John 21:5

21:5 So Jesus said to them, “Children, you don’t have any fish, ¹  do you?” ²  They replied, ³  “No.”

John 21:8-9

21:8 Meanwhile the other disciples came with the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from land, only about a hundred yards. ⁴ 

21:9 When they got out on the beach, ⁵  they saw a charcoal fire ready ⁶  with a fish placed on it, and bread.

[21:5]  ¹ tn The word προσφάγιον (prosfagion) is unusual. According to BDAG 886 s.v. in Hellenistic Greek it described a side dish to be eaten with bread, and in some contexts was the equivalent of ὄψον (oyon), “fish.” Used in addressing a group of returning fishermen, however, it is quite clear that the speaker had fish in mind.

[21:5]  ² tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “do you?”).

[21:5]  ³ tn Grk “They answered him.”

[21:8]  ⁴ tn Or “about a hundred meters”; Grk “about two hundred cubits.” According to BDAG 812 s.v., a πῆχυς (phcu") was about 18 inches or .462 meters, so two hundred πηχῶν (phcwn) would be about 100 yards (92.4 meters).

[21:9]  ⁵ tn The words “on the beach” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[21:9]  ⁶ tn Grk “placed,” “laid.”