John 21:14

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.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

21:14 This scene on the beach was the third time Jesus had appeared (see 20:11-23, 26-29).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Joh 21:14. Τρίτον, 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.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Joh_21:14. Τοῦτο ἤδη τρίτον] This time already for the third time. See on 2Co_13:1.

ἤδη 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 τρίτον 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 εἶτα and ἔπειτα (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 εἶτα τοῖς δώδεκα in Paul (Luthardt, Lange). Not even can ὤφθη Κηφᾷ 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, Luke 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 ἄριστον, 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 τινές 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 Köstlin 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 Lords 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 =שמען יובה is = Σίμων ʼΙωνᾶ. 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.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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, τοῦτο ἤδη τρίτον , see 2Co 13:1 .

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

This is the third time that Jesus showed himself--was manifested.

to his disciples--His assembled disciples; for if we reckon His appearances to individual disciples, they were more.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

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.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(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 disciples”—to the Ten on the first Easter day, and to the Eleven on its octave—gives this appearance as the third. (Comp. Note on 1Co_15:5-7.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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.)

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The third time - See the “Harmony of the Accounts of the Resurrection of Jesus.”

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to his disciples. He had appeared to them more than thrice, even the very day of his resurrection. (Matthew xxviii. 16.) Here it is called the third time either because it was the third different day; or because it was the third time that he had them appeared to a considerable number together. After this, he appeared to them frequently, and conversed with them for forty days, till his ascension. See Acts i. 3. and 1 Corinthians xv. 5. (Witham) --- This must be understood of the third day, or of the third time, that our Saviour appeared to his apostles assembled: the first day, being the day of his resurrection; the second, eight days after, when St. Thomas saw, and believed; and on this day of their fishing. (St. Augustine, tract. 122. in Joan.) --- The evangelists relates ten different manifestations of our Saviour, after his resurrection. First, he was seen by the women at the sepulchre; 2ndly, he was again seen by the same holy women, returning from the sepulchre; 3rdly, by St. Peter; 4thly, by the two going to Emmaus; 5thly, by many at Jerusalem, when Thomas was not with them; 6thly, at the time when St. Thomas saw him; 7thly, at the sea of Tiberias; 8thly, by the eleven, on a mountain of Galilee, according to St. Matthew; 9thly, according to St. Mark, by the disciples, at their refreshment, because he was going to sup with them no more; and 10thly, on the day of his ascension, raised from the earth into heaven. (St. Augustine, de Concord. Ev. lib. iii. chap. 25.)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

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.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

This is now or, as Meyer puts it, this time already isthe third time that Jesus was manifested (passive, not active, as in ver. 1) to the disciples, after that he was risen from the dead; or, when he had been raised from the dead. The implication is that there had up to this time been no other manifestation to groups of his disciples than those which John bad related. Therefore those other occurrences mentioned by Luke, Matthew, and Paul must be supposed to lie still in the future. That there were other manifestations is not obscurely hinted by the word hdh . The appearances to the women, to Cephas and James, are not of the class so carefully described by John. The eita toiv dwdeka of 1Co_15:5, etc., might be regarded as this third manifestation to the disciples (Luthardt). Godet agrees that the two appearances in Luke (Emmaus and Peter) are not reckoned by John, any more than that made to Mary Magdalene. The statement, "to the disciples," is clearly the explanation. Paul mentions the appearance

(1) to Simon Peter;

(2) then to the twelve; (Joh_20:19, Joh_20:26)

(3) to the five hundred, at the head of whom may have been the eleven of Mat_28:16-20;

(4) James;

(5) the twelve (the ascension not described by John).

Since Luke and Paul (Godet) omitted the narrative before us, John is here repairing the omissions of tradition. It seems quite as reasonable to place this third revelation to a group of apostles as the third of Paul"s enumerations. John is explicit in recording appearances to the special, combined, and chosen witnesses, while he not only implies, but mentions, other manifestations. Paul recites the special manifestations of various kinds, and gives most important details dropped by other traditions. The apocryphal " Gospel according to the Hebrews," as related by Jerome ("Cat. Script. Eccl. "Jacobus quotes the passage which refers to the interview between James and the risen Lord. Gregory of Tours ("Hist. Francorum," 1:21) refers to the tradition as though he had taken it from some analogous but not identical source (see a full discussion of the passage in Nicholson"s "Gospel according to the Hebrews," pp. 62-68). If the previous manifestations of the risen Lord were made to love, to thought, to earnest though trembling inquiry, to spiritual vision only, so here we find that, amid the ordinary duties of life and the activities and disappointments of daily service, the Lord manifests himself. The eye of love and the heart of rock are made ready for special assurances of the Master"s presence and power to help and guide disciples throughout that mysterious future in which they are to feel and realize his words, "Lo! I am with you always, even to the end of the world."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The third time - That he appeared to so many of the apostles together.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

14. The third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples. John does not say that this was the third appearance of Jesus, but the third time he had showed himself to the disciples, or apostles, for that is the sense in which disciples is here, and often, used. The first time was his appearance to the ten apostles, on the evening of the day of the resurrection (John 20:19). The second was to the eleven (Thomas was now present) one week later (John 20:26).

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

14. τοῦτο ἤδη τρίτον. Comp. Joh 2:11, Joh 4:54. The remark in all three cases guards against a possible misunderstanding of the Synoptic narrative [20]. We have a similar construction 2Pe 3:1. The two previous manifestations are probably those related Joh 20:19-23; Joh 20:26-29, that to the Magdalene not being counted, as not granted to the disciples: but we have not sufficient knowledge to arrange the different appearances in chronological order. See on Luk 24:49.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

14. τοῦτο ἤδη τρίτον] Compare τοῦτο [δὲ] πάλιν δεύτερον, ch. 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.

ἐγερθείς] The participle is not found elsewhere in John, but the participial construction is found in ch. 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.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

14. With the constr. τοῦτο ἤδη τρίτον, cf. τοῦτο πάλιν δεύτερον σημεῖον (4:54), and see 2:11. In both these passages (2:11, 4:54), Jn. implies a correction of Mk.’s narrative, and it is probable that here too a correction of the Galilæan tradition as to the appearance by the lake-side is intended. Jesus did not first manifest Himself to the apostles in Galilee (Mat 28:16); He manifested Himself to them twice at Jerusalem (20:19, 26), and not until after that (τρίτον) did He show Himself in Galilee. V. 14 seems to be an addition made by Jn. to his source.

ἐφανερώθη Ἰησοῦς. Cf. v. 1 and see on 1:31.

After μαθηταῖς the rec. has αὐτοῦ, but om. אABCDLWO.

ἐγερθεὶς ἐκ νεκρῶν. Cf. 2:22, 12:9, 17. ἀναστῆναι was the verb used 20:9.

The Restoration of Peter to His Apostolic Office (vv. 15-17)

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.