John 21 23

John 21:23 kjv

Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?

John 21:23 nkjv

Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?"

John 21:23 niv

Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?"

John 21:23 esv

So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?"

John 21:23 nlt

So the rumor spread among the community of believers that this disciple wouldn't die. But that isn't what Jesus said at all. He only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?"

John 21 verses

John 21 23 Meaning

This verse indicates that the saying attributed to Jesus, "This saying that he will not die," is not literally about Jesus himself not dying, but rather it became a misunderstanding or a prevalent saying about the Beloved Disciple's presumed immortality.

John 21 23 Context

This verse appears at the end of the Gospel of John, following Jesus's appearance to His disciples by the Sea of Galilee. Peter has just been commissioned by Jesus, and in response, Peter asks about John, the Beloved Disciple. Jesus's answer, "If, then, I wish him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!" is the direct preceding statement. This verse serves as John's clarification of how that exchange was misinterpreted.

John 21 23 Word analysis

• δε (de): A postpositive conjunctive particle, meaning "but," "and," or "now." It signifies a shift or continuation.

• οὗτος (houtos): "This." Refers back to the saying just mentioned.

• τὸ (to): The definite article "the."

• ῥῆμα (rhēma): "Word," "saying," "utterance." The specific declaration Jesus made.

• ὅτι (hoti): "That," introducing a subordinate clause, indicating the content of the saying.

• οὐ (ou): "Not," a negation.

• μὴ (mē): Another negative particle, used here in a potential or subjunctive sense with the following verb.

• ἀποθάνῃ (apothanē): Third-person singular subjunctive of ἀποθνήσκω (apothnēskō), meaning "to die." "He should die."

• οὕτως (houtōs): "So," "thus," "in this way." Referring to the manner of death or non-death.

• ἐγὼ (egō): "I." Jesus speaking.

• Θελήσω (thelēsō): First-person singular future of θέλω (thelō), meaning "to wish," "to will," "to desire." "I will wish" or "I will intend."

• μείναι (meinein): Second-person singular present active infinitive of μένω (menō), meaning "to remain," "to stay," "to abide." "For him to remain."

• ε ε ∴ (he he): "If," a conditional particle introducing the condition.

• ε ε ω ς (heōs): "Until," a temporal conjunction.

• ε ο (erchōmai): "I come." Jesus's return or coming.

• κ (ti): Interrogative pronoun, "what?" Used rhetorically here.

• *π (su): "You," Peter.

• κ (akolouthéō): First-person singular present active indicative, "I follow."

• Phrase analysis: "This saying that he will not die" - This refers to the conclusion many disciples drew from Jesus's conditional statement to Peter about John's remaining.

• Words group analysis: "If, then, I wish him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!" - This exchange highlights a tension between understanding Jesus's will and focusing on one's own discipleship.

John 21 23 Bonus section

The saying about the Beloved Disciple not dying became a notable point of discussion within the early church. This event underscores the dangers of speculation and the importance of adhering to sound doctrine based on clear teaching rather than popular inference. The eventual understanding is that John the Apostle did eventually die a natural death, though he lived to a very old age and was the last of the original apostles. His "remaining" could be interpreted as his continued life as a witness to Christ and His teachings, fulfilling his role until the end of his days, and his writings serve as an abiding testimony.

John 21 23 Commentary

The disciples misunderstood Jesus's words to Peter about John's destiny. They interpreted Jesus's conditional statement ("If, then, I wish him to remain until I come") as a guarantee that John would not physically die before Christ's second coming. This verse clarifies that this interpretation was a popular but incorrect deduction, spreading among the brethren. The verse corrects this popular belief by stating it was a misunderstanding of what Jesus had implied about John remaining alive until Jesus's future coming in some sense. This clarifies that John the Apostle, the Beloved Disciple, did indeed die, as indicated by other biblical and historical accounts. The focus shifts back to the imperative of personal discipleship, as urged by Jesus to Peter.