John 21:19

John 21:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.
• New International Version (NIV)Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
• English Standard Version (ESV)(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, "Follow me."
• New King James Version (NKJV)This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”

Context of John 21:19

17He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep. 18Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me!” 20Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” 21So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?”

John 21:19 word by word

τοῦτο δὲ εἶπεν σημαίνων ποίῳ θανάτῳ δοξάσει τὸν θεόν. καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν λέγει αὐτῷ· ἀκολούθει μοι.¶Read the interlinear

• Nowδέde · thenG1161
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• He saidλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• signifyingσημαίνωsēmainō · to signifyG4591
• whatποῖοςpoios · what?G4169
• of deathθάνατοςthanatos · deathG2288
• he would glorifyδοξάζωdoxazō · to glorifyG1392
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• And when He had spokenλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Followἀκολουθέωakoloutheō · to followG190

Cross-references for John 21:19

• Philippians 1:20according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
• 1 Peter 4:11Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
• 2 Peter 1:14knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.
• John 21:22Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”
• John 12:26If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
• John 13:36Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered, “Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later.”
• Numbers 14:24But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it.
• 1 Samuel 12:20Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.
• Matthew 10:38And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
• Matthew 16:21From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.
• Matthew 19:28And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
• Mark 8:33But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”
• Luke 9:22saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”

Commentaries on John 21:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19Should glorify God - Ancient writers state that, about thirty-four years after this, Peter was crucified; and that he deemed it so glorious a thing to die for Christ that he begged to be crucified with his head downwards, not considering himself worthy to die in the same posture in which his Lord did. So Eusebius, Prudentius, Chrysostom, and Augustin. See Calmet. Follow me - Whether our Lord meant by these words that Peter was to walk with him a little…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19By what death … - In these words two things are implied: 1.that Peter would die a violent death; and, 2.that his death would be such as to honor God. The ancients say that Peter was crucified at Rome, about 34 years after this, with his head downward. Clemens says that he was led to the crucifixion with his wife, and sustained her in her sufferings by exhorting her to remember the example of her Lord. He also adds that he died, not as the philosophers…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. 19The rest of Peter’s life was a ministry tending the flock of God, and his martyrdom was a kind of death that glorifies God. Follow me: This might require suffering and death (see 13:16; 15:18–21).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-1918-19. When thou wast young--embracing the whole period of life to the verge of old age. thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest--wast thine own master. when ... old thou shalt stretch forth thine hands--to be bound for execution, though not necessarily meaning on a cross. There is no reason, however, to doubt the very early tradition that Peter's death was by crucifixion.Read the comment

Topics related to John 21:19

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Apostles
• Discipleship
• Glorifying God
• Jesus Continued
• Peter

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Dare
• Galilee, Sea of
• Peter
• Body, Spiritual
• Jesus Christ
• Mark, the Gospel According to
• Persecution
• Peter, Simon

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