The Fallible Study Bible

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Luke5:1–11

The First Disciples

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Luke 5:1–11 — The First Disciples. Each verse below carries the full apparatus: the Berean Standard Bible, the vocalized original (tap any word), and a parsed breakdown of every term transcribed from the interlinear. Synthesized commentary, canonical threads, and the reading of Christ gather at the end, over the whole unit.

1

On one occasion, while Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret with the crowd pressing in on Him to hear the word of God,

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de Egeneto en tō kai autos ēn hestōs para tēn limnēn Gennēsaret ton ochlon epikeisthai autō kai akouein ton logon tou Theou

Word by word22 · parsed
δὲdeOn one occasionG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ἘγένετοEgeneto. . .G1096
√ γίνομαι — to cause to be ("gen"-erate), iVerbAorist Indicative Middle3rd Person Singular
γίνομαι: to come to be, to happen The aorist middle in the Septuagintal formula ἐγένετο δὲ. Luke opens roughly a fifth of his episodes this way, deliberately writing Greek that sounds like the Greek Old Testament. The effect is a claim: what follows belongs to the same book as Exodus and Kings.
ἐνenwhileG1722
√ ἐν — "in," at, (up-)on, by, etcPreposition
τῷtō. . .G3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleDative Neuter Singular
καὶkaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
αὐτὸςautos[Jesus]G846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounNominative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
ἦνēnwasG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbImperfect Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
ἑστὼςhestōsstandingG2476
√ ἵστημι — to stand (transitively or intransitively), used in various applications (literally or figuratively)VerbPerfect Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
ἵστημι: to stand Perfect participle ἑστὼς, a settled, already-taken stance rather than an action in progress. The same perfect participle describes the two boats in v. 2 (ἑστῶτα). Jesus and the boats are in identical posture, standing at the water's edge, which is precisely the position from which both are about to be moved.
παρὰparabyG3844
√ παρά — properly, nearPreposition
τὴνtēntheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Singular
λίμνηνlimnēnLakeG3041
√ λίμνη — a pond (large or small)NounAccusative Feminine Singular
ΓεννησαρέτGennēsaretof GennesaretG1082
√ Γεννησαρέτ — Gennesaret (iNounGenitive Feminine Singular
Γεννησαρέτ: Gennesaret Barnes, Gill, Cambridge and Pulpit agree the name descends from the Old Testament Chinnereth (Numbers 34:11, Joshua 12:3), the harp-shaped sea. The Rabbis preferred the folk etymology ganne sarim, gardens of princes. The lexicon here gives only the name, so the derivation is reported as the commentators give it, not asserted.
τὸνton[with] theG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Singular
ὄχλονochloncrowdG3793
√ ὄχλος — a throng (as borne along)NounAccusative Masculine Singular
ἐπικεῖσθαιepikeisthaipressing in onG1945
√ ἐπίκειμαι — to rest upon (literally or figuratively)VerbPresent Infinitive Middle or Passive
ἐπίκειμαι: to lie upon, press upon A relatively uncommon verb (7 verses). Its literal weight is physical burden, and Luke uses it to explain why Jesus needs a boat at all. The crowd's hunger for the word is what pushes Him onto the water, and the miracle that follows is therefore a consequence of preaching, not an interruption of it.
αὐτῷautōHimG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounDative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
καὶkaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἀκούεινakoueinto hearG191
√ ἀκούω — to hear (in various senses)VerbPresent Infinitive Active
τὸνtontheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Singular
λόγονlogonwordG3056
√ λόγος — something said (including the thought)NounAccusative Masculine Singular
λόγος: word, what is said Paired here with ῥῆμα in v. 5, where Peter obeys "upon Your word." The unit sets the two terms in sequence: the crowd comes for the word of God, and then one man stakes a night's professional judgment on a single utterance of the same speaker. Luke has quietly identified the two.
τοῦtouofG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Singular
ΘεοῦTheouGodG2316
√ θεός — figuratively, a magistrateNounGenitive Masculine Singular
2

He saw two boats at the edge of the lake. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

kai eiden dyo ploia hestōta para tēn limnēn de hoi halieis apobantes ap’ autōn eplynon ta diktya

