OET interlinear YHN (JHN) 21:19

21:19a

Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God: This clause is in parentheses to show that it is a comment by the writer John. It is not part of the story. John explained that Jesus spoke as he did to indicate how Peter would die. He would die by crucifixion. By dying that way, Peter would bring glory to God. Although the Greek and some translations use the pronoun “he” to refer to both Jesus and Peter, make it clear in your translation that the second pronoun “he” refers to Peter, not to Jesus. For example:

In saying this, Jesus was indicating the way in which Peter would die and bring glory to God. (GNT)

Now Jesus said this to indicate clearly by what kind of death Peter was going to glorify God. (NET)

this: This pronoun this refers to what Jesus just told Peter in 21:18. 21:18d–e implies that Peter would die by crucifixion.

to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God: The Greek word that the BSB translates as to indicate here refers to implying or saying something about the future. The same verb is used in 12:33, 18:32, and Acts 11:28, where the BSB translates it as “foretold.” Here are other ways to translate this clause:

to show by what kind of death Peter would bring glory to God (GW)

he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God (NJB)

Jesus was indicating the way in which Peter would die and bring glory to God (GNT)

the kind of death by which: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as the kind of death by which is more literally “by what death.” It probably implies a reference to crucifixion. See also 12:33 and 18:32, where the phrase refers to Jesus’ own death. An old tradition says that when he was an old man Peter was crucified for believing in Jesus. This probably took place under Emperor Nero around AD 65–68.

Peter would glorify God: Peter would glorify (‘give glory to’ or ‘honor’) God by dying on a cross because he believed in Jesus. He would honor God by showing how great God was, and how much he deserved praise. See how you translated glorify in 8:54, 12:28, and 17:1. See also KBT Glory, glorious, glorify C.3. For example:

Peter was going to honour God (JBP)

how Peter would die and bring honor to God (CEV)

21:19b

And after He had said this: The pronoun this refers to what Jesus just told Peter. The BSB adds the words He had said in order to make this explicit. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

Then (NLT)

He told him: The pronoun He refers to Jesus and the pronoun him refers to Peter. It may be clearer to make one or both names explicit. For example:

Jesus told him (NLT)

Jesus said to Peter (NCV)

he said to Peter (CEV)

Follow Me: This clause here means “believe and obey me.”A few scholars think that Follow here means “to walk behind” as in 21:20a. However, most scholars agree that it means “to follow as a disciple” as in the same command in 21:22b. It could also refer to following him in the kind of death he died. The form of the Greek verb can refer to continuing an action that already began. So here it can mean “continue believing and obeying me.”