And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
Parallel translations
- WEB and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will be catching people alive.”
- BSB and so were his partners James and John, the sons of Zebedee. “Do not be afraid,” Jesus said to Simon. “From now on you will catch men.”
- NKJV and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.”
- NASB and likewise also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear; from now on you will be catching people.”
- NLT His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. Jesus replied to Simon, “Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people!”
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
Jesus reassures Peter and calls him to catch people alive. The miracle becomes a commission to gospel mission.
Overview
James and John share the amazement, and Jesus turns the scene into a calling: 'From now on you will be catching people alive.' His words 'Don't be afraid' answer Peter's fear of his own sinfulness with grace. The image of catching people alive describes the rescuing work of evangelism, gathering men and women into the Kingdom of God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Matt 13:47Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
- Matt 4:19And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
- Ezek 47:9–10And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.
- Mark 1:17And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
- Luke 5:7And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.
- Acts 2:4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
- Luke 6:14Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
- 2 Cor 8:23Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be enquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.
- Matt 20:20Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.
- Matt 4:21And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.
- Matt 14:27But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 5:10 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 Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.