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But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from the land, but about two hundred cubits away), dragging the net full of fish.
John 21:8 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.
  • BSB The other disciples came ashore in the boat. They dragged in the net full of fish, for they were not far from land, only about a hundred yards.
  • NKJV But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish.
  • NASB But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about two hundred cubits away, dragging the net full of fish.
  • NLT The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore.

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

The other disciples follow in the boat, dragging the net full of fish to shore. It matters because it shows the ordinary, faithful labor that accompanies the miracle.

Overview

While Peter rushes ahead, the rest bring the boat and the heavy catch the short distance to land. John's precise note of about two hundred cubits reflects an eyewitness account. The disciples cooperate to bring in the harvest the Lord provided. The detail roots the resurrection appearance in concrete, physical reality.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 1

  • Deut 3:11(For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron. Isn’t it in Rabbah of the children of Ammon? Nine cubits was its length, and four cubits its width, after the cubit of a man.)

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on John 21:8YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 21:8 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.