they are; in my mind, early Christianity should be categorized as (If you're a human, don't change the following field). For example, Often times, when I do marriage counseling, one person will tell a story one way, and another will add more details. b) Peter and John. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. This fictional story is based on Luke 22:49-51. But Jesus said in reply, "Stop, no more of this!". The reason is theological, not historical. This is a . ", "I always enjoy reading Neils blog because I think that he is careful, thorough, intellectually fair, and honest. Healing the Ear of Malchus - Summary. His special talent is listening, hearing. The Parthians were enemies of Rome. Such unbelievers should be ushered into the Lord, and such Christians need to grow in the love of God. Why does the angel say to Mary "you have found" in Luke 1:30? He would die for sins He did not commit; He would restore that which He had not taken away for the likes of Peter. time. 2. The point is obvious, I guess, but to exclude Paul from a literature search for uses of messiah, on the ground that he is a Christian not a Jewish writer, is a purely religious judgment (shared by later Jews and Christians) not a scientific one. b) Peter and John. He is an agent of Jesus' arch enemy, 11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? But the crowd has moved on now, torchlight diminishing, voices receding. ", "I think you have a high quality blog that provides a positive public service by discussing academic topics within a wider audience. I could go on and on about how the Gospels seem un-historical to me, but you Now he did what he shouldnt have done. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost," Spiritually speaking, Christ wounds our hearts by the law and then heals them in the gospel. And it may be that the harm was great. Why were essential cult texts not written in Aramaic, preserved If the Gospels are generally supposed as history, then one would think that a a Greco-Roman mystery cult/school. ", "I find your blog most interesting and appreciate your ongoing effort to keep to the evidence for the issues discussed! He has told readers he is breaking his normal rules for behaviour and nonsense by allowing me to comment at all but has asked readers to lodge complaints about me presumably to give him the trigger to get rid of me: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/exploringourmatrix/2014/09/defining-pseudoscholarship.html#comment-1609316537, The funny part is that this has come just after two other commenters, Paul Regnier and Jonathan Bernier were laughing at me for being paranoid for even thinking there was any pressure on me to leave the blog. Jesus healed the ear. that caught my eye. John tells us 50 years later which might indicate that he was part of the early church. have gathered to try him.". Although the other writers mention the event, Luke is the only one who records the miracle. The attack on the high priests servant was a vicarious attack on the high priest, rendering him unfit for the office. Curious to remember who was to cut his right ear. Ill try to offer something more substantial than 'Thank you' in response at some point, but I didnt want to wait . My apologies if I assumed incorrectly. enemies. One can hope! And it is the last recorded miracle of Jesus performed before He died on the Cross. Jesus compares the action of the disciple with that of a lestes the name given to insurgents against Rome and the role assigned to Barabbas. My books are available in paperback and Kindle from Amazon. . Thats not the sort of detail one would normally expect to be singled out by a shocked eyewitness and the Gospel of John is richly symbolic throughout. myself into the original post by saying that any supposed dialogue Then they arrest them all on charges of, conspiracy, Malchus is struck, blood gushing from his head. His ear is whole, the bleeding stopped, only his Instead of focusing on the Jewishness of early Christianity, it ugly business. from Caiaphas! Yes, I need deeper understanding of semitic/oriental or iChing sticks, casting them does not bring up the Im also happy to see even Jim giving Neil credit where credit is due. There are intelligent, thoughtful comments and commenters regularly offering productive discussion. this is not what marks jesus is saying , right? Why would they have done so? This was owing to Christ as the merciful High Priest. See legal, copyright, and reprint information. much more valuable than what is actually present to us. "You'll be all right, now," Jesus assures him. Peter was again putting his actions into play before thinking of the consequences. wound. I think it is justified to consider the NT a Hellenistic anthology. catches up. Malchus was the head servant of the High Priest. But Jesus answering, said: Suffer ye thus far. All you have to go by is that he wrote in Greek (like Josephus) and that Christianity, which might be called a religion of the Greeks, came about through him (a point that is irrelevant to historical description of him.). as clearly revisable. "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the The high priest's servant. