Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 21:14
This is now the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
14. This is now the third time ] We have a similar construction 2Pe 3:1. The two previous manifestations are probably those related Joh 20:19-23; Joh 20:26-29: but we have not sufficient knowledge to arrange the different appearances in chronological order. See on Luk 24:49.
shewed himself ] Manifested Himself: see on Joh 21:1.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The third time – See the Harmony of the Accounts of the Resurrection of Jesus.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 14. This is now the third time] That is, this was the third time he appeared unto the apostles, when all or most of them were together. He appeared to ten of them, Joh 20:19; again to eleven of them, Joh 20:26; and at this time to seven of them, Joh 21:2. But, when the other evangelists are collated, we shall find that this was the seventh time in which he had manifested himself after he arose from the dead.
1st. He appeared to Mary of Magdala, Mr 16:9; Joh 20:15-16.
2ndly, To the holy women who came from the tomb. Mt 28:9.
3dly, To the two disciples who went to Emmaus, Lu 24:13, c.
4thly, To St. Peter alone, Lu 24:34.
5thly, To the ten, in the absence of Thomas, Joh 20:19.
6thly, Eight days after to the eleven, Thomas being present Joh 20:26.
7thly, To the seven, mentioned in Joh 21:2; which was between the eighth and fortieth day after his resurrection. Besides these seven appearances, he showed himself,
8thly, To the disciples on a certain mountain in Galilee, Mt 28:16.
If the appearance mentioned by St. Paul, 1Co 15:6, to upwards of 500 brethren at once – if this be not the same with his appearance on a mountain in Galilee, it must be considered the ninth. According to the same apostle, he was seen of James, 1Co 15:7, which may have been the tenth appearance. And, after this, to all the apostles, when, at Bethany, he ascended to heaven in their presence. See Mr 16:19-20; Lu 24:50-53; Ac 1:3-12; 1Co 15:7. This appears to have been the eleventh time in which he distinctly manifested himself after his resurrection. But there might have been many other manifestations, which the evangelists have not thought proper to enumerate, as not being connected with any thing of singular weight or importance.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The third time; that is, the third day, for upon his resurrection day he showed himself,
1. To Mary Magdalene, Joh 20:14.
2. To the two disciples going to Emmaus, Luk 24:15,31.
3. To the women going to tell his disciples, Mat 28:9.
4. In the evening to his disciples, met, Joh 20:19.
All these are by John counted for one time, because they were upon one and the same day. That day seven night he appeared to them again, Joh 20:26. After this at the sea of Tiberias, mentioned in this chapter.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14. This is the third time thatJesus showed himselfwas manifested.
to his disciplesHisassembled disciples; for if we reckon His appearances toindividual disciples, they were more.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
This is now the third time,…. Or day of Christ’s appearance to his disciples: he appeared to them first on the same day he rose, and then a second time eight days after, or that day a week later, and now at the sea of Tiberias; for within this compass of time he had made more appearances than three, though to particular persons, and not to such a number of the disciples as at these three times:
that Jesus showed himself to his disciples after that he was risen from the dead: and thus, as by the mouth of two or three witnesses, everything is established; so by these three principal appearances of Christ to his disciples, his resurrection from the dead was confirmed.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Now the third time ( ). “To the disciples” (apostles) John says, the two others being told by him (John 20:19; John 20:26) on the two Sunday evenings. There were four other appearances already (to Mary Magdalene, to the group of women, to the two on the way to Emmaus, to Peter).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
The third time. The two former occasions being recorded in Joh 20:19,
Joh 21:26The appearance to Mary Magdalene is not counted, because the Evangelist expressly says to His disciples.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “This is now the third time,” (touto ede triton) “This was now, up to this time, the third time,” that He had appeared to any considerable group of the disciples. It is evidently an orderly statement by John of such appearances.
2) “That Jesus showed himself to his disciples,” (ephanirothe lesous tois mathetais) “That Jesus was manifested personally and directly to the disciples,” as He had done on two previous occasions, Joh 20:19; Joh 20:26.
