Albert Barnes Commentary John 1:42

"He brought him unto Jesus. Jesus looked upon him, and said, Thou art Simon the son of John: thou shalt be called Cephas (which is by interpretation, Peter)." — John 1:42 (ASV)

Cephas—This is a Syriac word, meaning the same as the Greek word Peter, a stone. (See the notes on Matthew 16:17).

The stone, or rock, is a symbol of firmness and steadiness of character—a trait in Peter’s character after the ascension of Jesus that was very remarkable. Before the death of Jesus, he was rash, headlong, and variable. It is one proof of the omniscience of Jesus that He saw that Peter “would” possess a character that would be expressed appropriately by the word “stone” or “rock.”

The word “Jonas” is a Hebrew word, whose original signification is a “dove.” It may be that Jesus considered this when He gave Simon the name Peter: “You now bear a name emblematic of timidity and inconstancy. You shall be called by a name denoting firmness and constancy.”