Translation commentary on John 21:4

As the sun was rising is more literally “But when dawn was already coming.” Only here in John’s Gospel is the word “dawn” (Greek proia) used. New American Bible translates “just after daybreak”; Goodspeed renders “but just as day was breaking”; New English Bible has “morning came”; and Jerusalem Bible translates “it was light by now.”

At the water’s edge is more literally “on the beach” (so Revised Standard Version and many other translations). New American Bible translates “on the shore.” It may be important in some languages to state specifically “on the shore of the lake.”

It is difficult to understand why the disciples did not know that it was Jesus, if they had already seen him twice after the resurrection. Possibly this account was originally a first resurrection appearance of the Lord to his disciples. Some assume that the disciples did not recognize Jesus because of the distance between the boat and the shore or because of the early morning mist. However, the failure to recognize Jesus was also mentioned in the appearance to Mary Magdalene (20.14), where these two factors played no role.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 21:4

Paragraph 21:4–6

A man on the shore told the disciples how they could catch some fish. They realized that it was Jesus, and Peter jumped into the water and swam to shore.

21:4a

Early in the morning: This phrase refers to the early morning immediately after daybreak (sunrise). There was enough light for the disciples to see the shore. Use an expression that is natural in your language. For example:

As the sun was rising (God’s Word)
-or-
At dawn (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Early the next morning (Contemporary English Version)

Jesus stood on the shore: Jesus was standing near the water. The text does not say whether he had been there some time or whether he only arrived at sunrise. But the light of the sun enabled the disciples to see him. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

there stood Jesus on the shore (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
Jesus was standing on the beach (New Living Translation (2004))

on the shore: This phrase here refers to the shore, the land at the edge of the Sea of Galilee. It may not have been a wide sandy area. For example:

on the shore of the lake (TH)
-or-
at the water’s edge (Good News Translation)

21:4b

but the disciples did not recognize that it was Jesus: The disciples did not recognize that it was Jesus standing on the beach. Perhaps it was difficult to see in the early morning light, or perhaps he looked different in some way. Compare 20:14–15 and Luke 24:15–16. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

but the disciples did not realize who he was (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
although the disciples had no idea that it was Jesus (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

General Comment on 21:4a–b

In some languages it may be natural to translate 21:4a from the disciples’ view from the boat. You would indicate only that someone, or a man, was standing on the beach. The information that this was in fact Jesus may be translated as a separate clause. For example:

4a Just after daybreak ⌊the disciples saw⌋ someone standing on the beach. It was Jesus, 4b but they did not recognize him.

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