And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.
Parallel translations
- WEB It shall happen, that fishermen shall stand by it: from En Gedi even to En Eglaim shall be a place for the spreading of nets; their fish shall be after their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.
- BSB Fishermen will stand by the shore; from En-gedi to En-eglaim they will spread their nets to catch fish of many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.
- NKJV It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many.
- NASB And it will come about that fishermen will stand beside it; from Engedi to Eneglaim there will be a place for the spreading of nets. Their fish will be according to their kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea, very many.
- NLT Fishermen will stand along the shores of the Dead Sea. All the way from En-gedi to En-eglaim, the shores will be covered with nets drying in the sun. Fish of every kind will fill the Dead Sea, just as they fill the Mediterranean.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Fishermen will line the once-dead sea, spreading nets from En Gedi to En Eglaim amid abundant fish. The transformation is so complete it brings flourishing industry and provision.
Overview
Where no fish could live, fishermen now thrive along the shores, the catch as varied and plentiful as the Mediterranean's. The detail underscores the thoroughness of God's restoring work. Some see a foretaste of the gospel mission, drawing in a great multitude, recalling Jesus' call to make His disciples fishers of men (Matt. 4:19).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Matt 4:19And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
- Ps 104:25So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
- Num 34:6And as for the western border, ye shall even have the great sea for a border: this shall be your west border.
- John 21:3–11Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.
- 2 Chr 20:2Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi.
- Ezek 48:28And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of strife in Kadesh, and to the river toward the great sea.
- Ezek 47:15And this shall be the border of the land toward the north side, from the great sea, the way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad;
- Mark 1:17And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
- Luke 5:4–10Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
- Matt 13:47–50Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
- Josh 15:62And Nibshan, and the city of Salt, and Engedi; six cities with their villages.
- Isa 49:12Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.
- Isa 49:20The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell.
- Josh 23:4Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the great sea westward.
- 1 Sam 23:29And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi.
- Ezek 26:5It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD: and it shall become a spoil to the nations.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 47:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.