Yohanes 21:7

21:7 Then the disciple whom ¹  Jesus loved ²  said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” So Simon Peter, when he heard that it was the Lord, tucked in his outer garment (for he had nothing on underneath it), ³  and plunged ⁴  into the sea.

Yohanes 21:20-24

Peter and the Disciple Jesus Loved

21:20 Peter turned around and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them. ⁵  (This was the disciple ⁶  who had leaned back against Jesus’ ⁷  chest at the meal and asked, ⁸  “Lord, who is the one who is going to betray you?”) ⁹  21:21 So when Peter saw him, ¹⁰  he asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” 21:22 Jesus replied, ¹¹  “If I want him to live ¹²  until I come back, ¹³  what concern is that of yours? You follow me!” 21:23 So the saying circulated ¹⁴  among the brothers and sisters ¹⁵  that this disciple was not going to die. But Jesus did not say to him that he was not going to die, but rather, “If I want him to live ¹⁶  until I come back, ¹⁷  what concern is that of yours?”

A Final Note

21:24 This is the disciple who testifies about these things and has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

[21:7]  ¹ tn Grk “the disciple, that one whom.”

[21:7]  ² sn On the disciple whom Jesus loved see 13:23-26.

[21:7]  ³ tn Grk “for he was naked.” Peter’s behavior here has been puzzling to many interpreters. It is usually understood that the Greek word γυμνός (gumnos, usually translated “naked”) does not refer to complete nudity (as it could), since this would have been offensive to Jewish sensibilities in this historical context. It is thus commonly understood to mean “stripped for work” here (cf. NASB, NLT), that is, with one’s outer clothing removed, and Peter was wearing either a loincloth or a loose-fitting tunic (a long shirt-like garment worn under a cloak, cf. NAB, “for he was lightly clad”). Believing himself inadequately dressed to greet the Lord, Peter threw his outer garment around himself and dived into the sea. C. K. Barrett (St. John, 580-81) offered the explanation that a greeting was a religious act and thus could not be performed unless one was clothed. This still leaves the improbable picture of a person with much experience around the water putting on his outer garment before diving in. R. E. Brown’s suggestion (John [AB], 2:1072) seems much more probable here: The Greek verb used (διαζώννυμι, diazwnnumi) does not necessarily mean putting clothing on, but rather tying the clothing around oneself (the same verb is used in 13:4-5 of Jesus tying the towel around himself). The statement that Peter was “naked” could just as well mean that he was naked underneath the outer garment, and thus could not take it off before jumping into the water. But he did pause to tuck it up and tie it with the girdle before jumping in, to allow himself more freedom of movement. Thus the clause that states Peter was naked is explanatory (note the use of for), explaining why Peter girded up his outer garment rather than taking it off – he had nothing on underneath it and so could not remove it.

[21:7]  sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[21:7]  ⁴ tn Grk “threw himself.”

[21:20]  ⁵ tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[21:20]  ⁶ tn The words “This was the disciple” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied for clarity.

[21:20]  ⁷ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:20]  ⁸ tn Grk “and said.”

[21:20]  ⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[21:21]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “saw this one.”

[21:22]  ¹¹ tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”

[21:22]  ¹² tn Grk “to stay” or “to remain”; but since longevity is the issue in the context, “to live” conveys the idea more clearly.

[21:22]  ¹³ tn The word “back” is supplied to clarify the meaning.

[21:23]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “went out.”

[21:23]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “the brothers,” but here the term refers to more than just the immediate disciples of Jesus (as it does in 20:17). Here, as R. E. Brown notes (John [AB], 2:1110), it refers to Christians of the Johannine community (which would include both men and women).

[21:23]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “to stay” or “to remain”; but since longevity is the issue in the context, “to live” conveys the idea more clearly.

[21:23]  ¹⁷ tn The word “back” is supplied to clarify the meaning.