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.
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.
- KJV 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.
- 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.
- 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 5:4–7When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch.”
- Acts 2:41Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls.
- John 2:5His mother said to the servants, “Whatever he says to you, do it.”
- Acts 4:4But many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
- Heb 2:6–9But one has somewhere testified, saying, “What is man, that you think of him? Or the son of man, that you care for him?
- Matt 7:27The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell — and great was its fall.”
- Ps 8:8The birds of the sky, the fish of the sea, and whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
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
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.