Word by word17 · parsed
καὶkaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
εἶδενeidenHe sawG3708
√ ὁράω — by extension, to attend toVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
δύοdyotwoG1417
√ δύο — "two"AdjectiveAccusative Neuter Plural
πλοῖαploiaboatsG4143
√ πλοῖον — a sailer, iNounAccusative Neuter Plural
ἑστῶταhestōtavvvG2476
√ ἵστημι — to stand (transitively or intransitively), used in various applications (literally or figuratively)VerbPerfect Participle ActiveAccusative Neuter Plural
ἵστημι: to stand The same perfect participle used of Jesus in v. 1. Two boats and one Teacher are all in the identical settled posture on the shoreline. Within three verses one of those boats is a pulpit and within ten it is abandoned.
παρὰparaat the edgeG3844
√ παρά — properly, nearPreposition
τὴνtēnof theG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Singular
λίμνηνlimnēnlakeG3041
√ λίμνη — a pond (large or small)NounAccusative Feminine Singular
δὲdeG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
οἱhoiTheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Plural
ἁλιεῖςhalieisfishermenG231
√ ἁλιεύς — a sailor (as engaged on the salt water), iNounNominative Masculine Plural
ἁλιεύς: a fisherman, one who works the salt water Strong's root sense is a sailor, one engaged on salt water. The word will be the pivot of the whole unit: in v. 10 Jesus does not use this noun but coins a participle instead, and the change of vocabulary is itself the commission.
ἀποβάντεςapobanteshad leftG576
√ ἀποβαίνω — literally, to disembarkVerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Plural
ἀποβαίνω: to disembark, to step off Uncommon (4 verses). One of those four is John 21:9, where the disciples step off onto a shore where Jesus already has fish on a fire. The Verifier reports the shared lexeme; Luke's scene and John's resurrection scene begin with the same small motion.
ἀπ’ap’. . .G575
√ ἀπό — "off," iPreposition
αὐτῶνautōnthemG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive Neuter 3rd Person Plural
ἔπλυνονeplynonand were washingG4150
√ πλύνω — to "plunge", iVerbImperfect Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
πλύνω: to wash, to plunge Imperfect, an action still going on when Jesus arrives. Ellicott's point is worth the weight: mending a net is hope, washing it is closure. Luke has set the miracle at the precise hour when the professionals had concluded the night was over.
τὰta[their]G3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Neuter Plural
δίκτυαdiktyanetsG1350
√ δίκτυον — a seine (for fishing)NounAccusative Neuter Plural
δίκτυον: a net Rare enough (11 verses) that the Verifier can use it as a real verbal link, and it is the thread that ties this scene to Matthew 4:20, Mark 1:18 and John 21:6.
3

Jesus got into the boat belonging to Simon and asked him to put out a little from shore. And sitting down, He taught the people from the boat.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de embas eis hen tōn ploiōn ho ēn Simōnos ērōtēsen auton epanagagein oligon apo tēs gēs de kathisas edidasken tous ochlous ek tou ploiou

Word by word24 · parsed
δὲdeG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ἐμβὰςembas[Jesus] gotG1684
√ ἐμβαίνω — to walk on, iVerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
ἐμβαίνω: to step in, to embark Aorist participle. The first of four boat-motions in the unit (embark, put out, put out further, bring down to land), and the structure of the passage is carried by them.
εἰςeisintoG1519
√ εἰς — to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etcPreposition
ἓνhenG1520
√ εἷς — oneAdjectiveAccusative Neuter Singular
τῶνtōntheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Neuter Plural
πλοίωνploiōnboatG4143
√ πλοῖον — a sailer, iNounGenitive Neuter Plural
ὃhoG3739
√ ὅς — the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, thatPersonal / Relative PronounNominative Neuter Singular
ἦνēnbelongingG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbImperfect Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
ΣίμωνοςSimōnosto SimonG4613
√ Σίμων — Simon (iNounGenitive Masculine Singular
ἠρώτησενērōtēsen[and] askedG2065
√ ἐρωτάω — to interrogateVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
ἐρωτάω: to ask, to request The verb of request rather than of command. Note the asymmetry Luke builds: Jesus asks for the use of the boat and then commands the use of the nets. Ownership of the craft is respected; disposal of the craftsman is assumed.
αὐτὸνautonhimG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
ἐπαναγαγεῖνepanagageinto put outG1877
√ ἐπανάγω — to lead up on, iVerbAorist Infinitive Active
ἐπανάγω: to put out, to lead up from shore Rare, only 3 verses in the New Testament. The Verifier reports the third as Matthew 21:18, where the same verb describes Jesus returning to the city. The lexeme is genuinely shared, but the scenes have nothing else in common, and this synthesis declines to make an argument out of it.
ὀλίγονoligona littleG3641
√ ὀλίγος — puny (in extent, degree, number, duration or value)AdjectiveAccusative Neuter Singular
ἀπὸapofromG575
√ ἀπό — "off," iPreposition
τῆςtēsG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Feminine Singular
γῆςgēsshoreG1093
√ γῆ — soilNounGenitive Feminine Singular
δὲdeAndG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
καθίσαςkathisassitting downG2523
√ καθίζω — to seat down, iVerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
καθίζω: to sit down The teaching posture (compare Luke 4:20, where He sits after reading Isaiah, and Matthew 5:1). Pulpit connects it directly to the synagogue at Capernaum: the boat is simply the nearest available seat of instruction.
ἐδίδασκενedidaskenHe taughtG1321
√ διδάσκω — to teach (in the same broad application)VerbImperfect Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
διδάσκω: to teach Imperfect, ongoing. Luke reports the fact of a sermon and none of its content. Benson says plainly that the subject is not mentioned because the Evangelist introduces the whole transaction only for the sake of the miracle that followed. The reader is being told to watch what the word does, not to weigh what it said.
τοὺςtoustheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Plural
ὄχλουςochlouspeopleG3793
√ ὄχλος — a throng (as borne along)NounAccusative Masculine Plural
ἐκekfromG1537
√ ἐκ — literal or figurativePreposition
τοῦtoutheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Neuter Singular
πλοίουploiouboatG4143
√ πλοῖον — a sailer, iNounGenitive Neuter Singular
4

