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When Jesus had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”
Luke 5:4 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch.”
  • KJV Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
  • NKJV When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
  • NASB Now when He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”
  • NLT When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”

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 tells Simon to launch into deep water and let down the nets for a catch. He commands the expert fisherman in his own domain.

Overview

After teaching, Jesus directs Simon to do what seemed pointless: fish in deep water by day after a fruitless night. The command tests whether Simon will trust Jesus' word over his own experience. It sets the stage for a sign that reveals Christ's authority over creation and his call to a greater task.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 2

  • John 21:6He 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.
  • Matt 17:27“But so that we may not offend them, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take the first fish you catch. When you open its mouth, you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for My tax and yours.”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (4)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Luke videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

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

  • VideoWatch teaching on Luke 5:4YouTube · 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 LukeMatthew 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

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 5:4 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.