God’s Word Translation
John 21:15
15After they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than the other disciples do?” Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus told him, “Feed my lambs.”
John 21:15 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
- New International Version (NIV)When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs."
- New King James Version (NKJV)So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
Context of John 21:15
13Jesus took the bread, gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14This was the third time that Jesus showed himself to the disciples after he had come back to life. After they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than the other disciples do?” Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus told him, “Feed my lambs.” 16Jesus asked him again, a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus told him, “Take care of my sheep.” 17Jesus asked him a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt sad because Jesus had asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” So Peter said to him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus told him, “Feed my sheep.
Read all of John 21John 21:15 word by word
Ὅτε οὖν ἠρίστησαν, λέγει τῷ Σίμωνι Πέτρῳ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Σίμων Ἰωάννου, ἀγαπᾷς με πλέον τούτων; λέγει αὐτῷ· ναὶ κύριε, σὺ οἶδας ὅτι φιλῶ σε. λέγει αὐτῷ· βόσκε τὰ ἀρνία μου.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Soοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
- whenὅτεhote ho te hē te tō te · whenG3753
- they had dinedἀριστάωaristaō · to eat early mealG709
- Jesusὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
- to SimonΣίμωνSimōn · SimonG4613
- PeterΠέτροςPetros · PeterG4074
- of JonasἸωνᾶςIōnas · JohnG2495
- lovest thouἀγαπάωagapaō · to loveG25
- meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- more thanπλείων, πλεῖονpleiōn pleion pleon · greaterG4119
- theseοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- unto himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- Yeaναίnai · yesG3483
- Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
- thouσύsu · youG4771
- knowestεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- I loveφιλέωphileō · to loveG5368
- Feedβόσκωboskō · to feedG1006
- lambsἀρνίονarnion · lambG721
Cross-references for John 21:15
- John 21:16Jesus asked him again, a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus told him, “Take care of my sheep.”
- John 1:42Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at Simon and said, “You are Simon, son of John. Your name will be Cephas” (which means “Peter”).
- Matthew 16:17Jesus replied, “Simon, son of Jonah, you are blessed! No human revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven revealed it to you.
- John 8:42Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me. After all, I’m here, and I came from God. I didn’t come on my own. Instead, God sent me.
- John 14:15“If you love me, you will obey my commandments.
- John 16:27The Father loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.
- Matthew 10:37“The person who loves his father or mother more than me does not deserve to be my disciple. The person who loves a son or daughter more than me does not deserve to be my disciple.
- Matthew 25:34“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, my Father has blessed you! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.
- 1 Corinthians 16:21I, Paul, am writing this greeting with my own hand.
- 2 Corinthians 5:14Clearly, Christ’s love guides us. We are convinced of the fact that one man has died for all people. Therefore, all people have died.
- Galatians 5:6As far as our relationship to Christ Jesus is concerned, it doesn’t matter whether we are circumcised or not. But what matters is a faith that expresses itself through love.
- Ephesians 6:24His favor is with everyone who has an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.
- 1 Peter 1:8Although you have never seen Christ, you love him. You don’t see him now, but you believe in him. You are extremely happy with joy and praise that can hardly be expressed in words
- 1 John 4:19We love because God loved us first.
- 1 John 5:1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah has been born from God. Everyone who loves the Father also loves his children.
- John 21:7The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put back on the clothes that he had taken off and jumped into the sea.
Commentaries on John 21:15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Simon lovest thou me - Peter had thrice denied his Lord, and now Christ gives him an opportunity in some measure to repair his fault by a triple confession. More than these? - This was a kind of reproach to Peter: he had professed a more affectionate attachment to Christ than the rest; he had been more forward in making professions of friendship and love than any of the others; and no one (Judas excepted) had treated his Lord so basely. As he had before…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Lovest thou me more than these? - There is a slight ambiguity here in the original, as there is in our translation. The word these may be in the neuter gender, and refer to these things his boat, his fishing utensils, and his employments; or it may be in the masculine, and refer to the apostles. In the former sense it would mean, “Lovest thou me more than thou lovest these objects? Art thou now willing, from love to me, to forsake all these, and go and…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-19Verses 15-19 Our Lord addressed Peter by his original name, as if he had forfeited that of Peter through his denying him. He now answered, Thou knowest that I love thee; but without professing to love Jesus more than others. We must not be surprised to have our sincerity called into question, when we ourselves have done that which makes it doubtful. Every remembrance of past sins, even pardoned sins, renews the sorrow of a true penitent. Conscious of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15more than these? (Or more than these others do?): Jesus reminded Peter of his claim to be more faithful and brave than the others (13:37; Matthew 26:33; Mark 14:29). He was urging Peter to examine himself.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1715-17. when they had dined, Jesus saith--Silence appears to have reigned during the meal; unbroken on His part, that by their mute observation of Him they might have their assurance of His identity the more confirmed; and on theirs, from reverential shrinking to speak till He did. Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?--referring lovingly to those sad words of Peter, shortly before denying his Lord, "Though all men shall be offended because…Read the comment
Topics related to John 21:15
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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