When Jesus had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de Hōs epausato lalōn eipen pros ton Simōna Epanagage eis to bathos kai chalasate hymōn ta diktya eis agran

Word by word19 · parsed
δὲdeG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ὩςHōsWhenG5613
√ ὡς — which how, iAdverb
ἐπαύσατοepausato[Jesus] had finishedG3973
√ παύω — to stop (transitively or intransitively), iVerbAorist Indicative Middle3rd Person Singular
παύω: to stop, to cease Aorist middle, an act of His own will. Luke joins the sermon and the miracle by a single hinge word: the teaching stops and the command starts in the same breath, which is why Maclaren can treat what follows as instruction rather than as spectacle.
λαλῶνlalōnspeakingG2980
√ λαλέω — to talk, iVerbPresent Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
εἶπενeipenHe saidG2036
√ ἔπω — to speak or say (by word or writing)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
πρὸςprostoG4314
√ πρός — a preposition of directionPreposition
τὸνtonG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Singular
ΣίμωναSimōnaSimonG4613
√ Σίμων — Simon (iNounAccusative Masculine Singular
ἘπανάγαγεEpanagagePut outG1877
√ ἐπανάγω — to lead up on, iVerbAorist Imperative Active2nd Person Singular
ἐπανάγω: to put out from shore Singular imperative, to Peter. The same rare verb as v. 3, where it was a request for a few yards; here it is a command into the depth. Luke has used one uncommon word twice to measure the distance between lending Christ your boat and taking Christ's orders in it.
εἰςeisintoG1519
√ εἰς — to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etcPreposition
τὸtoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Neuter Singular
βάθοςbathosdeep [water]G899
√ βάθος — profundity, iNounAccusative Neuter Singular
βάθος: depth, profundity The noun Paul will use of the depth of God's riches in Romans 11:33 and of the height and depth in Ephesians 3:18. Luke's usage here is plainly nautical, and no more should be claimed from the vocabulary itself; the figural reading belongs to the commentators, not to the lexicon.
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
χαλάσατεchalasatelet downG5465
√ χαλάω — to lower (as into a void)VerbAorist Imperative Active2nd Person Plural
χαλάω: to let down, to lower into a void Plural imperative, and the root sense is to slacken a rope and lower something into emptiness. Uncommon (7 verses); two of the others are Acts 27:17 and 27:30, both of gear lowered from a ship in a storm, and one is 2 Corinthians 11:33, Paul let down in a basket. The verb always means a controlled descent into a place you cannot see.
ὑμῶνhymōnyourG4771
√ σύ — thouPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive 2nd Person Plural
τὰtaG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Neuter Plural
δίκτυαdiktyanetsG1350
√ δίκτυον — a seine (for fishing)NounAccusative Neuter Plural
εἰςeisforG1519
√ εἰς — to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etcPreposition
ἄγρανagrana catchG61
√ ἄγρα — (abstractly) a catching (of fish)NounAccusative Feminine Singular
ἄγρα: a catching, a haul Occurs only in this unit in the New Testament, here and at v. 9. Its rarity is why the word can carry the arc of the miracle by itself: the command names an act, and the astonishment names its result, with the same noun.
5

“Master,” Simon replied, “we have worked hard all night without catching anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets.”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

Epistata Kai Simōn apokritheis eipen kopiasantes di’ holēs nyktos elabomen ouden de epi sou tō rhēmati chalasō ta diktya

