He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. In this repetition of the question, though the wound was meant to be re-opened, the words, "more than these" are not repeated; for Christ is a tender as well as skillful Physician, and Peter's silence on that point was confession enough of his sin and folly. On Peter's repeating his protestation in the same words, our Lord rises higher in the manifestation of His restoring grace.
He saith unto him, Feed (or 'Keep') my sheep. It has been observed, particularly by Trench, who has some beautiful remarks on this subject in his 'Synonyms of the New Testament,' that the word here is studiously changed from one signifying simply to 'feed' х boskoo (G1006)] to one signifying to 'tend' as a shepherd х poimainoo (G4165)], denoting the abiding exercise of the pastoral vocation and its highest functions.