Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

John 21:18

John 21:18. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast younger, 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 bring thee whither thou wouldest not. Our readers may call to mind, before we proceed to the farther examination of this verse, that ‘girding' was the preliminary to crucifixion. The words, ‘ verily, verily,' with which the verse begins, mark, as always, the importance and solemnity of the declaration made, and thus prepare us to think that we have more in them than a simple announcement of the death which the apostle was to die. Again, the use of the word. ‘girded' although not the compound of John 21:7, but the simple verb reminds us so much of the action of this latter verse, where the metaphorical meaning is obviously prominent in the writer's mind, as to lead here also to the thought of metaphor. Again, the use of the word ‘walkedst' (comp. chaps, John 6:66; John 8:12; John 11:9-10; John 12:35), which in its literal signification is not well adapted to express the free activity of youth, suggests a figurative interpretation of the passage. Once more, the mention of the stretching out of the hands before the carrying away is spoken of, is fatal to a merely literal meaning; for such stretching out of the hands cannot be looked on as a necessary preliminary to girding, whereas it would be a natural action on the part of those who willingly submitted to their fate, and who were desirous to help rather than hinder officials in the discharge of their duty. We seem, therefore, compelled to adopt a metaphorical interpretation of the words. When we do so all difficulties disappear.

The allusion to the time when Peter girded himself and walked whither he would, becomes the expression of that self-will by which, before his present entire consecration to the service of Jesus, he had been marked. Now, however, his self-will shall be crucified; the old nature which sought only its own gratification shall be as completely powerless as is the body of one nailed to a cross; he will be so truly a partaker of the sufferings of Christ as to find in this fellowship with his dying Lord the very ground and beginning of his apostolic activity. Then he will ‘stretch out his hands,' will assume the attitude of one who is giving himself up to another's guidance, and will resign himself entirely to the disposal of that ‘other,' to whose will his own has been subdued. Then, too, ‘another' will gird him, that is, will gird him in the sense in which the word has just been used, will equip him for his task. Finally, another will ‘bring (not carry)' him whither he would not; will lead him in paths that he would not himself have chosen, will guide him to fields of activity in which he shall joyfully submit himself to Him who immediately adds, ‘Follow Me.' The question may be asked, Who then is the ‘other' spoken of? The only answer seems to be that it is the ‘other' of chap. John 5:32, that is, God (comp. also chap. John 4:38).

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Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

John 21:18

Old Testament

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