Word by word19 · parsed
ἘπιστάταEpistataMasterG1988
√ ἐπιστάτης — an appointee over, iNounVocative Masculine Singular
ἐπιστάτης: an overseer, one set over Luke's own substitute for Rabbi, used only by him (Luke 5:5, 8:24, 8:45, 9:33, 9:49, 17:13) and always by disciples in a moment of pressure. Ellicott reads it as respect short of full recognition; that reading is strengthened by v. 8, where the same man switches to Κύριε once he has seen what the word did.
ΚαὶKaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ΣίμωνSimōnSimonG4613
√ Σίμων — Simon (iNounNominative Masculine Singular
ἀποκριθεὶςapokritheisrepliedG611
√ ἀποκρίνομαι — to conclude for oneself, iVerbAorist Participle PassiveNominative Masculine Singular
εἶπενeipenG2036
√ ἔπω — to speak or say (by word or writing)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
κοπιάσαντεςkopiasanteswe have worked hardG2872
√ κοπιάω — to feel fatigueVerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Plural
κοπιάω: to grow weary with labour The root is exhaustion, not effort. Paul will use the same verb of ministry in 1 Corinthians 15:10 and Galatians 4:11, and in Luke it stands at the head of the unit's argument: the miracle is granted to men who had already spent everything they had and got nothing.
δι’di’vvvG1223
√ διά — through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional)Preposition
ὅληςholēsallG3650
√ ὅλος — "whole" or "all", iAdjectiveGenitive Feminine Singular
νυκτὸςnyktosnightG3571
√ νύξ — "night" (literally or figuratively)NounGenitive Feminine Singular
ἐλάβομενelabomen[without] catchingG2983
√ λαμβάνω — while G138 (αἱρέομαι) is more violent, to seize or remove))VerbAorist Indicative Active1st Person Plural
λαμβάνω: to take, to receive Aorist with οὐδὲν: "we took nothing." A fisherman's flat report. Luke records the empty night at length so that the full nets cannot be credited to skill, weather or the hour.
οὐδὲνouden[anything]G3762
√ οὐδείς — not even one (man, woman or thing), iAdjectiveAccusative Neuter Singular
δὲdeButG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ἐπὶepibecauseG1909
√ ἐπί — properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etcPreposition
σουsouYouG4771
√ σύ — thouPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive 2nd Person Singular
τῷtōG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleDative Neuter Singular
ῥήματίrhēmatisay soG4487
√ ῥῆμα — an utterance (individually, collectively or specially),NounDative Neuter Singular
ῥῆμα: an utterance, a spoken word The theological centre of the verse. Everything in the passage that follows rests on the preposition: Peter acts ἐπὶ τῷ ῥήματί σου, upon Your utterance. Gill draws the ministerial application directly, that preachers keep at fruitless work only because of the word of command and the word of promise.
χαλάσωchalasōI will let downG5465
√ χαλάω — to lower (as into a void)VerbFuture Indicative Active1st Person Singular
χαλάω: to lower into a void Future, first singular. Peter answers a plural order with a personal one, and the verb's own sense, lowering into what cannot be seen, is a fair description of what he is doing with his own reputation.
τὰtatheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Neuter Plural
δίκτυαdiktyanetsG1350
√ δίκτυον — a seine (for fishing)NounAccusative Neuter Plural
6

When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to tear.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

kai poiēsantes touto synekleisan poly plēthos ichthyōn de autōn ta diktya dierrēsseto

Word by word12 · parsed
καὶkaiWhenG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ποιήσαντεςpoiēsantesthey had doneG4160
√ ποιέω — to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct)VerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Plural
τοῦτοtoutosoG3778
√ οὗτος — the he (she or it), iDemonstrative PronounAccusative Neuter Singular
συνέκλεισανsynekleisanthey caughtG4788
√ συγκλείω — to shut together, iVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
συγκλείω: to shut up together, to enclose on all sides A comparatively rare verb (4 verses). Its other New Testament uses are all Pauline and all theological: God has shut up all under disobedience so as to have mercy on all. Nothing in Luke's sentence asks the reader to import that, and this note reports the lexical overlap without arguing from it.
πολύpoly[such] a largeG4183
√ πολύς — (singular) much (in any respect) or (plural) manyAdjectiveAccusative Neuter Singular
πλῆθοςplēthosnumberG4128
√ πλῆθος — a fulness, iNounAccusative Neuter Singular
πλῆθος: a fulness, a multitude The same word Luke uses for the assembled people in Luke 1:10 and for the growing church in Acts 4:32 and 6:5. The catch is described in the vocabulary Luke elsewhere reserves for congregations.
ἰχθύωνichthyōnof fishG2486
√ ἰχθύς — a fishNounGenitive Masculine Plural
δὲde[that]G1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
αὐτῶνautōntheirG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
τὰtaG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Neuter Plural
δίκτυαdiktyanetsG1350
√ δίκτυον — a seine (for fishing)NounNominative Neuter Plural
διερρήσσετοdierrēssetobegan to tearG1284
√ διαῤῥήσσω — to tear asunderVerbImperfect Indicative Middle or Passive3rd Person Singular
διαρρήσσω: to tear asunder Imperfect middle or passive, an action in progress and never completed. Rare (5 verses), elsewhere used of garments torn in grief or outrage, as when the high priest tears his robes at Mark 14:63. Here the tearing is arrested: the net strains to the edge of failure and holds, which is exactly the detail Augustine, through Cambridge and Pulpit, reads as a figure of the present Church.
7

So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

kai kateneusan tois metochois en tō heterō ploiō tou elthontas syllabesthai autois kai ēlthon kai eplēsan amphotera ta ploia hōste auta bythizesthai

