On these verses, see comments at verse 15. It should be noted further that the four occurrences of Jesus in the Good News Translation rendering of verses 16 and 17 represent “he” of the Greek text, though some manuscripts have “Jesus” before the command in verse 17. For stylistic reasons, Good News Translation makes the references explicit.

The pronoun you in Peter’s response is emphatic in both instances (you know everything; you know).

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 .

I am telling you the truth is the same formula that was first used in 1.51 (see there), except that you is singular in 21.18.

The verbs rendered you used to get ready and go are in the imperfect tense in Greek, expressing customary action in the past. New American Bible renders “as a young man you fastened your belt and went about as you pleased,” and New American Bible has “when you were young you fastened your belt about you and walked where you chose.” The Greek verb rendered “fastened your belt” expresses the action of putting a girdle around one’s loose, flowing robes before going out into the street or embarking on a journey. Since this practice is unknown to the English reader, Good News Translation renders you used to get ready.

The second part of this verse is more difficult. On the basis of verse 19 it is clear that the reference is to Peter’s death as a Christian martyr. Since the earliest tradition is that Peter was crucified, a number of commentators take you will stretch out your hands as an explicit reference to his crucifixion. Someone else will tie you up would then refer to the binding of a prisoner to lead him off to crucifixion. If this interpretation is valid, the fact that the stretching out of the hands is mentioned first, even though the tying up would be first in chronological order, is explained by the fact that the reference to crucifixion was the central point of the saying. New American Bible says in a note that this verse is “A figurative reference to the crucifixion of Peter.”

Some have argued that verse 18b cannot refer to Peter’s martyrdom, since the verb rendered tie … up (the same verb translated get ready in the first half of the verse) is never used in Greek of tying up a prisoner. If verse 18b cannot refer to Peter’s martyrdom, then, it is suggested, the contrast in the verse is between the alertness of Peter’s youth and the helplessness of his old age; as a young man he was able to get himself ready to go wherever he wished, but when he grows old, he will have to stretch out his hands for someone else to help him dress, and he will be taken where he does not want to go. This interpretation, however, cannot be reconciled with the Gospel writer’s explanation in the following verse: In saying this, Jesus was indicating the way in which Peter would die and bring glory to God.

An intermediate position would be to admit on the basis of verse 19 that verse 18b refers to Peter’s martyrdom but to leave open the question whether an explicit reference to crucifixion is intended by you will stretch out your hands. In an interpretation of verse 18b as a reference to martyrdom the use of zōnnumi (“fasten one’s belt”) to refer to tying up a prisoner would be an extension of its original meaning, allowable for the sake of the parallelism with verse 18a.

A number of translators (Revised Standard Version, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Moffatt, Goodspeed, La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée, Luther, Zürcher Bibel, Phillips) keep the literal sense of “gird” or “dress” in verse 18b. However, others translate on the basis of the context: New American Bible “tie … fast”; New English Bible “bind … fast”; Barclay “bind.”

In some manuscripts the plural “others” is used instead of the singular (someone else). This change may have been made so that the prediction of Peter’s arrest corresponds with the arrest of Jesus, where the plural is used (18.12). A plural may be preferable in 21.18 on translational grounds, but it may be better in some languages to use a passive construction: “you will be taken where you don’t want to go.” One may also say “people will lead you off where you do not want to go” or “… will cause you to go where you do not want to go.”

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 .

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 .

Saw behind him that other disciple, whom Jesus loved is more literally “sees the disciple whom Jesus loved following.” Although the verb “to follow” usually has the sense “to follow as a disciple,” the focus here seems to be on its literal meaning, “coming up behind.” Peter and Jesus are walking together, with the disciple whom Jesus loved following behind them.

The second half of this verse, another explanatory comment, alludes to the question asked at the Last Supper by the disciple whom Jesus loved (13.25). In the Greek text Jesus is not explicitly mentioned. Had leaned close to Jesus is literally “had reclined on his breast.” In Greek the disciple’s words are in direct discourse, and this form is followed by most modern language translations. However, it is possible to restructure the passage as indirect discourse, for example, “the one who had leaned close to Jesus at the meal and had asked him who was going to betray him.” Since “the meal” was the last meal Jesus ate with his disciples, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “he was the same one who had eaten next to Jesus during the last meal.”

