A A * Adyer αὐτῷ, “Nat
Λέγει αὐτῷ, “Booke τὰ dpvia
870 KATA ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 15. “Ore οὖν ἠρίστησαν, λέγει τῷ ἘΣίμωνι Πέτρω & ᾿Ιησοῦς, ri. 4a. “* Finwv ᾿Ιωνᾶ,ὶ ἀγαπᾶς µε πλεῖον τούτων ;’ αχ.1. Κύριε" σὺ οἶδας ὅτι φιλῶ ce.” Κεν. ν. 6
”.
μου.
Λέγει αὐτῷ, “Nat κύριε" σὺ οἶδας ὅτι φιλῶ σε.
bls αχ] τα, tcc Song i. 8.
”? ὃ Ποίµαινε τὰ πρόβατά ” µου.
/ 7A , , ες , 3 [ο ~ 2 16. Λέγει αὐτῷ πάλιν δεύτερον, “ Σίμων ᾽Ιωνᾶ, ἀγαπᾷς µε;
LZ > Λέγει αὐτῷ, 17. Λέγει αὐτῷ τό τρίτον, “ Σίμων
1 Better lwavov with NBC*DL. So in 16, 17.
* rpoBatia in BC; προβατα in NAD. αρνια, προβατια, προβατα. oviculas meas.”
‘*the wholesome madness of an hour ”’? Therefore He lets Peter settle down, He lets him breakfast and then takes him at the coolest hour of the day, and, at last breaking silence, says, Σίμων lwva [better, Ἰωάνου | ὁ ἀγαπᾷς µε πλεῖον (better, πλέον] τούτων; “Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than these?” So far as grammar goes, this may either mean ‘* Lovest thou me more than the other disciples love me?” or ‘ Lovest thou me more than this boat and net and your old life?” It may either refer to Peter’s saying, ‘‘ Though all should forsake Thee, yet will not I,” or to his sudden abandonment of the boat and fishing gear. If the former were intended, the second personal pronoun would almost necessarily be expressed ;
but, as the words stand, the contrast is not between ‘you’? and ‘these,” but be- tween ‘‘me’’ and ‘these’. Besides, would the characteristic tact and delicacy of Jesus have allowed Him to put a question involving a comparison of Peter with his fellow-disciples? The latter interpretation, although branded by Liicke as ‘eine geistlose lacherliche Frage,” commends itself. Difference of opinion also exists about the use of ἀγαπᾶς and Φφιλῶ, most interpreters believing that by the former a love based on esteem or judgment is indicated, by the latter the affection of the heart. The Vulgate distinguishes by using “diligis” and “amo”. Trench (Syno- nyms, 38) uses this distinction for the interpretation of this passage, and main- tains that Peter in his reply intentionally changes the colder ἀγαπᾶς into the warmer @gtAo. It is very doubtful whether this is justifiable. The two words are used interchangeably to ex- press the love of Jesus for John, see xiii. 23, and xx. 2; also for His love for Lazarus, xi. 3, 5, 36. And that the distinction cannot be maintained at any
Some have thought there was a climax,
‘“Pasce agniculos meos, pasce agnos meos, pasce
rate in this conversation is obvious from ver. 17; for if the words differed in meaning, it could not be said that “ Peter was grieved because Jesus a third time said, φιλεῖς pe”; because Jesus had not used these words three times. The words seem interchanged for euphony, as in Aelian, Var. Hist., ix. 1, where Hiero is said to have lived with his three brothers, wavy σφόδρα ἀγαπήσας αὐτοὺς καὶ im’ αὐτῶν φιληθεὶς ἐν τῷ µέρει. In Peter’s answer there is no sense of any discrepancy between the kind of love demanded and the love felt. It comes with a ναί, Κύριε. Why need He ask? σὺ οἶδας. . . . In this appeal te Christ’s own knowledge there is probably, as Weiss suggests, a consciousness of his own liability to be deceived, as shown in his recent experience.—Ver. το: Το this confession, the Lord responds, Βόσκε τὰ ἀρνία µου, “' Feed my lambs,”’
showing that Jesus could again trust him and could leave in his hands those whom He loved. ‘Lambs” is used instead of ‘‘sheep”’ to bring out more strongly thé appeal to care, and the consequent complete confidence shown in Peter. Aéyer... pov. The second inquiry is intended to drive Peter back from mere customary or lip-profession to the deep-lying affections of his spirit. But now no comparison is introduced into the question, which might be para- phrased: ''Άτε you sure that love and nothing but love is the bond between you and me?” This test Peter stands. He replies as before; and again is entrusted with the work in which his Lord is chiefly interested, Ποίµαινε τὰ πρόβατά pov. No different function is intended by ποίµαινε: it re- peats in another form the commission already given.—Ver. 17. But to him who had uttered a threefold denial, op- portunity is given of a threefold confes- sion, although Peter at first resented the