And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
Parallel translations
- WEB He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” They cast it therefore, and now they weren’t able to draw it in for the multitude of fish.
- BSB He told them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it there, and they were unable to haul it in because of the great number of fish.
- NKJV And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some. ” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.
- NASB And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you will find the fish.” So they cast it, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great quantity of fish.
- NLT Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it.
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
At Jesus' word they cast the net on the right side and catch so many fish they cannot haul it in. It matters because the miraculous catch reveals the Lord and pictures fruitful mission under His command.
Overview
The overwhelming catch comes only when the disciples obey Jesus' specific instruction, echoing the earlier miracle in Luke 5. The contrast between a fruitless night and instant abundance shows that effectiveness depends on Christ's word. Many readers see in the great catch a foreshadowing of the disciples' coming mission to gather people for the kingdom. The sign prompts recognition of the risen Lord.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Luke 5:4–7Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
- Acts 2:41Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
- John 2:5His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
- Acts 4:4Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
- Heb 2:6–9But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
- Matt 7:27And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
- Ps 8:8The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 21:6 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 Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.