3) “After that he was risen from the dead.” (egertheis ek nekron) “After he had been raised out of and from among dead corpses,” or from the grave, as He had told them that He would, and would go before them into Galilee, where they met Him, Mat 26:31-32; Mat 28:6; Mat 28:10; Mat 28:16.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
14. The third time. The number three refers to the distance of time. Christ had already appeared to his disciples more than seven times, but all that had been transacted in one day is included in one manifestation. The Evangelist, therefore, means that Christ had been seen by the disciples at intervals, in order to confirm their belief of his resurrection.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(14) This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples.Better, . . . that Jesus was manifested . . .Comp. Note on Joh. 21:1. The writer is giving his own witness. He passes over, therefore, the appearances to Mary Magdalene and others, and counting only those to the disciplesto the Ten on the first Easter day, and to the Eleven on its octavegives this appearance as the third. (Comp. Note on 1Co. 15:5-7.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
14. The third time That he had shown himself to his disciples alone. The two previous being 5 and 6 in the following enumeration: “This was the seventh time in which he had manifested himself after he arose from the dead. (1.) He appeared to Mary of Magdala, Mar 16:9; Joh 20:15-16. (2.) To the holy women who came from the tomb, Mat 28:9. (3.) To the two disciples who went to Emmaus, Luk 24:13, etc. (4.) To St. Peter alone, Luk 24:34. (5.) To the ten, in the absence of Thomas, chap. Joh 20:19. (6.) Eight days after to the eleven, Thomas being present, Joh 21:14. (7.) To the seven, mentioned in Joh 21:2 of this chapter, which was between the eighth and fortieth day after his resurrection. Besides these seven appearances, he showed himself, eighthly, to the disciples on a certain mountain in Galilee, Matthew xxiii, 16. If the appearance mentioned by St. Paul (1Co 15:6) to upwards of five hundred brethren at once be not the same with his appearance on a mountain in Galilee, it must be considered the ninth. According to the same apostle he was seen of James, (1Co 15:7,) which may have been the tenth appearance. And after this to all the apostles, when, at Bethany, he ascended to heaven in their presence. See Mar 16:19-20; Luk 24:50-53; Act 1:3-12; 1Co 15:7. This appears to have been the eleventh time.” A. Clarke.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘This is now the third time that Jesus was revealed to his disciples after he was risen from the dead.’
‘The third time’ refers back to the two appearances in chapter 20. There were other individual appearances, but these were appearances to the disciples as a group (note that again ‘disciples’ indicates the eleven). Three is the number of completeness.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Joh 21:14. This is now the third time The evangelist does not say that this was the third time that Jesus appeared, but the third time that he appeared to his disciples; that is, to his apostles in a body; for, in reality, it was his seventh appearance. Besides, St. John himself has taken notice of three appearances before this. Grotius explains it of the third day of his appearance; for he had first appeared to several on the day of his resurrection; then on a second day,after eight days, he came to his disciples, when Thomas was present; and now again, for the third day, he shewed himself at the sea of Tiberias.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Joh 21:14 . ] This time already for the third time . See on 2Co 13:1 .
presupposes, on the one hand, that, according to John, until now any other appearances before the disciples had not taken place, with the exception of the three related (Joh 20:19 ff., Joh 20:26 ff., Joh 21:1 ff.); but, on the other hand, that at a later date several other appearances occurred. Since he, moreover, refers his only to the appearances that were made to the circle of disciples (not to individual persons), a wider scope is thereby given to harmonists; in no case, however, can they succeed in reconciling the three appearances with the statements of Paul , 1Co 15:5 ff., especially as there and (in opposition to Wieseler) denote chronological sequence. The Apostle Paul is charged, on the supposition that his account is to be understood in an internal way, with a great arbitrariness, when it is asserted that the three appearances related by John are comprized in in Paul (Luthardt, Lange). Not even can in Paul be reconciled with John. To John, however, must be accorded the preference over the tradition followed by Paul, so far as the latter does not agree with the former.
NOTE.
