and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.
Parallel translations
- WEB They immediately left the boat and their father, and followed him.
- KJV And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
- NKJV and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
- NASB Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
- NLT They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.
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
James and John at once leave the boat and their father to follow Jesus. It again displays the cost and readiness of true discipleship.
Overview
Like Peter and Andrew, these brothers respond immediately, leaving both their work and their father. Following Christ may require setting aside even good and natural ties when He calls. Their obedience demonstrates that allegiance to Jesus rightly takes first place in a disciple's life.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Matt 10:37Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me;
- Deut 33:9–10He said of his father and mother, ‘I do not consider them.’ He disregarded his brothers and did not know his own sons, for he kept Your word and maintained Your covenant.
- Luke 14:26“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.
- Luke 9:59–60Then He said to another man, “Follow Me.” The man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
- Mark 1:20Immediately Jesus called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him.
- 2 Cor 5:16So from now on we regard no one according to the flesh. Although we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
- Luke 14:33In the same way, any one of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 4:22 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.