pairing: Peter keeps following (ἀκολουθέω, akoloutheō, “follow”) from μακρόθεν (makrothen, “afar off”). He enters the palace while still carrying that distance, making clear that following and nearness are not the same thing.
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