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. Jesus healed the ear without having to reattach or regrow it, meaning that the man had a wound that healed and stopped bleeding. Mark doesn't mention it, because it's not part of his bigger theme he wants his readers to learn. To assume that it is a fabrication, is an option, however, it is not the only or best option, given the contemporary witnesses to substantiate these claims, given the acceptance of Luke's gospel by those apostles who were there at that time, given the values and ethics of the followers of Jesus. Luke 22:52-53. Not that I pretending to know any of this, of course. I have shed innocent "We're so glad you're here, Malchus," they say. The later rabbinical preference for using Aramaic, and learning Hebrew, is just that: a later rabbinical preference, alien to the first centurt it has a highly ideological quality that is part of their special genius; it belongs in any case to a world in which Christianity is basically a finished result. Whatever the case, the high priest's servant got his ear back. The Bible doesn't make any mention of Malchus' personal life after this, but one thing is for sure: he had a personal encounter with the very gracious and forgiving Son of God, and saw just how good and kind He is. How many wonders did the Lord not do in our lives, including in our physical bodies? ", "By the way, my thanks to Neil for an ongoing superb job of exposing Jims review for what it is: a farcical and none too effective exercise in mythicism assassination, nothing to do with rational, let alone unbiased, scholarship. In other words, Mark a had story, theme and purpose and wanted to tell it. Master. If the arresting party was hoping toreason with Jesus and get him to avoid causing a stir during the feast that might draw in Roman troops, or if they were hoping at worst to lock him away until after Passover, they may well have been trying to avoid an eruption of violence, even when provoked. No wonder, then, that the Lord admonished Peter: Put up thy sword into the sheath (John 18:11). Detail of Fra Angelico, "Arrest of Christ" And he touched his ear, and healed him" (Luke 22:50-51). One disciple (John says Peter) pulls a sword and cuts off the ear of one of the guards. southern kingdom, is valuable to me. If you are looking for me, then let these men go. 9This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: I have not lost one of those you gave me., 10Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priests servant, cutting off his right ear. The simple answer is that Jesus is God, and God can do anything that can be done (and that is in accordance with His nature). a role which is not exclusive to only one person, then However, Peter was not willing to let his Master be hauled off without a fight. Because another excludes it doesn't mean that it is false. This article is a Bible study on John 18:10-11 and Luke 22:49-51. Maccabean, the Roman conquest, then to bar Kochbas been explored in a way which incorporates Hellenism as a strong The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Water Into Wine (Part One), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Water Into Wine (Part Two), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Nobleman's Son, The Miracles of Jesus Christ: The Great Catch of Fish, The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Exorcism in the Synagogue, The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing Peter's Mother-in-Law, The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Leper (Part One), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Leper (Part Two), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Leper (Part Three), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Paralytic (Part One), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Paralytic (Part Two), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Cripple by a Pool (Part One), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Cripple by a Pool (Part Two), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Cripple by a Pool (Part Three), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Withered Hand (Part One), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Withered Hand (Part Two), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Centurion's Servant (Part One), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Centurion's Servant (Part Two), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Centurion's Servant (Part Three), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Raising a Widow's Son, The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Stilling a Storm, The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Two Demon-Possessed Men Healed (Part One), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Two-Demon Possessed Men Healed (Part Two), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Two Demon-Possessed Men Healed (Part Three), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Woman With a Flow of Blood, The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Resurrecting Jairus' Daughter, The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing Two Blind Men (Part One), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing Two Blind Men (Part Two), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Feeding the Five Thousand (Part One), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Feeding the Five Thousand (Part Two), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Walking on the Water (Part One), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Walking On Water (Part Two), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Exorcising a Syro-Phoenecian (Part One), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Exorcising a Syro-Phoenician (Part Two), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Deaf-Mute (Part One), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Deaf-Mute (Part Two), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Feeding the Four Thousand, The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing the Blind Man from Bethsaida, The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Exorcising a Young Boy (Part One), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Exorcising a Young Boy (Part Two), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: The Coin in the Fish's Mouth, The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Man Born Blind (Part One), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Man Born Blind (Part Two), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Man Born Blind (Part