John 21:9
ESV
When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread.
NIV
When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
NASB
So when they got out on the land, they *saw a charcoal fire already made and fish placed on it, and bread.
CSB
When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread.
NLT
When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them — fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread.
KJV
As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.
NKJV
Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread.
What does John 21:9 mean?
Several of Jesus' disciples went on a nighttime fishing trip (John 21:1–4) while waiting for their master to meet them in Galilee (Matthew 28:9–10). Jesus had appeared on the shore and told them to cast once again, despite catching nothing the entire night. The result was a massive haul, and Peter reacted by jumping overboard so he can swim to shore (John 21:5–7). The others are only now arriving with the boat and its overfilled net (John 21:8).In the early days of their discipleship, Peter and these other men had seen a similar miracle, when Jesus provided them an enormous catch after a night of failure (Luke 5:5–8). After that, Jesus had called them to be "fishers of men," and they had left their trade behind (Luke 5:10–11). By the time the men arrive at the beach, Peter and Jesus have prepared a small fire to cook a breakfast of fish and bread. This will set the scene for Jesus to remind Peter of another, less happy memory (John 21:17). Both moments will connect as Jesus restores Peter's status as a faithful disciple.
