EasyEnglish Bible 2018
John 21:23
23At that time, people began to talk about these words that Jesus had said. Some disciples thought that Jesus meant that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say, ‘He will not die.’ Instead, he said to Peter, ‘Perhaps I might want him to live until I return to this earth. But that should not matter to you.’
John 21:23 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?
- New International Version (NIV)Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”
- English Standard Version (ESV)So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?”
Context of John 21:23
21When Peter saw him, he asked Jesus, ‘Lord, what will happen to him?’ 22Jesus answered him, ‘Perhaps I might want him to live until I return to this earth. But that should not matter to you. You must follow me!’ At that time, people began to talk about these words that Jesus had said. Some disciples thought that Jesus meant that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say, ‘He will not die.’ Instead, he said to Peter, ‘Perhaps I might want him to live until I return to this earth. But that should not matter to you.’ 24I am the disciple who saw these things. I am the one who wrote them down. We all know that what I have written about them is true. 25Jesus also did many other things. If people wrote about all those things, there would be very many books. I do not think that the whole world would have enough room for all those books.
Read all of John 21John 21:23 word by word
Ἐξῆλθεν οὖν οὗτος ὁ λόγος εἰς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ὅτι ὁ μαθητὴς ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἀποθνῄσκει· οὐκ εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὅτι οὐκ ἀποθνῄσκει, ἀλλ᾽ ἐὰν αὐτὸν θέλω μένειν ἕως ἔρχομαι, τί πρὸς σέ;Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- wentἐξέρχομαιexerchomai · to go outG1831
- thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- sayingὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- sayingλόγοςlogos · wordG3056
- amongεἰςeis · towardG1519
- the brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- thatἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
- discipleμαθητήςmathētēs · discipleG3101
- shouldἀποθνήσκωapothnēskō · to dieG599
- notοὐou · noG3756
- yetκαίkai · andG2532
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- unto himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- butἀλλάalla · butG235
- Ifἐάνean · ifG1437
- I will thatθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
- tarryμένωmenō · to stayG3306
- tillἕωςheōs · untilG2193
- I comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
- whatτίςtis · which?G5101
- toπρόςpros · to/withG4314
- theeσύsu · youG4771
Cross-references for John 21:23
- Deuteronomy 29:29Some secret things belong to the Lord our God. He does not let us understand everything. But he has shown us many things clearly. Those things belong to us and to our descendants for all time. They are the words of his Law that we need to obey.
- Job 28:28God said this to us humans: “If you want to be wise, learn to respect the Lord with fear. If you want to understand things properly, turn away from evil acts.” ’
- Job 33:13So you should not argue against him. You should not say, “God does not answer any of my questions.”
- Daniel 4:35All the people on the earth seem like nothing to him. He does whatever he wants among the angels in heaven, and among the people on the earth too. Nobody can stop him. Nobody can ask him, ‘Why are you doing that?’
Commentaries on John 21:23
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23Then went this saying - This mistake arose very naturally: 1.From the words of Jesus, which might be easily misunderstood to mean that he should not die; and, 2.It was probably confirmed when it was seen that John survived all the other apostles, had escaped all the dangers of persecution, and was leading a peaceful life at Ephesus. This mistake John deemed it proper to correct before he died, and has thus left on record what Jesus said and what he…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-24Verses 20-24 Sufferings, pains, and death, will appear formidable even to the experienced Christian; but in the hope to glorify God, to leave a sinful world, and to be present with his Lord, he becomes ready to obey the Redeemer's call, and to follow Him through death to glory. It is the will of Christ that his disciples should mind their own duty, and not be curious about future events, either as to themselves or others. Many things we are apt to be…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23What Jesus said to Peter spread, causing some to conclude that John would not die until Jesus returned in his second coming. What Jesus said when he rebuked Peter (21:22) is repeated to answer that rumor. Those among the community of believers who believed this rumor were thus instructed to abandon any guessing about what would happen to John. According to tradition, John died peacefully in Ephesus at an old age, surrounded by fellow believers.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22-2322-23. Jesus saith to him, If I will that he tarry fill I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me--From the fact that John alone of the Twelve survived the destruction of Jerusalem, and so witnessed the commencement of that series of events which belongs to "the last days," many good interpreters think that this is a virtual prediction of fact, and not a mere supposition. But this is very doubtful, and it seems more natural to consider our Lord as…Read the comment
Topics related to John 21:23
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on John 21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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