To the draught of fishes , to contest the historical truth of which, in a manner which evinced arbitrariness, and in part even malice, the similarity of the earlier history, Luk 5:2 ff., afforded a welcome opportunity (Strauss, Weisse, Schenkel, and several others), a symbolical destination has, since the most ancient times (Chrysostom and his followers, Cyril, Augustine, and many others), been ascribed, and in general justly, since the word of Jesus, Mat 4:19 , parall., gives, naturally enough, the psychological solution why He, as the Risen One, performs, precisely in this fashion, a miraculous work in the presence of His disciples. The tradition in which, from the above word, the draught of fishes, Luk 5 , took shape (see on Luk 5:1 ff.), has, although pushing forward the later occurrence, nevertheless apprehended with right feeling the idea which it contained. The disciples themselves could not but find in the words of that first call, Matt. loc. cit ., the key to the symbolical significance of the miraculous fact, in which that word, which Jesus had spoken at the beginning, was now, on the boundary of their earthly intercourse with Him, and before the restoration (a renewed calling, as it were) of Peter, set forth and sealed as a fact with the highest appropriateness. Only in respect of the interpretation of this symbolism, we have no right to go beyond Mat 4:14 , and read more therein than the rich blessing of the apostolical office , of which the men fishers of Jesus were to be the possessors. To go further, and, with Augustine, to expound all the individual features of the history allegorically (so recently, especially Weitzel in the Stud. u. Krit . 1849, p. 618 f., Luthardt, Lange, Hengstenberg), is groundless and arbitrary, and without any definable limits. Especially is an interpretation of the fish meal, which refers it to the heavenly supper, [282] “which the Lord prepares for His own with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of God” (Olshausen, after Augustine), all the less authorized, since this supper of the kingdom does not concern the apostles as such , and consequently something that is remote would be mixed up with the reference. It is certainly in the present passage only an , a breakfast, which was merely to serve as a handle for the appearance, and for the draught of fishes, as well as for the further scene with Peter. In a manner which serves as a special warning have the allegorical tendencies of the Fathers, in respect of the number of fishes, displayed themselves, as, e.g ., Severus, Ammonius, Theophylact (also in Euth. Zigabenus) see depicted in the 100 fishes the Gentiles, in the 50 the Jews, and in the 3 the Trinity; whilst Jerome, who is followed by Kstlin in the Theol. Jahrb . 1851, p. 195, and Hilgenfeld recognises in the 153 fishes, in spite of the fact that they were large ones only, all genera piscium , and thereby the universality of the apostolic activity, [283] which Ruperti derives from the text even by an arithmetical analysis [284] of the number; whilst Hengstenberg, on the other hand (after Grotius), thinks to find the key in the 153,600 strangers, 2Ch 2:17 , so that John counts a fish for every thousand (with which the surplus of 600 falls away)!
That John says nothing regarding the symbolical determination of the draught of fishes, is sufficiently explained from the fact that Jesus Himself does not expressly declare it, but allows the thing to speak its silent symbolic language for itself, as He also has not Himself interpreted the symbolism of the withered fig-tree (Mat 21:21 ).
[282] Even the Lord’s Supper was found by Augustine to be signified, and he went so far as to say: “ piscis assus Christus est passus .”
[283] Hilgenfeld in his ZeitsChr. 1868, p. 446: “The copious take , i.e. the spiritual harvest from the Gentile world , is now added to the provision of fish and bread already lying ready, I think, for the feeding of the Jewish people (comp. Joh 6:12 ).” The fundamental thought is, he thinks, in Joh 10:16 .
[284] Recently enigmatic numeration has been attempted in the case of these fishes, so that according to the Hebrew numerical letters, 118 + 35 = is = . See Theol. Jahrb. 1854, p. 135; on the other hand: Ewald, Jahrb. vi. p. 161. Volkmar also (Mos. Prophetie, p. 61 f.) gives the enigmatic solution of the number as “Simeon Bar Jona Kepha.” Calvin already correctly observes: “quantum ad piscium numerum spectat, non est sublime aliquod in eo quaerendum mysterium.”
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
Ver. 14. This is now the third time, &c. ] Adam died, and we hear no more of him; not so the second Adam. “If a man die, shall he live again?” Job 14:14 . Not till the general resurrection surely. Many devices there are in the minds of some, that there shall be a first resurrection of the martyrs only, and that they shall reign on earth a thousand years. Alsted saith, this thousand years shall begin in the year 1694. But these, saith a divine, are but the mistakes of some high expressions in Scripture; which describe the judgments poured out upon God’s enemies in making a way to the Jews’ conversion by the pattern of the last judgment. (Cotton upon the Seven Vials.)
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
14. ] Compare [ ] , ch. Joh 4:54 : and 2Co 13:1 . The number here is clearly not that of all appearances of Jesus up to this time, for that to Mary Magdalen is not reckoned; but only those to the disciples , i.e. any considerable number of them together. This one internal trait of consistency speaks much for the authenticity and genuineness of the addition.
] The participle is not found elsewhere in John, but the participial construction is found in ch. Joh 4:54 .