Word by word22 · parsed
καὶkaiSoG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
κατένευσανkateneusanthey signaledG2656
√ κατανεύω — to nod down (towards), iVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
κατανεύω: to nod, to signal by gesture Found in only 2 verses. Cambridge takes the detail as a mark of truthfulness: "the instinct of work prevails at first over the sense that a miraculous power has been exerted." The men are still running a fishing operation while standing inside a miracle.
τοῖςtoisto [their]G3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleDative Masculine Plural
μετόχοιςmetochoispartnersG3353
√ μέτοχος — participant, iAdjectiveDative Masculine Plural
μέτοχος: a participant, a sharer in the work To be distinguished from κοινωνός in v. 10. The same noun carries the argument of Hebrews 3:1 and 3:14, partakers of a heavenly calling and partakers of Christ. Here it means only fellow-workers, and that is all Luke asserts.
ἐνeninG1722
√ ἐν — "in," at, (up-)on, by, etcPreposition
τῷtōtheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleDative Neuter Singular
ἑτέρῳheterōotherG2087
√ ἕτερος — (an-, the) other or differentAdjectiveDative Neuter Singular
πλοίῳploiōboatG4143
√ πλοῖον — a sailer, iNounDative Neuter Singular
τοῦtouG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Neuter Singular
ἐλθόνταςelthontasto comeG2064
√ ἔρχομαι — to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)VerbAorist Participle ActiveAccusative Masculine Plural
συλλαβέσθαιsyllabesthai[and] helpG4815
√ συλλαμβάνω — to clasp, iVerbAorist Infinitive Middle
συλλαμβάνω: to seize together, to help Literally to take hold along with. In v. 9 the same verb describes what was done to the fish. The men take hold of the catch, and the catch is what the word took hold of: Luke uses one verb for both sides of the transaction.
αὐτοῖςautoisthemG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounDative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἦλθονēlthonthey cameG2064
√ ἔρχομαι — to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἔπλησανeplēsanfilledG4130
√ πλήθω — to "fill" (literally or figuratively (imbue, influence, supply))VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
πλήθω: to fill The cognate of πλῆθος in v. 6. Luke's favourite verb for the filling of the Spirit in Luke 1:15, 1:41, 1:67 and Acts 2:4 is this one. The overlap is lexical and is reported as such; Luke draws no line between the two here.
ἀμφότεραamphoterabothG297
√ ἀμφότερος — (in plural) bothAdjectiveAccusative Neuter Plural
τὰtaG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Neuter Plural
πλοῖαploiaboatsG4143
√ πλοῖον — a sailer, iNounAccusative Neuter Plural
ὥστεhōsteso [full] thatG5620
√ ὥστε — so too, iConjunction
αὐτάautatheyG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Neuter 3rd Person Plural
βυθίζεσθαιbythizesthaibegan to sinkG1036
√ βυθίζω — to sinkVerbPresent Infinitive Middle or Passive
βυθίζω: to sink Only 2 verses in the New Testament. The other is 1 Timothy 6:9, where the desire to be rich drowns men in ruin. The Verifier flags the shared lexeme; the sense is opposite in each place, and no argument is built on it here.
8

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees. “Go away from me, Lord,” he said, “for I am a sinful man.”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de Simōn Petros Idōn prosepesen Iēsou tois gonasin Exelthe ap’ emou Kyrie legōn hoti eimi hamartōlos anēr

Word by word17 · parsed
δὲdeWhenG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ΣίμωνSimōnSimonG4613
√ Σίμων — Simon (iNounNominative Masculine Singular
ΠέτροςPetrosPeterG4074
√ Πέτρος — a (piece of) rock (larger than G3037 (λίθος))NounNominative Masculine Singular
ἸδὼνIdōnsaw [this]G3708
√ ὁράω — by extension, to attend toVerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
ὁράω: to see, to perceive Aorist participle. Cambridge locates the trigger: it was seeing the boats sinking to the gunwale that broke him, not the sermon and not the command. Luke builds conviction of sin out of a full net, which is why the astonishment of v. 9 is given as the cause of v. 8.
προσέπεσενprosepesenhe fell atG4363
√ προσπίπτω — to fall towards, iVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
προσπίπτω: to fall toward The posture of supplication throughout Luke and Mark. Barnes notes that the same man who prostrates himself is asking to be left alone, and calls the request "an involuntary, sudden request" arising from not yet knowing who Jesus was.
ἸησοῦIēsouJesus’G2424
√ Ἰησοῦς — Jesus (iNounGenitive Masculine Singular
τοῖςtoisG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleDative Neuter Plural
γόνασινgonasinkneesG1119
√ γόνυ — the "knee"NounDative Neuter Plural
ἜξελθεExeltheGo awayG1831
√ ἐξέρχομαι — to issue (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Imperative Active2nd Person Singular
ἐξέρχομαι: to go out, to come out Aorist imperative, the sharpest word in the unit. It is the standing human reflex before disclosed holiness: Exodus 33:20, Judges 13:22, the widow of Zarephath at 1 Kings 17:18 (which Gill cites at this verse), and above all Isaiah 6:5. Jesus does not obey it. In v. 10 He answers a request to leave with a commission to come.
ἀπ’ap’fromG575
√ ἀπό — "off," iPreposition
ἐμοῦemoumeG1473
√ ἐγώ — I, mePersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive 1st Person Singular
ΚύριεKyrieLordG2962
√ κύριος — supreme in authority, iNounVocative Masculine Singular
κύριος: lord, one supreme in authority The Septuagint's ordinary rendering of the divine name, and in Greek usage also a plain term of respect. Luke gives no gloss, so the weight here cannot be fixed with certainty from the word alone. What can be observed is the movement from ἐπιστάτα in v. 5 to κύριε here, in the mouth of one man, in one morning.
λέγωνlegōnhe saidG3004
√ λέγω — properly, to "lay" forth, iVerbPresent Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
ὅτιhotiforG3754
√ ὅτι — demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant)Conjunction
εἰμιeimiI amG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbPresent Indicative Active1st Person Singular
ἁμαρτωλόςhamartōlosa sinfulG268
√ ἁμαρτωλός — sinful, iAdjectiveNominative Masculine Singular
ἁμαρτωλός: sinful, devoted to sin Predicate adjective. Luke will make this word a programme: the Son of Man came to call sinners in Luke 5:32, twenty-four verses later, in the same chapter, at the table of Levi. Peter's self-accusation is the first occurrence of the term in Luke's Gospel from a disciple's own mouth, and the Gospel answers it by making it the stated target of the mission.
ἀνὴρanērmanG435
√ ἀνήρ — a man (properly as an individual male)NounNominative Masculine Singular
ἀνήρ: a man, a male individual Chosen instead of ἄνθρωπος, and the choice is deliberate enough that Cambridge builds on it. The confession is first person singular and specific. Its answer in v. 10 uses the general noun: this particular sinful man will be given the whole species to catch.
9

For he and his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

gar auton kai pantas tous syn autō perieschen thambos epi tē agra tōn ichthyōn hōn synelabon

Word by word16 · parsed
γὰρgarForG1063
√ γάρ — properly, assigning a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensificationConjunction
αὐτὸνautonheG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
πάνταςpantasG3956
√ πᾶς — all, any, every, the wholeAdjectiveAccusative Masculine Plural
τοὺςtoushis companionsG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Plural
σὺνsyn. . .G4862
√ σύν — with or together (but much closer than G3326 (μετά) or G3844 (παρά)), iPreposition
αὐτῷautō. . .G846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounDative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
περιέσχενperieschenvvvG4023
√ περιέχω — to hold all around, iVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
περιέχω: to hold all around, to encircle Rare, only 2 verses in the New Testament; the other is 1 Peter 2:6, where it means what the Scripture contains. The lexical overlap is real and the Verifier reports it, but the senses are unrelated and no thread is built on it. What matters here is grammatical: the emotion is the subject of the sentence and the men are what it surrounds.
θάμβοςthamboswere astonishedG2285
√ θάμβος — stupefaction (by surprise), iNounNominative Neuter Singular
θάμβος: stupefaction, astonishment by shock Only 3 verses. Luke uses the noun and its cognate verb for the reaction to divine action rather than to cleverness (Luke 4:36, Acts 3:10). It is the register of awe, not of applause, which is why v. 8 and not gratitude is what it produces.
ἐπὶepiatG1909
√ ἐπί — properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etcPreposition
τῇtētheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleDative Feminine Singular
ἄγρᾳagracatchG61
√ ἄγρα — (abstractly) a catching (of fish)NounDative Feminine Singular
ἄγρα: a catching, a haul The same rare noun as v. 4, and it occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. In v. 4 it named the act commanded; here it names the result delivered. Luke closes the loop with one word.
τῶνtōnofG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Plural
ἰχθύωνichthyōnfishG2486
√ ἰχθύς — a fishNounGenitive Masculine Plural
ὧνhōnG3739
√ ὅς — the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, thatPersonal / Relative PronounGenitive Masculine Plural
συνέλαβονsynelabonthey had takenG4815
√ συλλαμβάνω — to clasp, iVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
συλλαμβάνω: to seize together The verb of v. 7 repeated. The whole crew is implicated in the taking, which is why the astonishment in this verse is plural and the confession in the previous one was singular.
10

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.”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de homoiōs kai hoi ēsan tō Simōni koinōnoi Iakōbon kai Iōannēn huious Zebedaiou Mē phobou Kai ho Iēsous eipen pros ton Simōna apo tou nyn esē zōgrōn anthrōpous

