Page:Lives of the apostles of Jesus Christ (1836).djvu/140



might wade in it without the inconvenience of its hanging about his legs. It must have been a sort of "over all," that he had pulled off while at work, and put on to wade in the water; for the verb [Greek: diazônnumi] (diazonnumi) has also that meaning as well as "gird about," and his object in thus "putting on his over alls" may have been to keep himself dry, by covering both his legs and body from the water; for it may have come down over the legs like a sort of outside trowsers, and being tied tight, would make a very comfortable protection against cold water. See Poole and Kuinoel on this passage, John xxi. 7.

Luther in his German translation has very queerly expressed this word, "," "he girt his shirt about him;" being led into this error probably, by taking the following sentence in too strong a sense, concluding that he was perfectly naked. But I have already alluded (note on page 101) to the peculiar force of this word in the Bible, nor can it mean anything but that he was without his outer garments; and it implies no more indecent exposure than in the case of Christ, when laying aside his garments to wash his disciples' feet. Besides, I have shown that the etymology of [Greek: ependutês] (ependutes) will not allow any meaning to it, but that of an "outer garment" worn over other clothes.

A little skiff.—The Greek word here is [Greek: ploiarion], (ploiarion,) and means "a small boat," and is the diminution of [Greek: ploion], (ploion,) the word used in the third verse of the same chapter, as the name of the larger vessel in which they sailed, and which probably drew too much water to come close to the shore in this part of the lake, where it was probably shallow, so as to make it necessary for them to haul the net ashore with this little skiff, which seems to have been a sort of drag-boat to the larger vessel, kept for landing in such places.

"Come and ."—This is certainly a vast improvement on the common English version, which here gives the word "dine." For it must strike an ordinary reader as a very early dinner at that time of the morning, (John xix. 4,) and what settles the question is, that the Greek word here is [Greek: aristêsate], (aristesate,) which primarily and almost always was applied only to the eating of the earliest meal, or breakfast, being derived from [Greek: ariston], "breakfast," the first meal in the day, according to Homer and Xenophon.

Many other unrecorded words of wisdom and love must have been spoken at this time, in the course of which Jesus again took occasion to put this meaning and moving question, "Simon, son of Jonah, lovest thou me?" The first answer of Peter had sufficiently shown, that he had no more of that disposition to claim a merit superior to his fellow disciples, and Jesus did not again urge upon him a comparison with them, but merely renewed the inquiry in a simple, absolute form. Again Peter earnestly expressed his love, with the same appeal to Christ's own knowledge of his heart for the testimony of his loyalty, "Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee." He saith to him, "Feed my sheep." If thou lovest me, show that love, by supplying the place of my earthly care, to those whom I love. Love and feed those for whom I have bled and died.—What could be more simple and clear than this question? What more earnest and honest than the answer? What more abiding than the impression made by this charge? Yet did not the far-seeing Savior desist from trying his disciple with these questions. Once more was it solemnly repeated, "Simon, son of Jonah, lovest thou me?" Peter was grieved that he asked him the third time, "lovest thou me?" He saw