John 21:25

“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, etc.] Which refer not to his doctrines and discourses, his sermons and prayers, and the conversation he had with his disciples, and others, on different accounts; but to the signs, and wonders, and miraculous operations, which were done by him, that are neither recorded in this, nor in any of the evangelists: the which, if they should be written everyone; with all the particular circumstances relating to them: I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. The Arabic version renders it, “the things written in the books”; and the Syriac, “that the world would not be sufficient for the books that…”

“And there are many other things which Jesus did--(Compare Joh 20:30-31). if . . . written every one, I suppose--an expression used to show that what follows is not to be pressed too far. even the world itself would not hold the books, &c.--not a mere hyperbolical expression, unlike the sublime simplicity of this writer, but intended to let his reader know that, even now that he had done, he felt his materials so far from being exhausted, that he was still running over, and could multiply "Gospels" to almost any extent within the strict limits of what "Jesus did." But in the limitation of these matchless histories, in point of number, there is as much of that divine wisdom which has presided…”

“Many other things - Many miracles, John 20:30. Many discourses delivered, etc. I suppose ... - This is evidently the figure of speech called a hyperbole. It is a mode of speech where the words express more or less than is literally true. It is common among all writers; and as the sacred writers, in recording a revelation to men, used human language, it was proper that they should express themselves as men ordinarily do if they wished to be understood. This figure of speech is commonly the effect of surprise, or having the mind full of some object, and not having words to express the ideas: at the same time, the words convey no falsehood. The statement is to be taken as it would be understood…”

“If they were to be written particularly - Every fact, and all the circumstances of it. I suppose - This expression, which softens the hyperbole, shows that St. John wrote this verse. Next: Acts Chapter 1”

“21:25 the whole world could not contain the books: John ends his Gospel acknowledging that the story he has described is larger than anything he can imagine or fully communicate. Though it is glorious for us to read, John’s account pales in comparison to the glory of the person it describes.”

“there: Joh 20:30, Joh 20:31; Job 26:14; Psa 40:5, Psa 71:15; Ecc 12:12; Mat 11:5; Act 10:38; Act 20:35; Heb 11:32 that even: This is a very strong eastern expression to represent the number of miracles which Jesus wrought. But however strong and strange it may appear to us of the western world, we find sacred and other authors using hyperboles of the like kind and signification. See Num 13:33; Deu 1:28; Dan 4:11; Ecc 1:15. Basnage gives a very similar hyperbole taken from the Jewish writers, in which Jochanan is said to have "composed such a great number of precepts and lessons, that if the heavens were paper, and all the trees of the forest so many pens, and all the children of men so many…”