And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, You are Simon the son of Jona: you shall be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
Thou art.
John 1:47,48 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! …
John 2:24,25 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, …
John 6:70,71 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? …
the son.
John 21:15-17 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs…
Jonas.
Matthew 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Barjona.
1 Corinthians 1:12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:22 Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
1 Corinthians 9:5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
A stone.
John 21:2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.
Matthew 10:2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
who looked at him and said
Jesus' look is often described as penetrating and discerning, indicating His ability to see beyond the surface. This moment signifies Jesus' divine insight and authority, as He perceives Simon's potential and future role in the early church. It reflects the biblical theme of God knowing individuals intimately, as seen in passages like Psalm 139:1-4.
“You are Simon son of John.
Jesus acknowledges Simon's identity and lineage, which is significant in Jewish culture where family heritage is important. The mention of "son of John" (or Jonah in some manuscripts) connects Simon to his earthly family, yet Jesus is about to redefine his identity in a spiritual context. This mirrors the biblical pattern of God calling individuals by name, as seen with Abraham, Jacob, and others.
You will be called Cephas”
The name "Cephas" is Aramaic for "rock" or "stone," and Jesus' renaming of Simon signifies a transformation and a new purpose. This act of renaming is reminiscent of God changing Abram's name to Abraham and Jacob's to Israel, indicating a new covenant or mission. It foreshadows Simon Peter's foundational role in the church, as Jesus later declares in Matthew 16:18.
(which is translated as Peter).
The translation of "Cephas" to "Peter" (Greek: Petros) underscores the universality of the Gospel message, bridging Aramaic and Greek-speaking audiences. Peter's name becomes synonymous with strength and stability, reflecting his future leadership in the early church. This renaming also connects to prophecies about the Messiah establishing a new covenant community, as seen in Isaiah 28:16, where God lays a "tested stone" as a foundation.
• Andrew’s first impulse after meeting the Messiah is to bring his brother (John 1:40-41), modeling the natural flow of faith: encounter Christ, then invite others.
• Scripture consistently highlights those who bring people to the Lord—think of the four friends lowering the paralytic to Jesus (Mark 2:3-5) and Philip guiding the eunuch (Acts 8:30-35).
• The verse underscores the value Jesus places on personal introductions; lives are changed when someone simply says, “Come and see” (John 1:46).
• Jesus’ gaze is never casual. “Jesus, knowing their thoughts” (Matthew 9:4) and “Jesus, looking at him, loved him” (Mark 10:21) reveal His penetrating, loving insight.
• Here the look signals omniscience and compassion—He sees Simon completely, past, present, and future (Psalm 139:1-4).
• That look affirms each believer: the Lord sees you, not just the crowd around you (Luke 19:5).
• When Jesus speaks, His words carry divine authority; creation itself came to be by His word (John 1:3).
• Peter later affirms, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).
• The spoken declaration demonstrates that Jesus doesn’t merely observe; He acts, calling us into His purposes (Isaiah 55:11).
• Jesus begins with Simon’s current identity—his given name and family heritage—showing full awareness of who Simon is right now (John 21:15).
• God often starts by naming reality before transforming it: “Abram… you will be Abraham” (Genesis 17:5); “Sarai… you will be Sarah” (Genesis 17:15).
• This statement confirms Simon’s worth in his existing context; God values our present even as He prepares our future (Jeremiah 1:5).
• Cephas/Peter means “rock.” Jesus is prophetically assigning a new role: stability and leadership in the emerging church (Matthew 16:18-19).
• The promise is immediate, though the full outworking spans years—Peter’s bold confession (Matthew 16:16), failures (Luke 22:60-62), and restoration (John 21:15-17).
• The new name embodies grace: Jesus sees beyond Simon’s impulsiveness to the steadfastness the Spirit will produce (Acts 2:14-41).
• For every believer, God declares a future identity grounded in His purposes: “To the one who overcomes… I will give a new name” (Revelation 2:17).
John 1:42 showcases Jesus’ transforming encounter with Simon. Andrew’s simple act of bringing his brother sets the stage. Jesus’ penetrating look reveals complete knowledge and love. His authoritative word affirms Simon’s current identity while proclaiming a new one—Peter, the rock. The verse teaches that Christ sees who we are, calls us by name, and declares what, by His grace, we will become.
