^21:18I tell you the solemn truth,⁴⁵ when you were young, you tied your clothes around you⁴⁶ and went wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will tie you up⁴⁷ and bring you where you do not want to go.” ^21:19(Now Jesus⁴⁸ said this to indicate clearly by what kind of death Peter⁴⁹ was going to glorify God.)⁵⁰ After he said this, Jesus told Peter,⁵¹ “Follow me.”

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Footnotes

45 Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
46 Or “you girded yourself.”
47 Grk “others will gird you.”
48 Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
49 Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
50 This is a parenthetical note by the author. The phrase by what kind of death Peter was going to glorify God almost certainly indicates martyrdom (cf. 1 Pet 4:16), and it may not predict anything more than that. But the parallelism of this phrase to similar phrases in John 12:33 and 18:32 which describe Jesus’ own death by crucifixion have led many to suggest that the picture Jesus is portraying for Peter looks not just at martyrdom but at death by crucifixion. This seems to be confirmed by the phrase you will stretch out your hands in the preceding verse. There is some evidence that the early church understood this and similar phrases (one of them in Isa 65:2) to refer to crucifixion (for a detailed discussion of the evidence see L. Morris, John [], 876, n. 52). Some have objected that if this phrase does indeed refer to crucifixion, the order within v. 18 is wrong, because the stretching out of the hands in crucifixion precedes the binding and leading where one does not wish to go. R. E. Brown (John [], 2:1108) sees this as a deliberate reversal of the normal order (hysteron proteron) intended to emphasize the stretching out of the hands. Another possible explanation for the unusual order is the Roman practice in crucifixions of tying the condemned prisoner’s arms to the crossbeam (patibulum) and forcing him to carry it to the place of execution (W. Bauer as cited by O. Cullmann in Peter: Disciple, Apostle, Martyr [], 88).
51 Grk “After he said this, he said to him”; the referents (first Jesus, second Peter) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“Truly I tell you, when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. After saying this, he told him, “Follow me.”

NLTNew Living Translation

“I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Truly, truly I say to you, when you were young, you tied your clothes around yourself and walked wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will tie you up and carry you where you do not want to go. (Now he said this to indicate by what kind of death he would glorify God.) And after he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me!”

KJV 1900King James Version

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.

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