independentparticipialrelativecausecontentconditionaldashed = verbless / suspended
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The manifestation by the sea — the catch and the breakfast 21:1–14
vv. 1–3 — the seven together, and the night that yields nothing
1
After these things Jesus manifested himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias;independent — Μετὰ ταῦτα, the Johannine scene-connector; φανερόω the chapter's controlling revelation-verb (again v. 14)
and he manifested himself in this way.independent — resumptive δέ — οὕτως points forward, deferring the 'how'
2
Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together.independent — asyndetic cast-list of seven — the Zebedees named only here in John; the anonymous two may veil the beloved disciple
3
Simon Peter says to them:independent — historic present — the vivid narration begins
'I am going fishing.'content — Peter back to the nets — futuristic present; ἁλιεύω an NT hapax
They say to him:independent — historic present — the six follow
'We too are coming with you.'content — emphatic ἡμεῖς — the crew assembles
They went outindependent — prompt asyndetic action
and got into the boat,independent — coordinate aorist — the embarkation
and that night they caught nothing.independent — the night of nothing — human effort empty without the word (cf. Luke 5:5)
vv. 4–8 — dawn: the stranger's command, the recognition, Peter's plunge
4
Now when morning had already come,participial — genitive absolute — leans forward on ἔστη; dawn after the empty night
Jesus stood on the shore;independent — ingressive aorist — the risen Lord takes his stand at the water's edge
yet the disciples did not knowindependent — μέντοι — the non-recognition motif of the appearances (20:14; Luke 24:16)
that it was Jesus.content — retained present ἐστιν in indirect discourse
5
So Jesus says to them:independent — historic present with narrative οὖν
'Children, you do not have any fish, do you?'content — μή-question expecting 'No'; Παιδία the affectionate address; προσφάγιον an NT hapax of Galilean color
They answered him:independent — the terse reply-frame
'No.'content — the monosyllable of defeat — verbless
6
He said to them:independent — anaphoric ὁ δέ — the unrecognized stranger speaks
'Cast the net on the right side of the boat,content — the command — cf. Luke 5:4; the right, the favored side
and you will find some.'content — predictive future — the promise of the one who knows the lake
So they cast it,independent — obedience — οὖν ties the cast to the command
and now they were not able to haul it in because of the abundance of fish.independent — imperfect of continuing inability; causal ἀπό — the reversal of the empty night
7
So that disciple whom Jesus loved says to Peter:independent — historic present; ἐκεῖνος flags the beloved disciple — perception his part, action Peter's (cf. 20:8)
'It is the Lord!'content — the recognition-cry — the resurrection title (20:2, 28)
Then Simon Peter, hearing that it was the Lord,participial — preposed participle with its ὅτι-content kept in line — leans forward on διεζώσατο
tied his outer garment around himself,independent — ἐπενδύτης — the work-cloak girded on before the swim
— for he was stripped for work —cause — narrator's γάρ-aside — the eyewitness detail
and threw himself into the sea.independent — Peter's plunge — impetuous devotion outrunning the boat
8
But the other disciples came in the little boat,independent — the crew's slower way — πλοιάριον, the diminutive
— for they were not far from the land, but about two hundred cubits off —cause — narrator's γάρ-aside — the eyewitness measurement, about ninety meters
dragging the net of fish.participial — concurrent participle — the haul towed behind
vv. 9–14 — the charcoal fire, the 153, and breakfast with the risen Lord
9
So when they got out on the land,conditional — temporal ὡς (typed cnd; no temporal key) — leans forward on βλέπουσιν
they see a charcoal fire laid, and fish lying on it, and bread.independent — historic present; ἀνθρακιά only here and 18:18 — the fire of the denial answered
10
Jesus says to them:independent — historic present
'Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.'content — partitive ἀπό; attracted relative ὧν — their catch drawn into his meal
11
So Simon Peter went aboardindependent — Peter answers the command alone
and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish — a hundred and fifty-three;independent — the eyewitness count — 153, the triangular number of 17; allegorized since Jerome, uninterpreted by the text
and though there were so many,participial — concessive genitive absolute — leans forward on ἐσχίσθη
the net was not torn.independent — the unbroken net — against Luke 5:6, where the nets were tearing; read ecclesially since the Fathers
12
Jesus says to them:independent — historic present — the invitation
'Come, have breakfast.'content — the risen Lord as host — ἀριστάω, the morning meal
