Charles Ellicott Commentary John 21:12

"Jesus saith unto them, Come [and] break your fast. And none of the disciples durst inquire of him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord." — John 21:12 (ASV)

Jesus says to them, Come and dine.—Compare the note on John 21:15 and Luke 11:37, which are the only other instances of this verb in the New Testament. The meal referred to was the early morning meal that we call breakfast (John 21:4).

And none of the disciples dared ask him . . .—Compare John 4:27. They approach Him in reverent silence. Knowing it is the Lord, they yet desire the assurance in His own words, and still they do not dare to ask, Who are you? The Greek word translated as “ask” means “to prove” and “to inquire.” It is found elsewhere in the New Testament only in Matthew 2:8 and Matthew 10:11.

The word translated as “dared” (originally “durst”) is also not found again in John. However, its use in the Gospels is—except in the instance of Nicodemus, who went in boldly to Pilate (Mark 15:43)—confined to the expression of the reverence that dared not question our Lord (Mark 12:34; Luke 20:40). In all these instances, it is used with a negative and with a verb of inquiry, as here.