John 21:21

Bible in Basic English

Seeing him, Peter said to Jesus, What about this man?

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?

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

²⁰ Then Peter, turning round, saw the disciple who was dear to Jesus coming after them--the disciple who was resting on his breast at the last meal, and said, Lord, who is it who will be false to you? ²¹ Seeing him, Peter said to Jesus, What about this man? ²² Jesus said to him, If it is my desire for him to be here till I come back, what is that to you? come yourself after me. ²³ So this saying went about among the brothers that this disciple would not undergo death: Jesus, however, did not say that he would not undergo death, but, If it is my desire for him to be here till I come back, what is that to you? ²⁴ This is the disciple who gives witness about these things and who put them in writing: and we have knowledge that his witness is true. ²⁵ And Jesus did such a number of other things that, if every one was recorded, it is my opinion that even the world itself is not great enough for the books there would be.

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

Genesis 21:3
And Abraham gave to his son, to whom Sarah had given birth, the name Isaac.

Genesis 21:4
And when his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham made him undergo circumcision, as God had said to him.

Genesis 21:34
And Abraham went on living in the land of the Philistines as in a strange country.

Numbers 10:12
And the children of Israel went on their journey out of the waste land of Sinai; and the cloud came to rest in the waste land of Paran.

Numbers 12:16
After that, the people went on from Hazeroth and put up their tents in the waste land of Paran.

Numbers 13:3
And Moses sent them from the waste land of Paran as the Lord gave orders, all of them men who were heads of the children of Israel.

Numbers 13:26
And they came back to Moses and Aaron and all the children of Israel, to Kadesh in the waste land of Paran; and gave an account to them and to all the people and let them see the produce of the land.

Judges 14:2
And when he came back he said to his father and mother, I have seen a woman in Timnah, of the daughters of the Philistines: get her now for me for my wife.

1 Samuel 25:1
And death came to Samuel; and all Israel came together, weeping for him, and put his body in its resting-place in his house at Ramah. Then David went down to the waste land of Maon.

1 Corinthians 7:38
So then, he who gets married to his virgin does well, and he who keeps her unmarried does better.

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.