For speakers of American English porch implies a floor, usually with a roof, attached to the outside of a building at a doorway; the meaning is more accurately “gateway” (New English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version) or “entrance of the courtyard” (Good News Translation). Mark (14.68) employs a slightly different word, which Revised Standard Version there translates “gateway” (footnote “fore-court”).

Whereas Matthew indicates that another maid (Good News Translation “Another servant girl”) asked him the second time, Mark indicates that it was the same servant girl who had asked the previous question.

The second servant girl does not address Peter as the first girl had done; instead she makes her remarks to the bystanders (Good News Translation “to the men there”). “To the people there” may be better.

This man was with Jesus of Nazareth may need to be translated “He was with that man Jesus from the town of Nazareth.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .