John 21:15

American Standard Version (1901)

So when they had broken their fast, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, [son] of John, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

¶Ὅτε οὖν ἠρίστησαν, λέγει τῷ Σίμωνι Πέτρῳ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Σίμων, Ἰωνᾶ, ἀγαπᾷς με πλεῖόν τούτων; Λέγει αὐτῷ, Ναὶ, Κύριε· σὺ οἶδας ὅτι φιλῶ σε. Λέγει αὐτῷ, Βόσκε τὰ ἀρνία μου.

Transliteration

When oun ēristēsan, legei to-the Simōni Petrō the Iēsous, Simōn, Iōna, agapas me pleion these? Legei autō, Yes, Kyrie; you oidas that philō you. Legei autō, Boske the arnia of-me.

Grammar Details

• *Hote*: conjunction - when
• *oun*: conjunction - therefore/then
• *ēristēsan*: aorist active indicative, 3rd person plural - they had eaten
• *legei*: present active indicative, 3rd person singular - says
• *Simōni*: dative, masculine, singular - to Simon
• *Petrō*: dative, masculine, singular - to Peter
• *Iēsous*: nominative, masculine, singular - Jesus
• *Simōn*: vocative, masculine, singular - Simon
• *Iōna*: vocative, masculine, singular - of Jonah
• *agapas*: present active indicative, 2nd person singular - do you love
• *me*: accusative, singular - me
• *pleion*: comparative adverb - more than
• *toutōn*: demonstrative pronoun, genitive, neuter, plural - these
• *autō*: dative, masculine, singular - to him
• *Nai*: particle of affirmation - yes
• *Kyrie*: vocative, masculine, singular - Lord
• *sy*: nominative, singular - you
• *oidas*: perfect active indicative, 2nd person singular - you know
• *hoti*: conjunction - that
• *philō*: present active indicative, 1st person singular - I love/have affection for
• *se*: accusative, singular - you
• *Boske*: present active imperative, 2nd person singular - feed
• *arnia*: accusative, neuter, plural - lambs
• *mou*: genitive, singular - of me/my

Word Meanings

• *ēristēsan*: had eaten/had breakfast
• *agapas*: do you love (agapaō - deeper, spiritual love)
• *pleion*: more than/more completely than
• *philō*: I love/have affection for (phileō - friendship love)
• *Boske*: feed/tend/nourish
• *arnia*: lambs/little sheep

Referenced Verses

• Isa 40:11 : 11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd, he will gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom, [and] will gently lead those that have their young.
• 2 Cor 5:14-15 : 14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died; 15 and he died for all, that they that live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again.
• Gal 5:6 : 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith working through love.
• Eph 6:24 : 24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ with [a love] incorruptible.
• 1 Tim 4:15-16 : 15 Be diligent in these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy progress may be manifest unto all. 16 Take heed to thyself, and to thy teaching. Continue in these things; for in doing this thou shalt save both thyself and them that hear thee.
• 1 John 4:19 : 19 We love, because he first loved us.
• Heb 4:13 : 13 And there is no creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
• Heb 12:12-13 : 12 Wherefore lift up the hands that hang down, and the palsied knees; 13 and make straight paths for your feet, that that which is lame be not turned out of the way, but rather be healed.
• Heb 13:20 : 20 Now the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, [even] our Lord Jesus,
• 1 Pet 1:8 : 8 whom not having seen ye love; on whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
• 1 Pet 2:2 : 2 as newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation;
• 1 Pet 2:25 : 25 For ye were going astray like sheep; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
• 1 Pet 5:1-4 : 1 The elders among you I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, who am also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according to [the will of] God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves ensamples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall be manifested, ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away.
• John 8:42 : 42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I came forth and am come from God; for neither have I come of myself, but he sent me.
• Rom 14:1 : 1 But him that is weak in faith receive ye, [yet] not for decision of scruples.
• Rom 15:1 : 1 Now we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
• John 14:15-24 : 15 If ye love me, ye will keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may be with you for ever, 17 [ even] the Spirit of truth: whom the world cannot receive; for it beholdeth him not, neither knoweth him: ye know him; for he abideth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you desolate: I come unto you. 19 Yet a little while, and the world beholdeth me no more; but ye behold me: because I live, ye shall live also. 20 In that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him. 22 Judas (not Iscariot) saith unto him, Lord, what is come to pass that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my word: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my words: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent me.
• John 16:27 : 27 for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came forth from the Father.
• John 21:7 : 7 That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his coat about him (for he was naked), and cast himself into the sea.
• John 21:12 : 12 Jesus saith unto them, Come [and] break your fast. And none of the disciples durst inquire of him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
• John 21:16-17 : 16 He saith to him again a second time, Simon, [son] of John, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Tend my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, [son] of John, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
• Acts 20:28 : 28 Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood.
• Gen 33:13 : 13 And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and that the flocks and herds with me have their young: and if they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die.
• 2 Sam 7:20 : 20 And what can David say more unto thee? for thou knowest thy servant, O Lord Jehovah.
• 2 Kgs 20:3 : 3 Remember now, O Jehovah, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
• Ps 78:70-72 : 70 He chose David also his servant, And took him from the sheepfolds: 71 From following the ewes that have their young he brought him, To be the shepherd of Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. 72 So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.
• Jer 3:15 : 15 and I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
• Jer 23:4 : 4 And I will set up shepherds over them, who shall feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be lacking, saith Jehovah.
• Ezek 34:2-9 : 2 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, even to the shepherds, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Woe unto the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the sheep? 3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill the fatlings; but ye feed not the sheep. 4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought back that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with rigor have ye ruled over them. 5 And they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my sheep were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and there was none that did search or seek [after them] . 7 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah: 8 As I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, surely forasmuch as my sheep became a prey, and my sheep became food to all the beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my sheep; 9 therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of Jehovah: 10 Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my sheep at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; and I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them.
• Ezek 34:23 : 23 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
• Matt 10:37 : 37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
• Matt 16:17 : 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven.
• Matt 18:10 : 10 See that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.
• Matt 25:34-45 : 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; 36 naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or athirst, and gave thee drink? 38 And when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 And when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, [even] these least, ye did it unto me. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry, and ye did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of these least, ye did it not unto me.
• Matt 26:33 : 33 But Peter answered and said unto him, If all shall be offended in thee, I will never be offended.
• Matt 26:35 : 35 Peter saith unto him, Even if I must die with thee, [yet] will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.
• Mark 14:29 : 29 But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.
• Luke 12:32 : 32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
• Luke 22:32 : 32 but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not; and do thou, when once thou hast turned again, establish thy brethren.
• John 1:42 : 42 He brought him unto Jesus. Jesus looked upon him, and said, Thou art Simon the son of John: thou shalt be called Cephas (which is by interpretation, Peter).
• 1 Cor 3:1-3 : 1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, as unto babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not with meat; for ye were not yet able [to bear it] : nay, not even now are ye able; 3 for ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you jealousy and strife, are ye not carnal, and do ye not walk after the manner of men?
• 1 Cor 8:11 : 11 For through thy knowledge he that is weak perisheth, the brother for whose sake Christ died.
• 1 Cor 16:21-22 : 21 The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand. 22 If any man loveth not the Lord, let him be anathema. Maranatha.
• John 13:37 : 37 Peter saith unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee even now? I will lay down my life for thee.
• Eph 4:14 : 14 that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error;
• 1 John 5:1 : 1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of God: and whosoever loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
• Rev 2:23 : 23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto each one of you according to your works.