(42) Beheld.--See Note on John 1:29.A Stone.--Better, Peter, as in margin. The word means a stone, but the writer translated for Greek, not for English readers. The rule of the previous verse, which places the Greek word in the text and the English word in the margin, should be followed here.
Cephas.--The word occurs only in this place in the Gospels, elsewhere in the New Testament only in St. Paul (1 Cor. and Gal.). Remembering the general significance of Hebrew names, the changes in the Old Testament as of Abram, Sarai, and Jacob, and among these first disciples as of James and John (Mark 3:16; Mark 3:18), all these names of Peter seem meant to characterise the man,--"Thou art now Hearer, the Son of Jehovah's Grace; thou shalt be called and be a Rock-man." (Comp. Note on Matthew 16:17.)
Verse 42. - He brought (the past tense) him to Jesus; as one entirely sympathetic and as eagerly longing for the Christ, for the Lamb of God, for the King of Israel. Seeing that Simon was found so soon - most probably on the evening of the memorable day - we gather that Simon also must have been among the hearers of John. He too must have left his fishing to listen to the Baptist. The entire group must have been drawn away from their ordinary avocations by the trumpet call of the preacher in the wilderness. Jesus looked - intently, with penetrating glance - upon him, and said, Thou art Simon, the Son of John - that is the name by which thou hast been introduced to me; a time is coming for thee to receive a new name - Thou shalt be called Cephas (which is interpreted, Peter). It is perfectly gratuitous of Baur and Hilgenfeld to imagine this to be a fictitious adaptation of the great scene recorded in Matthew 16. The solemn assertions made there proceed upon the assumption of the previous conference of the name "Peter." There the Lord said, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock," etc. On this earlier occasion Jesus said, "Thou art Simon, thou shalt be called Κηφᾶς." The assumption of the Tubingen critics, that a desire to lower Peter from his primacy is conspicuous in this passage, cannot be sustained. Though Andrew and John precede Peter in their earliest relations with Jesus, yet Peter is undoubtedly the most conspicuous character, to whom the Lord from the first gives an honourable cognomen (cf. also John 6:67-69 and John 21:15, etc.). (Compare here, for historic changes of name, Genesis 17:5; Genesis 32:28.) Weiss ('Life of Christ,' Eng. trans., 1:370) says admirably, "There is no ground for assuming that this is an anticipation of Matthew 16:18. Simon was not to bear this name until he was deserving of it. Jesus never called him anything but Simon (Mark 14:37; Matthew 17:25; Luke 22:31; John 21:15-17). Paul calls him by the names Peter and Cephas.... The evangelist is right when he beholds in this scene a more than human acumen. ... The history shows he was not deceived in Peter." This narrative cannot be a Johannine setting forth of the first call of the four disciples as given in the synoptists. If it be, it is a fictitious modification. Place, occasion, and immediate result are all profoundly different. The one narrative cannot be twisted into the other. Are the anti-harmonists correct in saying that they are irreconcilable? Certainly not. There is no indication that before John was cast into prison, before Jesus commenced his public ministry in Galilee, he had called disciples away from their ordinary duties to be his apostles. Some of these four may have returned, as Jesus himself did, to his family and domestic surroundings (John 2:12). John may have accompanied Jesus to Jerusalem and through Samaria. But there is much to make it probable that Simon, Andrew, and at least, were, during the whole of that period, on the lake pondering the future. Christ's solemn, sudden call to them to become "fishers of men," after a manifestation to them of his supernatural powers, presupposes rather than excludes this earlier interview. Simon, on that occasion, by the exclamation recorded (Luke 5:5), reveals an earlier acquaintance with and reverence for his ἐπιστάτης (see an admirable vindication of this position in Weiss, 'Life of Jesus,' vol. 1.). The Lord, in this first interview, penetrates and denominates the character of the most illustrious of his followers. His rocklike fortitude, which, though sorely assailed and chafed by the storms of the great sea of opinion and prejudice, formed the central nucleus of that Church against which the gates of hell have not prevailed. Our Lord implied the strength of his nature, even when he predicted his great fall (Luke 22:32).