Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Lovest thou me? (fileiv me). This time Jesus picks up the word filew used by Peter and challenges that. These two words are often interchanged in the N.T., but here the distinction is preserved. Peter was cut to the heart (eluphqh, first aorist passive of lupew, to grieve) because Jesus challenges this very verb, and no doubt the third question vividly reminds him of the three denials in the early morning by the fire. He repeats his love for Jesus with the plea: "Thou knowest all things."
Feed my sheep (boske ta probatia). Many MSS. both here and in verse John 21:16 read probata (sheep) instead of probatia (little sheep or lambs).
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing John 21:17:
John 5:20
John 13:38
John 20:2
Acts 20:28
1 Peter 5:5
1 John 3:20
Revelation 2:2
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