Now none of the disciples dared to ask him,independent — narrator's aside — imperfect ἐτόλμα, the awed restraint
'Who are you?'content — the question none dares to voice — emphatic Σύ
knowing that it was the Lord.participial — causal participle — recognition now certain, beyond need of asking
13
Jesus comesindependent — historic present — the host approaches
and takes the breadindependent — historic present — the gesture of 6:11, the feeding by this same sea
and gives it to them, and the fish likewise.independent — historic present — λαμβάνειν and διδόναι, the eucharistic cadence
14
This was now the third time Jesus was manifested to the disciplesindependent — narrator's tally — passive of the framing verb φανερόω (v. 1); third after 20:19 and 20:26
after being raised from the dead.participial — temporal aorist participle — the resurrection as ground of every appearance
The threefold restoration of Peter 21:15–19
vv. 15–17 — the three questions: ἀγαπᾷς, ἀγαπᾷς, φιλεῖς
15
So when they had finished breakfast,conditional — temporal ὅτε (typed cnd; no temporal key) — leans forward on λέγει
Jesus says to Simon Peter:independent — historic present — the examination begins beside a charcoal fire, as the denials began (18:18)
'Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?'content — first question — ἀγαπᾷς; πλέον τούτων ambiguous: more than these men do, or more than these things — left open
He says to him:independent — historic present
'Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.'content — Peter answers with φιλῶ, not ἀγαπῶ — the chapter's central lexical crux: real distinction (Barrett, Carson) or Johannine synonym-variation (Moulton)
He says to him:independent — historic present
'Feed my lambs.'content — first commission — βόσκε, the feeding; ἀρνία, the lambs; the flock is μου, his
16
He says to him again, a second time:independent — historic present — the doubled marker πάλιν δεύτερον
'Simon, son of John, do you love me?'content — second question — ἀγαπᾷς again, the comparison now dropped
He says to him:independent — historic present
'Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.'content — the identical answer — φιλῶ again, word for word
He says to him:independent — historic present
'Tend my sheep.'content — second commission — ποίμαινε, the shepherd's whole office; πρόβατα now, the variation mirroring ἀγαπάω/φιλέω
17
He says to him the third time:independent — historic present — the third asking, matching the three denials (18:17, 25, 27)
'Simon, son of John, do you love me?'content — third question — Jesus now takes up Peter's own φιλεῖς; descent to his word or mere variation, the crux stands
Peter was grievedindependent — the grief — the third asking touches the third denial
because he said to him the third time,cause — causal ὅτι — the count itself wounds
'Do you love me?'content — the repeated word quoted
And he said to him:independent — aorist now — the historic-present chain breaks for Peter's appeal
'Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.'content — the appeal to omniscience — οἶδας and γινώσκεις paired; φιλῶ to the last
Jesus says to him:independent — historic present resumes
'Feed my sheep.'content — third commission — three denials, three confessions, three charges: the restoration complete
vv. 18–19 — the stretched-out hands, and ἀκολούθει μοι
18
'Truly, truly, I say to you:content — the double amen — the solemn oracle over Peter's future, continuing under the λέγει of v. 17
when you were young,conditional — temporal ὅτε (typed cnd) — leans forward on ἐζώννυες
you used to gird yourselfcontent — customary imperfect — the freedom of youth; ζώννυμι echoing διεζώσατο (v. 7)
and walkcontent — customary imperfect — self-directed movement
wherever you wished;relative — local relative ὅπου — will and way once aligned
but when you grow old,conditional — indefinite temporal ὅταν + subjunctive (typed cnd) — leans forward on ἐκτενεῖς
you will stretch out your hands,content — the prophetic future — early readers heard crucifixion in the outstretched hands
and another will gird youcontent — the passivity of the end — another's belt, another's will
and carry youcontent — οἴσει — borne along, no longer walking free
where you do not wish.'relative — the antithesis closed — ὅπου ἤθελες against ὅπου οὐ θέλεις
19
Now he said thisindependent — narrator's interpretive aside begins — the formula of 12:33 and 18:32
signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.participial — σημαίνων with its indirect question kept in line — martyrdom as doxology; the crucifixion reading confirmed by early tradition
And having said this,participial — preposed aorist participle — leans forward on λέγει
he says to him:independent — historic present
'Follow me.'content — present imperative — the discipleship-word of 1:43 spoken again, now toward a cross
The beloved disciple, the rumor, and the attestation 21:20–25