Word by word28 · parsed
δὲdeandG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ὁμοίωςhomoiōsso [were]G3668
√ ὁμοίως — similarlyAdverb
καὶkai. . .G2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
οἳhoiG3739
√ ὅς — the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, thatPersonal / Relative PronounNominative Masculine Plural
ἦσανēsanG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbImperfect Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
τῷtōG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleDative Masculine Singular
ΣίμωνιSimōni[his]G4613
√ Σίμων — Simon (iNounDative Masculine Singular
κοινωνοὶkoinōnoipartnersG2844
√ κοινωνός — a sharer, iNounNominative Masculine Plural
κοινωνός: a sharer, a partner in a common stake The noun behind κοινωνία. Ellicott and Cambridge both distinguish it from μέτοχος in v. 7: that word is fellow-worker, this one is fellow-owner. Cambridge adds from Mark 1:20 that Zebedee had hired servants and was probably the wealthier house, which sharpens what v. 11 costs.
ἸάκωβονIakōbonJamesG2385
√ Ἰάκωβος — Jacobus, the name of three IsraelitesNounAccusative Masculine Singular
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἸωάννηνIōannēnJohnG2491
√ Ἰωάννης — Joannes (iNounAccusative Masculine Singular
υἱοὺςhuious[the] sonsG5207
√ υἱός — a "son" (sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinshipNounAccusative Masculine Plural
ΖεβεδαίουZebedaiouof ZebedeeG2199
√ Ζεβεδαῖος — Zebedæus, an IsraeliteNounGenitive Masculine Singular
ΜὴMē{Do} notG3361
√ μή — (adverb) not, (conjunction) lestAdverb
μή: not The negative that, with a present imperative, cancels an action under way.
φοβοῦphoboube afraidG5399
√ φοβέω — to frighten, iVerbPresent Imperative Middle or Passive2nd Person Singular
φοβέω: to fear, to be frightened Present imperative middle or passive, second singular, addressed to Peter alone even though the astonishment of v. 9 was general. Pulpit assembles the company this word puts Peter in: the same "Fear not" was said to Isaiah, to Daniel at Daniel 10:12, and to John in Revelation. It is the standard first sentence spoken to a man who has just met God and survived.
ΚαὶKaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ὁhoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Singular
ἸησοῦςIēsousJesusG2424
√ Ἰησοῦς — Jesus (iNounNominative Masculine Singular
εἶπενeipensaidG2036
√ ἔπω — to speak or say (by word or writing)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
πρὸςprostoG4314
√ πρός — a preposition of directionPreposition
τὸνtonG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Singular
ΣίμωναSimōnaSimonG4613
√ Σίμων — Simon (iNounAccusative Masculine Singular
ἀπὸapoFromG575
√ ἀπό — "off," iPreposition
τοῦtouG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Singular
νῦνnynnow onG3568
√ νῦν — "now" (as adverb of date, a transition or emphasis)Adverb
νῦν: now In the phrase ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν, from this moment. JFB reads it as a deliberate marker: "from henceforth, marking a new stage of their connection with Christ." Luke uses the same phrase at the Annunciation in Luke 1:48 and at the Last Supper in Luke 22:69. It is his formula for a line crossed.
ἔσῃesēyou willG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbFuture Indicative Middle2nd Person Singular
ζωγρῶνzōgrōncatchG2221
√ ζωγρέω — to take alive (make a prisoner of war), iVerbPresent Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
ζωγρέω: to take alive, to capture rather than kill The theological pivot of the unit, and a word of only 2 New Testament verses. Every prophetic use of the fishing image that these commentators can find is judgment (Jeremiah 16:16, Amos 4:2, Habakkuk 1:14, all named by Cambridge at this verse). This one verb inverts it. Note also what Jesus does not say: He never calls Peter a ἁλιεύς, the trade word of v. 2. The old noun is retired and a new participle put in its place.
ἀνθρώπουςanthrōpousmenG444
√ ἄνθρωπος — from G3700 (ὀπτάνομαι))NounAccusative Masculine Plural
ἄνθρωπος: a human being Deliberately the general term, answering the particular ἀνήρ of Peter's confession. Cambridge builds the same contrast from the other direction in v. 8.
11

And when they had brought their boats ashore, they left everything and followed Him.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

kai katagagontes ta ploia epi tēn gēn aphentes panta ēkolouthēsan autō

Word by word11 · parsed
καὶkaiAnd whenG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
καταγαγόντεςkatagagontesthey had broughtG2609
√ κατάγω — to lead downVerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Plural
κατάγω: to lead down, to bring a vessel to land The nautical opposite of ἐπανάγω in vv. 3 and 4. Luke's boat vocabulary forms a closed arc across the unit: embark, put out a little, put out into the deep, bring down to land. The last motion is the only one performed without a command.
τὰta[their]G3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Neuter Plural
πλοῖαploiaboatsG4143
√ πλοῖον — a sailer, iNounAccusative Neuter Plural
ἐπὶepivvvG1909
√ ἐπί — properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etcPreposition
τὴνtēnvvvG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Singular
γῆνgēnashoreG1093
√ γῆ — soilNounAccusative Feminine Singular
ἀφέντεςaphentesthey leftG863
√ ἀφίημι — an intensive form of , to go)VerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Plural
ἀφίημι: to let go, to leave, to release The verb of release, and elsewhere in Luke the verb of forgiveness (Luke 5:20, nine verses further on, in this same chapter: "your sins are forgiven you"). Here it governs πάντα. The lexical overlap is reported without argument, but the sequencing in Luke 5 is worth noticing: a man lets go of everything he owns, and within the chapter the same word is spoken over a man's sins.
πάνταpantaeverythingG3956
√ πᾶς — all, any, every, the wholeAdjectiveAccusative Neuter Plural
πᾶς: all, the whole Unqualified. JFB records the historical complication honestly, that they had done this before at Matthew 4:20, do it again here, and are back at their boats in John 21:3 after the crucifixion, with the final break coming only after Pentecost. Cambridge adds that they knew the size of what they gave, since Peter raises it later and receives the promise of the hundredfold.
ἠκολούθησανēkolouthēsan[and] followedG190
√ ἀκολουθέω — properly, to be in the same way with, iVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
ἀκολουθέω: to follow, to be on the same road with The standing New Testament term for discipleship. Aorist indicative: a completed turn, not an intention. The unit that began with a crowd pressing on Jesus to hear ends with four men walking away from a profitable business behind Him, which is Luke's own measure of the difference between hearing the word and obeying it.
αὐτῷautōHimG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounDative Masculine 3rd Person Singular

The verse-by-verse work is done. What follows gathers the whole unit. All three layers below are machine-generated (⚙). Weigh them; they have no authority.