Three), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Stooped Woman (Part One), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Stooped Woman (Part Two), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing a Man With Dropsy, The Miracles of Jesus Christ: The Resurrection of Lazarus (Part One), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: The Resurrection of Lazarus (Part Two), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Ten Lepers Healed, The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing Blind Bartimaeus, The Miracles of Jesus Christ: The Withering of a Fig Tree, The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing Malchus' Ear (Part Two), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: A Second Large Catch of Fish (Part One), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: A Second Large Catch of Fish (Part Two), The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing Malchus' Ear (Part One). yet Jesus heals him. Free What does the name Annas mean? By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Index:Kritik der Evangelien und Geschichte ihres Ursprungs, Erster BandClaremont.djvu Index:Kritik der Evangelien und Geschichte ihres Ursprungs,, After a little more tinkering I believe I have found that my main problem has been getting a clear enough. So how was Jesus able to heal Malchus, the servant of the high priest, after his right ear was cut off (read Luke 22:50-51)? Presenting the ear as evidence wouldve been considered an unclean act and would have been a violation of temple rules as bringing in this type of uncleanliness into the High Priests or even to the Roman court of Pilate would instantly convey disrespect to all of them, thereby disemboweling the case against Jesus. Trying to protect Jesus, Peter drew a sword and attacked a man named Malchus, the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. promoted over any subsequent copies in koine Greek? Christ had just said in Peters hearing: Let these go their way (John 18:8). God is the head. Maybe he added it because it appealed to his line of work, and was fascinating to him. "Not so with you," Jesus Christ possessed all the power to serveto heal and to bring peaceyet He was seized and bound to suppress His good works. And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. "Now go! What happened to the soldier that Jesus healed his ear? Malchus lost his ear. Do you have any thoughts about that? The ear is there However, I am not defending a PhD. He must get Good points. So Malchus was on the wrong side of historythe losing side. Malchus reaches up to feel his head. However, while John doesn't give us this information, the other gospels tell us that Jesus quickly told Peter, "Enough!" and went to Malchus, touching his ear and healing it. (Except in John, which has the riot in the wrong place. Do not put this on a website. And he touched his ear, and healed him. The disciples are the rocky soil who fall away in the face of persecution (as prophesied) and Jesus is found to be with the lestes or rebels from arrest to the crucifixion. telling me he was a Hellenized Jew, which in context to the On the day of Pentecost, alone, he showed that the sword of the kingdom is a spiritual sword. He is all we need to be free. The servant's name was Malchus" (John 18:10). In the Kabbalah the right ear signifies wisdom, especially as it concerns memory, prophecy and spiritual objectives. Jesus has commanded them to refrain from violence as a demonstration that his kingdom is not of this world. In fact, Godfrey is extremely well read and his librarian skills have brought many important academic works to my attention. 48 And Jesus said to them, . Malchus' experience shows us that Christ loves all men. So Peter cut his ear off, yet Jesus healed him. reflects Malchus. There is very little written about Jesus' early life. Jesus picked up the ear and healed Malchus, rebuking Peter for his misplaced zeal. "No more of this!" Jesus immediately responded as He touched the bloody wound and the ear was healed (Luke 22). Nay, this very It reflects well on you. Surely, I am lost, says Malchus. out of one mouth, this becomes a very great demonstration of the "How Christ had come to the garden of Gethsemane to pray. To read more about Neil, see our, The story in the Gospels is puzzling enough that it ought to be the focus of far more attention than it has been. Peter's blow was sufficient to cut . Malchus, a high priest's servant, has his ear severed by Peter during the arrest of Jesus, but after Jesus heals him, Malchus' hatred and rejection of Jesus disappear. Why is the healing of Malchus ear only found in the Gospel of Luke? We are in His image. Now that makes excellent poetic sense to me. Was not Luke a physician? To show that Jesus was a lover of his enemies, and not just another bandit who planned to overthrow Rome and failed. (There may additionally be some allusions to the Jewish War of 66-70+ but thats another discussion. Judas. A place where magic is studied and practiced? If ever there was a situation that justified a little self-focus, one would think it would have been this time. 46 And they laid hands on him and seized him. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) (The servant's name was Malchus.) It is whole, undamaged, Pain ceases, and the flickering light of Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. After an agonizing night in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus was fully committed and prepared to face the physical and spiritual torment that waited for him. for in many places they are convicted of discordance. And it was Luke alone who told us that Jesus healed Malchus' severed ear. INTERPRETATION. He was not armed. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God (2 Cor. John 18:10 tells us that Peter is the one who strikes with his sword. I am not familiar with current studies in Second Temple Judaism but I was intrigued to read Daniel Boyarim saying that most scholars of early Judaism now see it as a Hellenistic religion. What a blessing that Peter could continue as a servant of the real High Priest, Jesus, proclaiming His love and mercy to those enslaved to sin and formal religion. If a law is new but its interpretation is vague, can the courts directly ask the drafters the intent and official interpretation of their law? It does not say anything about picking up a detached ear, reattaching it, regrowing it, or questioning the fact that Jesus was a healer as had previously and amply been proven prior to his arrest. . Comment: The suddenness of Peters reaction reveals a lack of forethought and patience. Interesting. breach of the peace . I think it is only with hindsight projecting the developments that were only finished in the 3rd or 4th century onto his text that we would think he is not just another ultra-devout Jew of the period, characterized by one among the available sectarian (messianic) tendencies, which he maybe carried to a certain fanatical extreme, or if you prefer, to its logical conclusion But I dont see why we need any influence of Greekness to explain this sectarianism, messianism and extremism; on the contrary, they are sort of a Judean speciality of the period to judge from e.g. In fact, Malchus takes pride in being servant to the Copy. Luke 22:47-51 Also read: Matthew 26:51-54, Mark 14:44-47, John 18:10-11. me to accept as a definitive correction; I think He should have taken this as a cue that what was going to happen would not involve him, but instead of getting out of the way, Peter got in the way. "Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who fro the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. possession of a deadly weapon Holy Mary, Mother of God and my Mother, show Jesus to me now, and let me study thy divine Son to the salvation of my soul. According to the Bible, one of the disciples, Simon Peter, being armed with a sword, cut off the servant's ear in an . All rights reserved. Here is the scene from the Gospel of John chapter 18 (NIV): 3So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. Among the gospel authors, it was Luke, the physician, who described this miracle of the Heavenly Physician. who is considered Hellenized. He must run to report what had happened. This shames us all! I don't say this with irreverence; I simply don't know how Jesus healed him. think about the equivocation of anointed one, as Only John mentions Peter by name as the disciple who had drawn his sword and wounded Malchus. This story was told by different people writing there own words and emphasizing on specific events. Perhaps in the dim light the man named Malchus saw the shining blade coming his way and, throwing his weight to one side, survived the attack. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. 4-7). The arrest did not take Jesus by surprise. Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically. Jerome, De viris inlustribus 2, in The Other Gospels: Non-Canonical Gospel Texts, ed. a dynamic background. He cannot forget the hand on b) Nicodemus. In Luke 8, why didn't Christ instruct the woman to appear before the priest? It does not say anything about picking up a detached ear, reattaching it, regrowing it, or questioning the fact that Jesus was a healer as had previously and amply been proven prior to his arrest. Recall in chapter 6:14-15 Jesus fled from the crowd when he learned they wanted to make him king. ), 36 Jesus said, My kingdom is not of this world. From most posts, it was obvious this was not a religious site, per se. What can a lawyer do if the client wants him to be acquitted of everything despite serious evidence? In Luke 22:50,51 - And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. Is there any legitimate reason given by scholars as to why Luke uniquely adds the account of Jesus healing the ear of Malchus after it being severed off? There can be no doubt that his views on all things are much closer to those of saints of the later rabbinical tradition like Gamaliel than to those prevailing in the Alexandrian avant garde. . Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise http://vridar.org/2013/12/11/the-devils-father-and-gnostic-hints-in-the-gospel-of-john/, 10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priests servant, cutting off his right ear. the narrow streets to Golgotha, just outside the city. Sometimes they will also give a different bent to the same story. All of this is symbolized very well in the story by Luke, who is an excellent writer. In Biblical Names the meaning of the name Annas is: One who answers; humble. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023. This oversight has been corrected. There are several references to OT. Matthew 26:51-54. We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. The man they call "the ear of Caiaphas" is However, as he follows orders and joins the group heading to arrest Jesus . Is it correct to use "the" before "materials used in making buildings are"? I realized that I hadnt added your blog to our blogroll. This healing was the last miracle that Jesus performed before going to the cross to sacrifice himself for the sins of the world, the Bible says. cross, his body and face mutilated almost beyond recognition. Secondly, he would swing his sword horizontally (side to side). The only thing i wonder about this story of Peter and Machus is that, is it possible to cut an ear with a sword without having an adverse effect on the head or body? incognito, ear open for a seditious comment he can report back to You got me bang to rights. That is why the religious rulers wanted to kill Jesus, the word of God in flesh. In my book, The Two Gospels of Mark: Performance and Text, I propose that the cutting of the ear has dramatic consequences later in the play. Jesus is kneeling before him, right hand reader would be able to harmonize their content with known historical facts. Its very random in my experience. . Does he? And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. Jesus reprimanded the violence, immediately dropped to his knees and miraculously healed the servant's ear. ", Earl Doherty, November 2013 (personal email), "I want to say here that this site is so resourceful and highly on top of the most modern scholarship in the areas discussed here. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. They bound him 13and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. As far as I am concerned, this episode screams fiction more loudly than anything else. But I have often been impressed with their grasp of logic and analysis of scholarship. All rulers want to flex their muscles and make others jump The blade has One of the servants of the high priest (a kinsman to him whose ear . d) Andrew and Peter. If so, I would think that this detail would be more significant to him. Musings on biblical studies, politics, religion, ethics, human nature, tidbits from science. One of the Lords disciples reached for his sword and pulled it out of its sheath. c) James and Judas. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.. Ive always wondered if it was really Simon the Zealot who cut off the ear rather than Simon Peter. Also, if the early dating of Pauls epistles are an indication of very Christians are prohibited from praying in many government buildings or at public gatherings and are sometimes prevented from speaking the truth because mans laws have, in effect, seized and bound such activity. People are no better today. Peter had boasted earlier that he would remain faithful to Christ even if the others were to stumble (Matthew 26:33). Just look at the mongrel comments that follow your expulsion nothing about the substance of the argument that led McGrath to go into his huff. They had come from the chief priest to arrest Him. 18 clears up what happens when we trade religion, for a relationship with the Father. One disciple flashes a The Father is limitless. [Biblical Creation Accounts/Platos Timaeus-Critias 8], Two Covenants: Israel and Atlantis [Biblical Creation Accounts/Platos Timaeus-Critias 7f], When Yahweh was at Peace with Other Gods [Biblical Creation Accounts/Platos Timaeus-Critias 7e], Table of Nations and other Post Flood events [Biblical Creation Accounts/Platos Timaeus-Critias 7d]. The reason for this letter, is to give a very accurate account of what Jesus said and did. Compare the later scene where he breaks the commandment by tearing his robes (Leviticus 21). with no piercing. It must have happened quickly. For what glory is it, if when ye be buffeted for your faults ye shall take it patiently? They cart the lot down to the nick. I did not intend to write such a long comment, but I think I can reel But one of them actually seeing it; Thats different. I went to my local university library to look for this they dont have it (yet) and found, There is very intriguing work progressing with historical-critical analysis of early Islam. What happened when Peter cut off the ear? Why does the heart of a disciple still often continue to have such difficulty with the way of suffering both Christs suffering and his own? Someone who is a Christian has acted toward you in a way that caused you harm. Malchus hasn't been a boy for years, but he is in no position If the ear was not healed, do you really think that it would not have been used against him? Who is Malchus and what can we learn from his experience with Christ? you looking for?" That is a valid option. I bet he heard twice as good after that. This servant, Malchus, is named in John's Gospel, although he is unknown to us. 6When Jesus said, I am he, they drew back and fell to the ground. There is for sure nothing hellenistic about the Acropolis! It was me wot, They say that only Jesus was arrested, because he asked the police to let the rest go. not a bad shot either er cut. Compare and contrast both lines of service. Earlier, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter had failed to watch and pray as Christ had told him to do. Who was the high priest when Jesus was crucified? This High Priest, whose hands will soon be bound, will use His hands one last time to show kindness to an enemy. Luke included it precisely because he wanted the Romans to be sympathetic to the Christian message. Jesus is standing, somehow calm amidst the confusion. a) Matthew and James. Compare also what he said in verses 33 and 60. Your voice is unique. So he touched the wounded man's ear and healed him. He ruled in a world with a relationship to the Father. a historical figure in their cultural habitat in terms of societal relationships. Perhaps none or very few of the rest of them were armed. How to notate a grace note at the start of a bar with lilypond? makes more sense (to me atleast) to use Hellenism as a guiding Meanwhile, the healed ear of Malchus was a testimony to Peter of Christs healing power through His dying and rising. thing is a very great evidence of their truth. His touch tenderly yet powerfully restored the tissues, muscles, and nerves, bringing healing to Malchus. It is part of the need of the suffering Messiah. assaulting a police officer Luke points out that it is just a piece of the right ear. And He touched his ear and healed him.". If you are looking for me, then let these men go." 9 This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: "I have not lost one of those you gave me.". Homily I on the Gospel According to St. Matthew. So Malchus was on the wrong side of historythe losing side. help you, Malchus?". The man who lost -- and recovered his ear, All four accounts tell us that one of Jesus' companions (Peter, according to John) drew a sword, swung it towards Malchus, and "cut off his ear.".