# John 21.24

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-05-06 | updated: 2026-05-06 -->

**Book:** [John](/codex/john-the-apostle/) · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 22. Jesus saith unto him, <span class="rl-speech">If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me.</span> 23. This saying therefore went forth among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, <span class="rl-speech">that he should not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?</span>
>
> **24. This is the disciple that beareth witness of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his witness is true.**
>
> 25. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that should be written. (John 21:22-25, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 22. Jesus said to him, <span class="rl-speech">“If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.”</span> 23. This saying therefore went out among the brothers, that this disciple wouldn’t die. Yet Jesus didn’t say to him that he wouldn’t die, but, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you?”
>
> **24. This is the disciple who testifies about these things, and wrote these things. We know that his witness is true.**
>
> 25. There are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they would all be written, I suppose that even the world itself wouldn’t have room for the books that would be written. (John 21:22-25, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 22. Jesus saith unto him, <span class="rl-speech">If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.</span> 23. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, <span class="rl-speech">He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?</span>
>
> **24. This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.**
>
> 25. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen. (John 21:22-25, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 22. Jesus saith to him, <span class="rl-speech">'If him I will to remain till I come, what, to thee? be thou following me.'</span> This word, therefore, went forth to the brethren that that disciple doth not die, 23. yet Jesus did not say to him, that he doth not die, but, 'If him I will to remain till I come, what, to thee?'
>
> **24. this is the disciple who is testifying concerning these things, and he wrote these things, and we have known that his testimony is true.**
>
> 25. And there are also many other things, as many as Jesus did, which, if they may be written one by one, not even the world itself I think to have place for the books written. Amen. (John 21:22-25, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** John the Apostle (traditionally) / narrator + Jesus's direct teaching
- **Audience:** later Christian audience (high-Christological emphasis; against early gnosticism)
- **Location:** first-century Palestine (events); possibly Ephesus (composition)
- **Time period:** events c. 26-33 AD (3-Passover chronology); composed c. AD 85-95

## Theological reading

## Key words

_No Strong's-tagged lexicon matches found in this passage. (Lexicon coverage is curated, ~159 of the most apologetically-loaded Greek/Hebrew terms.)_

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Anonymous Gospels Objection Defeater](/codex/anonymous-gospels-objection-defeater/)
- [Gospels Are Constructed Encomium Objection Defeater](/codex/gospels-are-constructed-encomium-objection-defeater/)
- [Johannine Authorship of the Fourth Gospel](/codex/johannine-authorship-of-the-fourth-gospel/)
- [Why Didnt Jesus Write Anything Himself Objection Defeater](/codex/why-didnt-jesus-write-anything-himself-objection-defeater/)

**Concepts:**

- [NT Authorship and Eyewitness Apologetics](/codex/nt-authorship-and-eyewitness-apologetics/)

**People:**

- [John the Apostle](/codex/john-the-apostle/)

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