Instead of using a dash as a mark of punctuation, it may be better to begin a new sentence in the middle of verse 20: “That other disciple was the one who leaned close to Jesus….” It may also be necessary to indicate clearly to whom the other disciple directed his question, for example, “and asked Jesus, ‘Lord, who is going to betray you?’ ” or “ ‘… turn you over to your enemies?’ ”

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 .

Since verse 20 already contains a reference to Peter’s seeing the other disciple, it may be necessary to mark this fact at the beginning of verse 21 by some transitional device, for example, “and so when Peter saw him.”

What about this man? (so also Revised Standard Version) is literally “but this man what?” Several translations render “what about him?” (Moffatt, Phillips, Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible), while New English Bible has “what will happen to him?” One may also render this question “what will this man experience?” or “what is he going to undergo?” or “how are people going to treat him?”

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 .

The verb rendered to live by Good News Translation literally means “to remain,” but the meaning in the context is “to remain alive.” This is clearly marked in the following verse where the writer distinguishes between would not die and “remain” (Good News Translation live). One may translate to live as “to keep on living” or “to continue living” or “to stay alive.” Moffatt translates “If I choose that he should survive till I come back….” New American Bible renders “Suppose I want him to stay until I come”; New English Bible translates “If it should be my will that he wait until I come”; Jerusalem Bible has “If I want him to stay behind till I come.” Since Jesus will go away and then return, it is necessary in some languages to translate “until I come back” or “until I return.”

What is that to you? may be rendered “why are you worried about that?” or “why are you concerned about that?” or “why is that your concern?” In some languages one may translate “why are you thinking about that?” or “why does this matter enter your heart?”

For the expression Follow me! see discussion under verse 19.

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 .

This verse was written to correct a misinterpretation of Jesus’ statement to Peter. It is intended to explain that Jesus’ words were a hypothetical statement and not a prophecy of what would actually take place.

In some languages one cannot say “a report spread,” but one can say “more and more people were hearing” or “more and more people thought.” In this particular context one may translate the first part of the verse: “As a result more and more of the followers of Jesus thought that this disciple would not die” or “… was not going to die.” The following sentence may employ direct discourse in both parts, for example, “But Jesus did not say, He will not die; rather he said, ‘If I want him to stay alive until I come back, why should that concern you?’ ”

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 .

A witness was referred to in 19.35, though he was not explicitly identified. This verse also mentions a witness, who is responsible for writing at least part of the Gospel and is identified as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (verse 20). At least four problems are involved in the interpretation and translation of this verse:
(1) Who spoke of these things is in the present tense in Greek (Revised Standard Version “who is bearing witness to these things”; Goodspeed “who testifies to these things”), in contrast to the past (aorist) tense of wrote them down. What is the significance of the present tense here? Some commentators believe that the use of the present indicates that the witness on whose testimony the Gospel depends (or the part of the Gospel referred to in these things) was still alive at the time this verse was written; and this interpretation seems to be the one followed by most translations. However, the present tense may simply signal that the disciple’s testimony was considered to be present in the Gospel which he wrote.
(2) What is the precise reference of these things? Does it refer to what immediately precedes (verses 20-23), to all of Chapter 21, to Chapters 1-20, or to the entire Gospel? Since no answer to this question is agreed on by all, the translator should render these things with a term which can refer to any of the possibilities mentioned.
(3) What is the meaning of wrote them down (so also Moffatt, New American Bible; Jerusalem Bible “has written them down”)? Did the disciple write down these things himself or did he cause them to be written down? In 19.19 wrote was used causatively: Pilate did not personally write the inscription on the cross. If wrote is understood causatively in 21.24, does it mean that the disciple dictated the Gospel, that he supervised the writing, or merely that his testimony was the source for the material used (compare 19.35)? If wrote is understood as referring to the testimony behind the Gospel, then it tells us nothing about the authorship of the work. Commentators are sharply divided on the meaning of wrote, and the translator should not favor a particular interpretation in rendering the text.
(4) Who does we refer to (we know that what he said is true)? Some have maintained that the reference is to the disciple who spoke of these things. However, there is no parallel for the third person (he) and the first person (we) being used within the same sentence to designate the same individual. Therefore, it is best to take we as referring to a group which includes the writer of verse 24 but does not include the disciple, whom Jesus loved (verse 20). In languages which distinguish between an inclusive and an exclusive first person plural, the exclusive form should be used here.

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 .