John 21:17

He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
saith	λέγει legei	G3004	properly · verb — present active indicative, 3rd person singular
him	αὐτῷ autō	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — dative singular masculine
time	τρίτον· triton	G5154	third · adjective — accusative singular neuter
Simon	Σίμων Simōn	G4613	Simon (i.e. Shimon) · noun — vocative singular masculine, a proper name
of Jonas	Ἰωνᾶς Iōnâs	G2495	Jonas (i.e. Jonah)
lovest thou	φιλεῖς phileis	G5368	to be a friend to (fond of (an individual or an object)) · verb — present active indicative, 2nd person singular
me	με; me	G3165	me · personal pronoun — 1st person accusative singular
Peter	Πέτρος Petros	G4074	a (piece of) rock (larger than G3037 (λίθος)) · noun — nominative singular masculine, a proper name
grieved	ἐλυπήθη elupēthē	G3076	to distress · verb — aorist passive indicative, 3rd person singular
because	ὅτι hoti	G3754	demonstrative · conjunction
said	εἶπεν eipen	G2036	to speak or say (by word or writing) · verb — second aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
him	αὐτῷ autō	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — dative singular masculine
time	τρίτον· triton	G5154	third · adjective — accusative singular neuter
thou	φιλεῖς phileis	G5368	to be a friend to (fond of (an individual or an object)) · verb — present active indicative, 2nd person singular
me	με; me	G3165	me · personal pronoun — 1st person accusative singular
And	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
said	ἔπω épō	G2036	to speak or say (by word or writing)
him	αὐτῷ· autō	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — dative singular masculine
Lord	κύριε, kurie	G2962	supreme in authority · noun — vocative singular masculine, a title
thou	σὺ su	G4771	thou · personal pronoun — 2nd person nominative singular
knowest	εἴδω eídō	G1492	used only in certain past tenses
things	πάντα panta	G3956	all · adjective — accusative plural neuter
thou	σὺ su	G4771	thou · personal pronoun — 2nd person nominative singular
knowest	γινώσκεις ginōskeis	G1097	to "know" (absolutely) in a great variety of applicatio… · verb — present active indicative, 2nd person singular
that	ὅτι hoti	G3754	demonstrative · conjunction
love	φιλῶ philō	G5368	to be a friend to (fond of (an individual or an object)) · verb — present active indicative, 1st person singular
thee	σέ sé	G4571	thee
Jesus	Ἰησοῦς· Iēsous	G2424	Jesus (i.e. Jehoshua) · noun — nominative singular masculine, a proper name
saith	λέγει legei	G3004	properly · verb — present active indicative, 3rd person singular
him	αὐτῷ autō	G846	the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — dative singular masculine
Feed	βόσκε boske	G1006	to pasture · verb — present active imperative, 2nd person singular
my	μοῦ moû	G3450	of me
sheep	πρόβατά probata	G4263	something that walks forward (a quadruped) · noun — accusative plural neuter

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

John 13:38 Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied…
Mark 14:72 And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny m…
John 16:30 Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from G…
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
John 21:15-16 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…
John 18:27 Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew.
Acts 15:8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 21:15-19

We have here Christ's discourse with Peter after dinner, so much of it as relates to himself, in which, I. He examines his love to him, and gives him a charge concerning his flock, Joh 21:15-17. Observe, 1. When Christ entered into this discourse with Peter. - It was after they had dined: they had all eaten, and were filled, and, it is probable, were entertained with such edifying discourse as our Lord Jesus used to make his table-talk. Christ foresaw that what he had to say to Peter would give him some uneasiness, and therefore would not say it till they had dined, because he would not spoil his dinner. Peter was conscious to himself that he had incurred his Master's displeasure, and could…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 21:17

He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said the third time, &c.--This was the Physician's deepest incision into the wound, while yet smarting under the two former probings. Not till now would Peter discern the object of this succession of thrusts. The third time reveals it all, bringing up such a rush of dreadful recollections before his view, of his "thrice denying that he knew Him," that he feels it to the quick. It was fitting that he should; it was meant that he should. But this accomplished, the painful dialogue concludes with a delightful "Feed My sheep"; as if He should say, "Now, Simon, the last speck of the cloud which ove…

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Adam Clarke on John 21:17

Peter was grieved - Fearing, says St. Chrysostom, lest Christ saw something in his heart which he saw not himself, and which might lead to another fall; and that Christ was about to tell him of it, as he had before predicted his denial.

John Gill on John 21:17

He saith unto him the third time,.... That by these three testimonies, out of his mouth, the thing might be established, and be out of all doubt: Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? is it so indeed that thou lovest me? is thy love really so hearty and sincere as thou savest? may it be depended upon? Peter was grieved, because he said unto him the third time, lovest thou me? because it put him in mind of his having denied his Lord three times; the remembrance of which cut him to the heart and it added to his grief, that his love, which he knew was unfeigned, notwithstanding his conduct, should seem to be suspected: and he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I l…

The Church Fathers

To feed the sheep is to support the believers in Christ from falling from the faith, to provide earthly sustenance for those under us, to preach and exemplify withal our preaching by our lives, to resist adversaries, to correct wanderers.
— Alcuin of York ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

The Savior does not say to him, fast, or keep watch for me. But, since the pastoral care of souls is more worthy and more useful to the community, he entrusts him with this. I, he says, need nothing: feed my sheep, and return to me the love with which I loved you, because I will take your care for them as care devoted to me.
— Theodore of Mopsuestia, COMMENTARY ON JOHN 7.21.17

(de Verb. Dom. serm. 50) He was grieved because he was asked so often by Him Who knew what He asked, and gave the answer. He replies therefore from his inmost heart; Thou knowest that I love Thee. (Tract. cxxiv) He says no more, He only replies what he knew himself; he knew he loved Him; whether any else loved Him he could not tell, as he could not see into another's heart: (non occ.). Jesus saith unto him, Feed My sheep; as if to say, Be it the office of love to feed the Lord's flock, as it was the resolution of fear to deny the Shepherd.
— Augustine of Hippo ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Galilee, Sea of — (Matt. 4:18; 15:29), is mentioned in the Bible under three other names. (1.) In the Old Testament it is called the “sea of Chinnereth” (Num. 34:11; Josh. 12:3; 13:27), as is supposed from its…
John, Gospel of — The genuineness of this Gospel, i.e., the fact that the apostle John was its author, is beyond all reasonable doubt. In recent times, from about 1820, many attempts have been made to impugn its…
Jonas — (1.) Greek form of Jonah (Matt. 12:39, 40, 41, etc.). (2.) The father of the apostles Peter (John 21:15-17) and Andrew; but the reading should be (also in 1:42), as in the Revised Version, “John,”…
Love — This word seems to require explanation only in the case of its use by our Lord in his interview with “Simon, the son of Jonas,” after his resurrection (John 21:16, 17). When our Lord says, “Lovest…
Peter — Originally called Simon (=Simeon, i.e., “hearing”), a very common Jewish name in the New Testament. He was the son of Jona (Matt. 16:17). His mother is nowhere named in Scripture. He had a younger…
Apostles · Commission of — Commission of
Christ Is God · As Omniscient — As Omniscient
Discipleship · Tests of — Tests of
Jonas · 2. Father of Peter — 2. Father of Peter
Love · 9:41; — 9:41;
Love To Christ · Exemplified: Peter — Exemplified: Peter
Minister, Christian · PASTORS — PASTORS

John 21:17

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 21:15-19

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 21:17

Adam Clarke on John 21:17

John Gill on John 21:17

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John 21:17

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on John 21:15-19

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 21:17

Adam Clarke on John 21:17

John Gill on John 21:17

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on John 21:15-19

Tyndale Open Study Notes on John 21:17