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Verse

John 21:5

ESV Jesus said to them, "Children, do you have any fish?" They answered him, "No."
NIV He called out to them, "Friends, haven’t you any fish?" "No," they answered.
NASB So Jesus *said to them, 'Children, you do not have any fish to eat, do you?' They answered Him, 'No.'
CSB "Friends," Jesus called to them, "you don’t have any fish, do you?" "No," they answered.
NLT He called out, 'Fellows, have you caught any fish?' 'No,' they replied.
KJV Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat They answered him, No.
NKJV Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.”

What does John 21:5 mean?

At sunrise, and after an unsuccessful night of fishing (John 21:1–3), the disciples are not likely to recognize anyone standing far away on the shores of Galilee (John 21:4). The figure they see is Jesus, who calls out to ask if they've caught anything. The Greek term paidia literally refers to "children," but can also be a figure of speech. One can imagine a modern person calling out in English, "you kids didn't catch anything, did you?"

A few years before, Jesus responded to a fruitless night of fishing by commanding Peter to cast his nets off the other side of the boat (Luke 5:3–5). The result was a clear miracle (Luke 5:6–7), resulting in Peter's declaration of faith (Luke 5:8). In this encounter, Jesus will give a similar instruction (John 21:6), with similar results (John 21:7).
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