John 21:9-14 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

As soon as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals The effect of Christ's wonder-working power; and fish laid thereon, and bread Which also he had prepared by a miracle, that they might see how easily he could make provision for them, when they were destitute of the ordinary means of supply. We need not be curious in inquiring whence this fire, fish, and bread came, any more than whence the meat came which the ravens brought Elijah. He that could multiply the loaves and fishes that were, could make new ones if he pleased, or turn stones into bread, fish, or flesh. We may take comfort from this instance of Christ's care of his disciples; persuaded he has wherewith to supply all our wants, and knows what things we have need of. It is especially encouraging to Christ's ministers, whom he hath made fishers of men, to learn, by such an instance, that they may depend upon him who employs them to provide for them what he sees to be needful. Jesus saith, Bring of the fish ye have now caught Christ gave this order either because the fish already broiling on the fire was not sufficient for the company, or rather, perhaps, to show them the reality and greatness of the miracle, by making them attend to the number and largeness of the fish which they had caught, and to the circumstance of the net's not being broken. Simon Peter went up, and With the help of his brethren; drew the net to land As Peter in the former instance had showed a more zealous affection to his Master's person than any of them, so in this he showed a more ready obedience to his Master's commands. Full of great fishes, a hundred and fifty and three These were many more than they needed for their present supply; but they might sell them, and the money would serve to bear their expenses on their journey back to Jerusalem, whither they were shortly to return, and to support them while they waited there. And for all there were so many And great fishes too; yet was not the net broken So that they witnessed miracle upon miracle wrought for them. Jesus saith, Come and dine Or, come and eat; for the word αριστησατε, here used, signifies sometimes to take meat in the morning, which is the meaning of it here. Dr. Doddridge reads, Come and refresh yourselves; and Bishop Pearce, Come and breakfast. “The ancients used regularly but two meals in a day; we use three. As of our three, dinner and supper have been regarded as the two principal, it has obtained, not only with us, but all over Europe, to call the first meal of the ancients by the first of these two, which is dinner; and the second by the latter, which is supper. It is the order which has fixed the names of these meals, and not the precise time of the day at which they were eaten, which is commonly variable.” Campbell. None of the disciples durst Or rather, presumed, or ventured to ask him, Who art thou? For, as the last-mentioned divine justly observes, “the verb ετολμα, which our translators render durst, does not always, in the use of Greek authors, sacred or profane, express the boldness or courage implied in the English verb to dare, by which it is commonly rendered. When joined with a negative, as in this place, it often expresses merely a disinclination, arising from modesty, delicacy, respect, or an averseness to be troublesome in putting unnecessary questions. And it may here be properly translated presumed, or ventured; an interpretation confirmed by the words immediately following. The sense then will be, They knew him to be the Lord, and therefore did not presume to ask him a needless question. To say they durst not ask him, tends to convey the notion that our Lord's manner of conversing with his disciples was harsh and forbidding, than which nothing can be more contrary to truth. It is not said by the evangelist here, that Jesus now ate with them; but his invitation to them in this verse implies it. Besides, Peter testifies, (Acts 10:41,) that his apostles did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead; meaning to tell Cornelius that that was one of the many infallible proofs by which he showed himself alive after his passion. It is reasonable, therefore, to think that he ate with his apostles on this occasion. Thus Jesus proved to his disciples anew the reality of his resurrection, not only by eating with them, but by working a miracle like that which, at the beginning of his ministry, made such an impression upon them as disposed them to be his constant followers. This is the third time Jesus showed himself to his disciples, &c. The evangelist does not say that it was the third time Jesus appeared, but the third time that he appeared to his disciples; that is, to his apostles in a body; for in reality it was his seventh appearance. Besides, John himself has taken notice of three appearances before this.