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.
21:20 Peter turned around and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them. 12 (This was the disciple 13 who had leaned back against Jesus’ 14 chest at the meal and asked, 15 “Lord, who is the one who is going to betray you?”) 16 21:21 So when Peter saw him, 17 he asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” 21:22 Jesus replied, 18 “If I want him to live 19 until I come back, 20 what concern is that of yours? You follow me!”
1 tn Grk “the disciple, that one whom.”
2 sn On the disciple whom Jesus loved see 13:23-26.
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.
sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
4 tn Grk “threw himself.”
5 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
6 tn Or “you girded yourself.”
7 tn Grk “others will gird you.”
8 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
9 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. The phrase by what kind of death Peter was going to glorify God almost certainly indicates martyrdom (cf. 1 Pet 4:16), and it may not predict anything more than that. But the parallelism of this phrase to similar phrases in John 12:33 and 18:32 which describe Jesus’ own death by crucifixion have led many to suggest that the picture Jesus is portraying for Peter looks not just at martyrdom but at death by crucifixion. This seems to be confirmed by the phrase you will stretch out your hands in the preceding verse. There is some evidence that the early church understood this and similar phrases (one of them in Isa 65:2) to refer to crucifixion (for a detailed discussion of the evidence see L. Morris, John [NICNT], 876, n. 52). Some have objected that if this phrase does indeed refer to crucifixion, the order within v. 18 is wrong, because the stretching out of the hands in crucifixion precedes the binding and leading where one does not wish to go. R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:1108) sees this as a deliberate reversal of the normal order (hysteron proteron) intended to emphasize the stretching out of the hands. Another possible explanation for the unusual order is the Roman practice in crucifixions of tying the condemned prisoner’s arms to the crossbeam (patibulum) and forcing him to carry it to the place of execution (W. Bauer as cited by O. Cullmann in Peter: Disciple, Apostle, Martyr [LHD], 88).
11 tn Grk “After he said this, he said to him”; the referents (first Jesus, second Peter) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
12 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.
13 tn The words “This was the disciple” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied for clarity.
14 tn Grk “his”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
15 tn Grk “and said.”
16 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
17 tn Grk “saw this one.”
18 tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”
19 tn Grk “to stay” or “to remain”; but since longevity is the issue in the context, “to live” conveys the idea more clearly.
20 tn The word “back” is supplied to clarify the meaning.