Good News Translation, together with Moffatt, Revised Standard Version, and New American Bible, includes the first part of this verse in parentheses, indicating that it is a comment by the Gospel writer. Such explanatory comments are characteristic of Johannine style.

Neither Jesus nor Peter is mentioned by name in the Greek text. Most translations make only the mention of Peter explicit.

The way in which Peter would die and bring glory to God is more literally “by what kind of death he would glorify God.” Good News Translation avoids the archaism “glorify” by translating bring glory to (Goodspeed, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “honor”). One may also translate “Jesus was showing how Peter was going to die and in this way honor God” or “… show how glorious God is.”

Then Jesus said to him is literally “And having said this, he says to him.” Good News Translation renders the force of “having said this” by then and makes the reference to Jesus explicit.

In the context follow means not only “follow as a disciple” but also “follow in death.” However, this extended meaning should not be made explicit in translation. One may say “adhere to me as a follower.” Terms meaning “track down” or “come up behind” should be avoided, since they do not express the point of the metaphor.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .