So Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus which one He was talking about.
Parallel translations
- WEB Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, and said to him, “Tell us who it is of whom he speaks.”
- KJV Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake.
- NKJV Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke.
- NASB So Simon Peter *nodded to this disciple and *said to him, “Tell us who it is of whom He is speaking.”
- NLT Simon Peter motioned to him to ask, “Who’s he talking about?”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Peter signals to this disciple to ask Jesus whom He means. It shows Peter using the beloved disciple's nearness to learn the betrayer's identity.
Overview
Unable to ask directly, Peter prompts the disciple closest to Jesus to inquire. The detail reflects the eyewitness texture of John's account. It advances the narrative toward the unveiling of Judas as the betrayer.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Acts 13:16Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and began to speak: “Men of Israel and you Gentiles who fear God, listen to me!
- Acts 21:40Having received permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. A great hush came over the crowd, and he addressed them in Hebrew:
- Luke 1:22When he came out and was unable to speak to them, they realized he had seen a vision in the temple. He kept making signs to them but remained speechless.
- Acts 12:17Peter motioned with his hand for silence, and he described how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Send word to James and to the brothers,” he said, and he left for another place.
- Luke 5:7So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 13:24 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.