And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
After eight days again his disciples were inside, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, the doors being locked, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace be to you."
"After eight days" brings the chronology to the Sunday after Easter. This week may correspond to the cumulative first week recorded in John 1:19–2:1, and to the last week before his death in John 12:1–19:31, which begins "six days before the Passover".
The doors were again "closed" or "locked", as they had been in John 20:19, because of the disciples' continued fear "of the Jews", but Jesus could enter and be in their midst.
The phrase "Peace be with you" is a common traditional Jewish greeting, still in use today (shalom aleichem or שלום לכםshalom lekom: cf. 1 Samuel 25:6). The same words were spoken by Jesus in verse 19 and "again" in verse 21. Jesus' words of "peace" at this time can be seen as offering reassurance for the disciples.
↑Broadly the English language versions which have the doors "locked" in verse 19 use the same term in verse 26, as do those who used the words "closed" or "shut".
12Köstenberger, Andreas J. (2004). John. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Vol.4 (illustrateded.). Baker Academic. p.572. ISBN9780801026447.