Greek Lesson - John 21 - Peter's Absolution. Exegesis

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John 21

15 οτε ουν ηριστησαν, λεγει τω σιμωνι πετρω ο ιησους σιμων ιωνα αγαπας με πλειον τουτων? λεγει αυτω ναι κυριε συ οιδας οτι φιλω σε λεγει αυτω βοσκε τα αρνια μου (lambs)

Simon - not Peter. φιλω - not the verb Jesus used - weaker.

16 λεγει αυτω παλιν δευτερον, σιμων ιωνα αγαπας με? λεγει αυτω ναι κυριε συ οιδας οτι φιλω σε λεγει αυτω ποιμαινε τα προβατα μου (sheep)

17 λεγει αυτω το τριτον σιμων ιωνα φιλεις με? ελυπηθη ο πετρος οτι ειπεν αυτω το τριτον φιλεις με και ειπεν αυτω κυριε συ παντα οιδας συ γινωσκεις οτι φιλω σε λεγει αυτω ο ιησους βοσκε τα προβατα μου

Lenski - For already when the angel sent the first message by the women he said, "Tell his disciples and Peter," Mark 16:7. Peter was present when Jesus appeared behind the locked doors and gave the disciples the commission, "So I, too, send you." Peter was thus absolved and reinstated into his office and was again established among the believers, including the eleven. His case, however, was so grave that Jesus proceeded to do more. Here at the lakeside he takes Peter in hand in order to eradicate from his heart the last trace of false self-confidence, and at the same time in order to cut off any possible foolish criticism on the part of any members in the church, he formally and publicly reinstates Peter into his office.

 Peter's Martyrdom

18 αμην αμην λεγω σοι οτε ης νεωτερος, εζωννυες σεαυτον και περιεπατεις οπου ηθελες - οταν δε γηρασης εκτενεις τας χειρας σου και αλλος σε ζωσει και οισει οπου ου θελεις

Peter crucified in 64, led with rope around his waist to his death. οισει οπου ου θελεις - emphatic not, Lenski.

19 τουτο δε ειπεν σημαινων ποιω θανατω δοξασει τον θεον και τουτο ειπων λεγει αυτω ακολουθει μοι

signing by which

20 επιστραφεις δε ο πετρος βλεπει τον μαθητην ον ηγαπα ο ιησους ακολουθουντα - ος και ανεπεσεν εν τω δειπνω επι το στηθος αυτου - και ειπεν κυριε τις εστιν ο παραδιδους σε

21 τουτον ιδων ο πετρος λεγει τω ιησου κυριε ουτος δε τι

22 λεγει αυτω ο ιησους εαν αυτον θελω μενειν εως ερχομαι τι προς σε συ ακολουθει μοι

23 εξηλθεν ουν ο λογος ουτος εις τους αδελφους οτι ο μαθητης εκεινος ουκ αποθνησκει και ουκ ειπεν αυτω ο ιησους οτι ουκ αποθνησκει αλλ εαν αυτον θελω μενειν εως ερχομαι τι προς σε

24 ουτος εστιν ο μαθητης ο μαρτυρων περι τουτων και γραψας ταυτα και οιδαμεν οτι αληθης εστιν η μαρτυρια αυτου

25 εστιν δε και αλλα πολλα οσα εποιησεν ο ιησους ατινα εαν γραφηται καθ εν, ουδε αυτον οιμαι τον κοσμον χωρησαι τα γραφομενα βιβλια αμην

1550 Stephanus New Testament (TR1550)

Exegesis - 

18 θεον ουδεις εωρακεν πωποτε ο μονογενης υιος ο ων εις τον κολπον του πατρος εκεινος εξηγησατο (has exegeted Him - exegesato)

Strong Thayer notes - here.

"About ad 75, Josephus used 1834 (eksēgéomai) as a "technical term for the interpretation of the law as practiced by the rabbinate" (A. Schlatter, Der Evangelist Johannes, Stuttgart, 1948, p 36, who cites Josephus, Ant. 17.149; War 1.649; 2.162).]"

Lenski

The wonderful person thus described to us can, indeed, and did, indeed, bring us the ultimate revelation, "he did declare him." The demonstrative  is resumptive and emphatic, taking up "God Only begotten" together with the appended relative clause, R. 707 and 708. The verb is choice and impressive and is not used otherwise by the evangelist. It goes far beyond what any man could do, assuming even that it were possible for him to see God and then to tell us what he had seen. The tense is the historical aorist, summing up all that Jesus "did declare" concerning God not only by his words and his deeds but also by his very coming and the presence of his person. The Logos is the supreme exegete, the absolute interpreter of God. The verb means more than erzaehlen, "to narrate or tell"; it means "to expound" or "set forth completely." The Greek is able to dispense with an object, but the English cannot imitate this brevity. So some supply "it," which is too weak and means too little; others, what he beheld while being with God, which is well enough in substance but too long in form; "him" is best of all. "Christ did not receive the revelation in time, like the Old Testament prophets, by means of the inspiration of the spirit of God, passing it on to others; he is himself the eternal Logos and the essential truth. He made known on earth what he beheld with the Father and heard from the Father as the Son of God before the foundation of the world, John 3:32; 6:46; 8:26, 38, 40; 12:50 (compare the analogous expression concerning the Holy Ghost, 16:13). And this which he received and obtained not merely in time but beheld and heard before his incarnation in eternity he sees and hears also continuously as man, since it is an eternal seeing and hearing and not subject to the change of time. For as we have already learned, he is the exegete of the Father, as the one who is in the bosom of the Father, and he knoweth the Father, as the Father knoweth him, John 8:55; 10:15. And as he knows the Father, so he knows also men, his brethren." Philippi, Glauhenslehre, IV, 1, 443. Thus also the last word re-echoes and joins again the first word  Logos The Word — he did declare. And this ushers in the historical account, setting down for us what "he did declare."