Without agreeing with all the allegorical interpretations of the Fathers, I cannot but see much depth and richness of meaning in this whole narrative. The Lord appears to His disciples, busied about their occupation for their, daily bread; speaks and acts in a manner wonderfully similar to His words and actions on a former memorable occasion, when we know that by their toiling long and taking nothing, but at his word enclosing a multitude of fishes, was set forth what should befall them as fishers of men. Can we miss that application at this far more important epoch of their apostolic mission? Besides, He graciously provides for their present wants, and invites them to be His guests: why, but to shew them that in their work hereafter they should never want but He would provide? And as connected with the parable, Mat 13:47 ff., has the net enclosing a great multitude and yet not broken , no meaning? Has the ‘taking the bread and giving to them, and the fish likewise’ no meaning, which so closely binds together the miraculous feeding, and the institution of the Lord’s Supper, with their future meetings in His Name and round His Table? Any one who recognizes the teaching character of the acts of the Lord, can hardly cast all such applications from him; and those who do not, have yet the first rudiments of the Gospels to learn.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Joh 21:14 . A note is added, perhaps indicating no more than John’s orderliness of mind, explaining that this was the third manifestation given by Jesus to His disciples after rising from the dead. For the form of expression, , see 2Co 13:1 .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
now = already.
His = the.
risen. Greek. egeiro. App-178.
from the dead. Greek. ek nekron. See App-139.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
14. ] Compare [] , ch. Joh 4:54 : and 2Co 13:1. The number here is clearly not that of all appearances of Jesus up to this time, for that to Mary Magdalen is not reckoned; but only those to the disciples,-i.e. any considerable number of them together. This one internal trait of consistency speaks much for the authenticity and genuineness of the addition.
] The participle is not found elsewhere in John, but the participial construction is found in ch. Joh 4:54.
Without agreeing with all the allegorical interpretations of the Fathers, I cannot but see much depth and richness of meaning in this whole narrative. The Lord appears to His disciples, busied about their occupation for their, daily bread; speaks and acts in a manner wonderfully similar to His words and actions on a former memorable occasion, when we know that by their toiling long and taking nothing, but at his word enclosing a multitude of fishes, was set forth what should befall them as fishers of men. Can we miss that application at this far more important epoch of their apostolic mission? Besides, He graciously provides for their present wants, and invites them to be His guests: why, but to shew them that in their work hereafter they should never want but He would provide? And as connected with the parable, Mat 13:47 ff., has the net enclosing a great multitude and yet not broken, no meaning? Has the taking the bread and giving to them, and the fish likewise no meaning, which so closely binds together the miraculous feeding, and the institution of the Lords Supper, with their future meetings in His Name and round His Table? Any one who recognizes the teaching character of the acts of the Lord, can hardly cast all such applications from him;-and those who do not, have yet the first rudiments of the Gospels to learn.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Joh 21:14. , the third time) He is speaking of the more solemn appearances, viz. those here recorded, which were vouchsafed to the disciples conjointly. [In fact, already in ch. Joh 20:14; Joh 20:19; Joh 20:26, John had recorded three appearances of the Saviour, if that which was vouchsafed to Mary Magdalene be taken into account. But in this ch. 21, when he thought it advisable to subjoin some particulars concerning Peter and John by way of an Appendix, he adds one appearance also, in order that of those appearances which were vouchsafed to a number of the apostles together, there might be three in all on record in this Gospel.-Harm., p. 609.] Thomas also was present on two of these occasions.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 21:14
Joh 21:14
This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.-Jesus appeared to the eleven disciples the night after he arose from the dead. On the night of the eighth day following he met with them again. (Joh 19:8). This is the third time, showing that while he met with them on the first and eighth days after he was raised, he did not meet with them during the interim. He seems to have designed this to sanctify the first day, the day of his resurrection as the day for his disciples to meet with the assurance that he would meet with them to bless them. Thomas, failing to be with them, followed by a sense of doubt and uncertainty that may be a significant lesson to us. Where he was when not with the disciples we know not. Since his body seemed subject to the law of the natural world, we do not even know that he was in the body when not with the disciples.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
the third time: Or, as some read, the third day. On the day the Saviour rose he appeared five times; the second day was that day se’nnight; and this was the third day – or this was his third appearance to any considerable number of his disciples together. Though he had appeared to Mary, to the women, to the two disciples, to Cephas – yet he had but twice appeared to a company of them together. Joh 20:19, Joh 20:26
Reciprocal: 1Jo 1:2 – and bear
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
4
Third time . . . to his disciples, or apostles. The two other times are in chapter 20:19 and 26. His first appearance was to Mary Magdalene (Mar 16:9), but she was not an apostle.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joh 21:14. This is now a third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after that he was raised from the dead. It is the third manifestation, although the fourth appearance, of the Risen Lord that has been described. The appearance to Mary Magdalene at chap. Joh 20:16 is not counted, either because it only embodied the preparatory message as to the state in which Jesus was, or because it was made, not (like the three following) to companies of apostles and disciples, but only to one single disciple. That the present manifestation is stated to be the third does not exclude the other appearances of the Risen Saviour recorded by the earlier Evangelists. It is simply the third in Johns own enumeration, the third in that selection of the different manifestations which he had thought it desirable to make. The repetition of the word manifested (comp. Joh 21:1) is to be noticed as showing that the word is intentionally used. It expresses more than that Jesus showed Himself after His Resurrection. In these manifestations He really revealed Himself out of the entirely new stale which had begun at the Resurrection. Just as when manifested in the flesh He was different from what He had been before, and revealed His glory in the garb of weak and suffering humanity, so in His manifestation of Himself at this time He was different from what He had been when clothed with the lowliness which He had assumed for a season. That lowliness has been laid aside: He is still the Man Christ Jesus, but glorified. We see Him now under a new aspect, and at a new point in His history. This consideration will help us to understand the connection of the next two paragraphs of the chapter, and their place in the organism of the Gospel.