vv. 20–23 — 'what about him?' — the saying and the rumor corrected
20
Turning around, Peterparticipial — preposed participle with its subject — leans forward on βλέπει
sees the disciple whom Jesus loved following —independent — historic present; ἀκολουθοῦντα — the beloved disciple already doing what Peter was just commanded
the one who also reclined against his breast at the supperrelative — narrator's identifying flashback to 13:25 — the credential of intimacy
and said:relative — coordinate relative clause — the supper question recalled
'Lord, who is the one betraying you?'content — the quoted question of 13:25 — παραδιδούς, the betrayal participle
21
So seeing him, Peterparticipial — preposed aorist participle — leans forward on λέγει
says to Jesus:independent — historic present
'Lord, and this man — what?'content — verbless question — Peter's gaze deflected from his own path to his brother's
22
Jesus says to him:independent — historic present
'If I want him to remain until I come,conditional — protasis inside quoted speech — leans forward on the verbless apodosis; ἕως ἔρχομαι, the parousia
what is that to you?content — verbless apodosis — the rebuff of comparison
You follow me!'content — emphatic σύ fronted with μοι — the command of v. 19 doubled down
23
So this saying went out to the brothers,independent — narrator's correction begins — οἱ ἀδελφοί, the community's self-designation
that that disciple was not going to die;content — the rumor's content — epexegetic ὅτι on ὁ λόγος
yet Jesus did not say to himindependent — the correction — implying the beloved disciple had died and the saying now needed exegesis
that he was not going to die,content — what was not said — the rumor's words disowned
but, 'If I want him to remain until I come,conditional — the protasis re-quoted verbatim after ἀλλά — conditional, not promise
what is that to you?'content — verbless apodosis — the exact words, and nothing more
vv. 24–25 — the attestation, and the world that could not contain the books
24
This is the disciple who testifies about these things and who wrote these things,independent — the colophon — present μαρτυρῶν beside aorist γράψας; the third-person authorial claim, read by many as the community presenting his testimony
and we knowindependent — the community's 'we' — unparalleled in the Gospel proper; the attesting circle
that his testimony is true.content — ἀληθής — the Gospel's own criterion (19:35) applied to its author
25
Now there are also many other thingsindependent — the final sentence — existential Ἔστιν fronted
that Jesus did,relative — the deeds beyond the book — echoing the first ending, 20:30
which, if they should be written one by one,conditional — connective relative ἅτινα fused with an ἐὰν protasis — leans forward on οἶμαι; distributive καθ' ἕν
I suppose that not even the world itself would contain the books that would be written.independent — the closing hyperbole — a classical topos of inexhaustibility (cf. Sir 43:27; Philo); οἶμαι, the writer's lone first-person singular
Analysis. John 21 is narrative laced with dialogue, and the layout shows both: flush-left purple mainline verbs, an unusual share of them historic presents (λέγει again and again — flagged as they land), with the Johannine scene-machinery indenting around them — forward-leaning genitive absolutes and preposed participles (πρωΐας δὲ ἤδη γενομένης, Σίμων οὖν Πέτρος ἀκούσας, καὶ τοσούτων ὄντων, Ἐπιστραφεὶς ὁ Πέτρος, τοῦτον οὖν ἰδών), temporal ὡς/ὅτε/ὅταν clauses typed cnd for want of a temporal key, and speech hanging blue (cnt) under its verb of saying, so that vv. 15–17 read as three matched staircases: λέγει — question — λέγει — answer — λέγει — commission, three times over. The narrator's asides sit on the mainline or hang as γάρ-clauses (ἦν γὰρ γυμνός; the two-hundred-cubit measurement of v. 8; the none-dared-ask note of v. 12; the third-appearance tally of v. 14; the death-signifying gloss of v. 19; the supper flashback of v. 20; the rumor-correction of v. 23) — the epilogue is the most self-glossing chapter in the Gospel, and the layout lets the glosses visibly interrupt. Cruxes flagged, not resolved: the ἀγαπᾷς/ἀγαπᾷς/φιλεῖς — φιλῶ/φιλῶ/φιλῶ alternation of vv. 15–17 is tagged where each word falls, real semantic descent (so Barrett, Carson, Köstenberger) or Johannine synonym-variation (so Moulton and a minority), as is the parallel βόσκε/ποίμαινε and ἀρνία/πρόβατα variation; πλέον τούτων in v. 15 is left open between 'more than these men love me' and 'more than these things'; the 153 of v. 11 is tagged as the triangular number of 17, allegorized since Jerome, uninterpreted by the text; and v. 22's Ἐὰν protasis is laid out exactly as v. 23 insists it be read — a conditional leaning forward on its verbless apodosis, not a promise that the beloved disciple would not die. The chapter ends with the community's οἴδαμεν vouching flush-left for the disciple who wrote, and the world that could not contain the books.