John 21:18  John 21:18  Verily, verily, I say unto thee A way of
speaking often used by Christ, when about to deliver anything of
considerable moment, partly to raise the attention, and partly
for the more strong asseveration of what is spoken; and may have
reference both to what went before, confirming Peter's
declaration of his love, which would be demonstrated by dying
for him, and the testimony of his omniscience, by foretelling
his death, and the kind of it; and to what follows after, which
contains an account of Peter in his younger years, and a
prophecy of what should befall him in old age:  when thou wast
young; not that he was old now, and capable he was of doing, and
he did do but just now, what our Lord ascribes to his younger
years:  thou girdest thyself, and walkest whither thou wouldst;
that is, he could put on his clothes himself, and gird them
about him with a girdle, as was the custom of the eastern
nations, who usually wore long garments; and as he, a little
before, had girt his fisher's coa