Before passing on, however, it is necessary to say a few words upon the inner meaning of this miracle, upon the light in which our Lord Himself intended it to be looked at, and in which it is presented by the Evangelist. Referring our readers to the general remarks made on Joh 2:11 we observe that here, as there, the miracle must be viewed not only historically but symbolically. The facts are historical, but they have at the same time much more than simple historical force. They are so arranged and grouped by Him who taught by action as well as word, that they bring out one of the great lessons of His kingdom. Nor can we have any doubt in the present instance what that lesson is. We have before us a picture of the wonderful success which was to follow the apostles when, in the strength of their Risen Lord, they went forth to preach salvation to the whole world; as well as a picture of the joy which they shall share with Him, when in this success both He and they shall see of the travail of their soul, and shall be satisfied. Around these thoughts it will be found that all the particulars of the miracle, in their deeper meaning, easily arrange themselves:the helplessness of these fishers of men when they are without their Lord, their triumphant success whenever they listen to His voice, the invitation given them to come and share in that meal which He has prepared, and whose sacramental character is so strikingly brought out by the mention of the fish and the loaf. Every particular of the scene is full of spiritual meaning; and, even where we may not be able to satisfy ourselves that we have discovered the meaning, we know that it is there, and can rest in the hope that it will by and by be perceived. Perhaps the most difficult point to interpret in this way is the number of the fishes as given in Joh 21:11. Of that number we shall say little. It will be hard for students of this Gospel not to believe that it too has a deeper meaning than that of simple numbers. What that meaning is there is little difficulty in determining. The whole course of the narrative shows that 153 represents the fulness of the Church, the complete gathering in of all her members, the net not rent, not one believer lost. It is much more difficult to say whence the number 153 is obtained. Many suggestions have been made, but we shall not discuss them. Not one of them can be said to have as yet gained anything like general acceptance. Until a more satisfactory result is reached, it is better to rest satisfied with the general meaning, of which we have already spoken, and as to which no doubt can be entertained.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
John concluded the narration of this incident by identifying it as the third instance of Jesus’ self-manifestation to His disciples after His resurrection. This verse forms an inclusio with Joh 21:1 that sets this incident off as distinct.
John said that this was the third post-resurrection appearance "to the disciples" (i.e., the apostles, cf. Joh 20:19-23; Joh 20:26-29). Chronologically this was at least Jesus’ seventh post-resurrection appearance (cf. Joh 20:11-18; Mat 28:8-10; 1Co 15:5; Luk 24:13-32; Joh 20:19-23; Joh 20:26-29). Nevertheless it was the third appearance to the disciples, and the third appearance to the disciples that John recorded.
John viewed this appearance as further proof of Jesus’ resurrection. Perhaps he viewed it as completing a full compliment of testimonies since he drew attention to its being the third appearance to the disciples. The number three in Scripture sometimes connotes fullness or completeness (e.g., the three Persons of the Trinity). However by calling this appearance a "manifestation" (Gr. ephanerothe, cf. Joh 21:1) John indicated that he also viewed it as a revelation of Jesus’ true character.
So far Jesus had reminded these disciples of lessons that He had taught them previously that were important for them to remember in view of their mission. He had also set the stage for an even more important lesson that would follow.