Joh 21:1-5 | Clarke | STEP | Jesus shows himself to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias, . The miraculous draught of fishes, . He dines with his disciples, . Questions Peter concerning his love to him, and gives him commission to feed his sheep, . Foretells the manner of Peter's death, , . Peter inquires concerning John, and receives an answer that was afterwards misunderstood, . John's concluding testimony concerning the authenticity of his Gospel, and the end for which it was written, , . Verse 1 Jesus showed himself again - After that our Lord had appeared several times to the women, and to the apostles at Jerusalem, and at the tomb, he bade them go into Galilee, giving them the promise of meeting them there: ; . This promise we find he fulfilled in the way John relates here. This was the seventh appearance of our Lord after the resurrection. Matthew, , has but just mentioned it: of it the rest of the evangelists say nothing, and this is the reason why John gives it so particularly.

John 21:1-5

Introduction

Jesus shows himself to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias, Joh 21:1-5. The miraculous draught of fishes, Joh 21:6-11. He dines with his disciples, Joh 21:12-14. Questions Peter concerning his love to him, and gives him commission to feed his sheep, Joh 21:15-17. Foretells the manner of Peter's death, Joh 21:18, Joh 21:19. Peter inquires concerning John, and receives an answer that was afterwards misunderstood, Joh 21:20-23. John's concluding testimony concerning the authenticity of his Gospel, and the end for which it was written, Joh 21:24, Joh 21:25.

Verse 1

Jesus showed himself again - After that our Lord had appeared several times to the women, and to the apostles at Jerusalem, and at the tomb, he bade them go into Galilee, giving them the promise of meeting them there: Mat 28:7; Mar 16:7. This promise we find he fulfilled in the way John relates here. This was the seventh appearance of our Lord after the resurrection. Matthew, Mat 28:16, has but just mentioned it: of it the rest of the evangelists say nothing, and this is the reason why John gives it so particularly. Verse 3

Peter saith - I go a fishing - Previously to the crucifixion of our Lord, the temporal necessities of himself and his disciples appear to have been supplied by the charity of individuals: Luk 8:3. As it is probable that the scandal of the cross had now shut up this source of support, the disciples, not fully knowing how they were to be employed, purposed to return to their former occupation of fishing, in order to gain a livelihood; and therefore the seven, mentioned Joh 21:2, embarked on the sea of Tiberias, otherwise called the sea of Galilee.

That night they caught nothing - God had so ordered it, that they might be the more struck with the miracle which he afterwards wrought. Verse 4

Knew not that it was Jesus - Probably because it was either not light enough, or he was at too great a distance, or he had assumed another form, as in Mar 16:12; otherwise his person was so remarkable that all his disciples readily knew him when he was at hand: see Joh 21:12. Verse 5

Children - Παιδια, a term of familiarity and affectionate kindness: it is the vocative case plural of παιδιον, which is the diminutive of παις, and literally signifies little children, or beloved children. How the margin has made sirs out of it I cannot conceive.

Any meat - Προσφαγιον from προς, besides, and φαγω, I eat; any thing that is eaten with bread, or such like solid substances, to make the deglutition the more easy: here it evidently means any kind of fish; and our Lord seems to have appeared at first in the character of a person who wished to purchase a part of what they had caught: see the note on Joh 6:9.