⚙

Grand Commentary — the unit, read whole

synthesis · verify

AI synthesis — woven from the public-domain voices above and the original text; generated and fallible.

i. The word of God, and the boat it borrowed — vv. 1 to 3

Luke opens with Ἐγένετο, the Septuagint's storytelling hinge, and then tells us what the crowd wanted: not healing, but τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ, the word of God. The pressure is physical. The participle ἐπικεῖσθαι means to lie upon, and Geneva glosses it with unusual precision, that they "Did as it were lie upon him, so desirous were they both to see him and hear him." Pulpit reconstructs the practical result: the throng was so great that He borrowed a fishing boat and spoke from the little craft as it rocked. Barnes imagines the acoustics of a cove, the shore standing round like an amphitheatre, and calls the scene sublime. What none of them can supply is the sermon: Luke does not record a syllable of it. Benson says outright that the Evangelist "introduces the transaction only because it was followed by an extraordinary miracle." ⚙ That silence is doing work. We are told the crowd came for the word of God and we are not told the word, because the next seven verses are going to show us what the word does.

Meanwhile the fishermen are not listening. Ellicott reads their trade correctly: they are washing, not mending, and "The process implied that having fished fruitlessly during the night, they were now giving up the work, and cleaning their nets from weeds, etc., before laying them up." Maclaren, alone among these voices, refuses to make that a rebuke: "It is sometimes quite as religious to be washing nets as to be listening to Christ's teaching." And Jesus does not command the boat. The verb is ἠρώτησεν, He asked. Gill notes that the Arabic and Ethiopic versions turn it into "he commanded him" and the Syriac and Persic address it to the crew; the Greek does neither. He asks for the vessel. He will not ask for the nets.

ii. Upon Your word: the command against the evidence — vv. 4 to 7

Cambridge catches the speed of the turn: the aorist ἐπαύσατο "implies that no sooner was His sermon ended than He at once thought, not of His own fatigue, but of His poor disappointed followers." Then the grammar does something English cannot. Ἐπανάγαγε is singular, to Peter; χαλάσατε is plural, to the crew. Cambridge states it plainly: "The first command is in the singular, and is addressed to Peter only as 'the pilot of the Galilaean Lake.'" And the verb ἐπανάγω is the same rare word (3 verses in the New Testament) that in v. 3 meant a few yards of courtesy. The distance between lending Christ your boat and taking Christ's orders in it is measured by Luke in one repeated verb.

Peter's answer is an argument and a surrender in one sentence. κοπιάσαντες is not effort but exhaustion, and Gill presses it: "they were even fatigued, and quite wearied out; and what was most discouraging of all, their labour was in vain." JFB, reading him as a professional, says he "knew how hopeless it was to 'let down his net' again, save as a mere act of faith, 'at His word' of command." Barnes reads the same sentence from the opposite premise, that "Jesus came to these fishermen almost a stranger and unknown," and calls the obedience "a remarkable instance of faith." ⚙ Both readings are printed, they contradict each other on the history, and Luke decides neither: the text gives us the reply, not the acquaintance behind it. What it does give is the preposition. Peter acts ἐπὶ τῷ ῥήματί σου, upon Your utterance, standing on it as on ground.

Then the tenses. Ellicott, JFB, Barnes and Cambridge all converge on the imperfects: the nets were breaking, the boats were sinking. Nothing in fact fails. Cambridge and Pulpit both preserve Augustine's reading of the straining net as the Church that now is, "full of divisions and rents," against the unrent net of John 21:11. And Cambridge notices the most human detail in the unit: "the instinct of work prevails at first over the sense that a miraculous power has been exerted." Men who have just watched creation obey a sentence respond by waving at the other boat.

iii. Go out from me: what a full net exposed — vv. 8 to 9

Cambridge locates the breaking point exactly: "Apparently it was only when he saw the boats sinking to the gunwale with their load of fish that the tenderness and majesty of the miracle flashed upon his mind." Maclaren describes the interior sequence, "a quick spasm and sense of sin, and that again by a recoil of terror," and marks the vocabulary shift as the evidence: Κύριε now, where four verses ago it was Ἐπιστάτα, the foreman's title. Cambridge presses a second word: Peter says ἀνὴρ, a male individual, not ἄνθρωπος, mankind, which "shews that Peter's confession is individual, not general."

The request itself is a demand that Jesus disembark, Ἔξελθε, from the boat Peter owns. