John 21:21

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”

King James Version (1611)
Peter seeing him, saith to Iesus, Lord, and what shall this man doe?

King James Version
Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?

English Standard Version
When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?"

New American Standard Bible
So Peter, upon seeing him, said to Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man?"

New Century Version
When Peter saw him behind them, he asked Jesus, "Lord, what about him?"

Amplified Bible
So when Peter saw him, he asked Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man [what is in his future]?"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man?"

Legacy Standard Bible
So Peter seeing him *said to Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man?"

Berean Standard Bible
When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"

Contemporary English Version
When Peter saw that disciple, he asked Jesus, "Lord, what about him?"

Complete Jewish Bible
On seeing him, Kefa said to Yeshua, "Lord, what about him?"

Darby Translation
Peter, seeing him, says to Jesus, Lord, and what [of] this [man]?

Easy-to-Read Version
When Peter saw him behind them, he asked Jesus, "Lord, what about him?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
When Peter therefore sawe him, he saide to Iesus, Lord, what shall this man doe?

George Lamsa Translation
When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, My Lord, what about him?

Good News Translation
When Peter saw him, he asked Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?"

Lexham English Bible
So when he saw this one, Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, but what about this one?"

Literal Translation
Seeing him, Peter said to Jesus, Lord, and what of this one?

American Standard Version
Peter therefore seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?

Bible in Basic English
Seeing him, Peter said to Jesus, What about this man?

Hebrew Names Version
Kefa seeing him, said to Yeshua, "Lord, what about this man?"

International Standard Version
When Peter saw him, he said, "Lord, what about him?"

Etheridge Translation
This when Kipha saw, he said to Jeshu, My Lord, and this, what ?

Murdock Translation
Him Cephas saw, and said to Jesus: My Lord, as for this man, what?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
When Peter therfore sawe hym, he sayth to Iesus: Lorde, what shal he do?

English Revised Version
Peter therefore seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?

World English Bible
Peter seeing him, said to Jesus, "Lord, and what will this man do?"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Peter seeing him, saith to Jesus, Lord, what shall this man do?

Weymouth's New Testament
On seeing him, Peter asked Jesus, "And, Master, what about him?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor whanne Petre hadde seyn this, he seith to Jhesu, Lord, but what this?

Update Bible Version
Peter therefore seeing him says to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?

Webster's Bible Translation
Peter seeing him, saith to Jesus, Lord, and what [shall] this man [do]?

New English Translation
So when Peter saw him, he asked Jesus, "Lord, what about him?"

New King James Version
Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?"

New Living Translation
Peter asked Jesus, "What about him, Lord?"

New Life Bible
Peter saw him and said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this one?"

New Revised Standard
When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about him?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Peter, therefore, seeing, this one, saith unto Jesus - Lord! and, this one, what?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Him therefore when Peter had seen, he saith to Jesus: Lord, and what shall this man do?

Revised Standard Version
When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
When Peter sawe him he sayde to Iesus: Lorde what shall he here do?

Young's Literal Translation
Peter having seen this one, saith to Jesus, `Lord, and what of this one?'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wha Peter sawe him, he sayde vnto Iesus: LORDE, but what shal he do?

Mace New Testament (1729)
upon seeing him, Peter said to Jesus, Lord, and what shall become of him?

Simplified Cowboy Version
When Pete saw him, he asked, "What about this cowboy? What will happen to him, Lord?"

Contextual Overview

²⁰Turning his head, Peter noticed the disciple Jesus loved following right behind. When Peter noticed him, he asked Jesus, "Master, what's going to happen to him?" ²²Jesus said, "If I want him to live until I come again, what's that to you? You—follow me." That is how the rumor got out among the brothers that this disciple wouldn't die. But that is not what Jesus said. He simply said, "If I want him to live until I come again, what's that to you?" ²⁴ This is the same disciple who was eyewitness to all these things and wrote them down. And we all know that his eyewitness account is reliable and accurate. ²⁵ There are so many other things Jesus did. If they were all written down, each of them, one by one, I can't imagine a world big enough to hold such a library of books.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Lord: Matthew 24:3, Matthew 24:4, Luke 13:23, Luke 13:24, Acts 1:6, Acts 1:7

Reciprocal: Mark 13:4 - General Luke 21:7 - when John 13:36 - whither John 16:23 - ask Acts 10:42 - he commanded 1 Peter 5:12 - testifying

Cross-References

Numbers 13:3
So Moses sent them off from the Wilderness of Paran at the command of God . All of them were leaders in Israel, one from each tribe. These were their names: from Reuben: Shammua son of Zaccur from Simeon: Shaphat son of Hori from Judah: Caleb son of Jephunneh from Issachar: Igal son of Joseph from Ephraim: Hoshea son of Nun from Benjamin: Palti son of Raphu from Zebulun: Gaddiel son of Sodi from Manasseh (a Joseph tribe): Gaddi son of Susi from Dan: Ammiel son of Gemalli from Asher: Sethur son of Michael from Naphtali: Nahbi son of Vophsi from Gad: Geuel son of Maki.

Numbers 13:26
They presented themselves before Moses and Aaron and the whole congregation of the People of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh. They reported to the whole congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. Then they told the story of their trip: "We went to the land to which you sent us and, oh! It does flow with milk and honey! Just look at this fruit! The only thing is that the people who live there are fierce, their cities are huge and well fortified. Worse yet, we saw descendants of the giant Anak. Amalekites are spread out in the Negev; Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites hold the hill country; and the Canaanites are established on the Mediterranean Sea and along the Jordan." Caleb interrupted, called for silence before Moses and said, "Let's go up and take the land—now. We can do it." But the others said, "We can't attack those people; they're way stronger than we are." They spread scary rumors among the People of Israel. They said, "We scouted out the land from one end to the other—it's a land that swallows people whole. Everybody we saw was huge. Why, we even saw the Nephilim giants (the Anak giants come from the Nephilim). Alongside them we felt like grasshoppers. And they looked down on us as if we were grasshoppers."

1 Samuel 25:1
Samuel died. The whole country came to his funeral. Everyone grieved over his death, and he was buried in his hometown of Ramah. Meanwhile, David moved again, this time to the wilderness of Maon.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Peter seeing him, saith to Jesus,.... Peter took a great deal of notice of John, and very likely understood, that he meant by his rising up and following Christ, to signify his readiness for service and suffering in the cause of Christ: and therefore says,

Lord, and what shall this man do? The phrase in the original is very short and concise, "Lord, and this what?" The Arabic version renders it, "and this, of what mind is he?" it looks as if he was of the same mind with me to follow thee; but it is better rendered by us, "what shall this man do?" in what work and service shall he be employed, who seems as willing as I am to serve thee? or it may be rendered thus, "and what shall this man suffer?" shall he suffer at all? and if he shall, what kind of death shall he undergo? what will become of him? what will be his end? how will it fare with him? this he said, partly out of curiosity, and partly out of concern for him, they two being associates and intimates, who had a strong affection for each other.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

What shall this man do? - This question probably means, “What death shall he die?” But it is impossible to ascertain certainly why Peter asked this question. John was a favorite disciple, and perhaps Peter suspected that he would have a happier lot, and not be put to death in this manner. Peter was grieved at the question of Jesus; he was probably deeply affected with the account of his own approaching sufferings; and, with perhaps a mixture of grief and envy, he asked what would be his lot. But it is possible, also, that it was from kindness to John - a deep solicitude about him, and a wish that he might not die in the same manner as one who had denied his Lord. Whatever the motive was, it was a curiosity which the Lord Jesus did not choose to gratify.