John 21:5

5 Then Jesus said unto them, "Children, have ye any meat?" And they answered Him, "No."

John 21:5 Meaning and Commentary

John 21:5

Then Jesus saith unto them, children
And still they knew him not, though he used this endearing and familiar appellation, and which they had been wont to hear from him; and he had called them by a little before his departure from them, ( John 13:33 ) and which he uses here as expressive of his tender affection for them, their relation to him, and that he might be known by them:

have ye any meat?
that is, as the Syriac renders it, (oelml Mdm) , "anything to eat"; meaning fish that they had caught; and whether they had got a sufficient quantity to make a meal of for him and them.

They answered him no;
they had got nothing at all; or at least what they had was far from being enough to make a breakfast of; for so a meal early in a morning may be most properly called, though it is afterwards called dining. Christ's children, true believers, are sometimes without spiritual food; there is always indeed enough in Christ, and he has an heart to give it; but either through prevailing iniquity they feed on something else, or do not go to him for food, or go elsewhere; but he will not suffer them to starve; for as he has made provisions for them in the ministry of the word and ordinances; and he himself is the bread of life; if they do not ask him for food, he will ask them whether they have any; will kindly invite them to the provisions he himself makes; will bid them welcome, and bless them to them.

John 21:5 In-Context

3 Simon Peter said unto them, "I am going fishing." They said unto him, "We also go with thee." They went forth and entered into a boat immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.

5 Then Jesus said unto them, "Children, have ye any meat?" And they answered Him, "No."

6 And He said unto them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and ye shall find." They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it in for the multitude of fishes.

7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said unto Peter, "It is the Lord!" Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girded his fisher's coat unto him (for he was naked) and cast himself into the sea.