Bill Mounce demonstrates the considerations of nuance that are involved when a literal translation may not always provide the best understanding of the meaning of the text.
Would you go do to the wharves and try to attract the attention of a group of fisherman by addressing them as ‘children’?
So what did Jesus mean in John 21:5 when he calls out παιδίον?
How Would a Fisherman Respond to Someone Yelling, “Children?” – John 21:5 ‘Monday with Mounce’ (104)
mgpcpastor's blog 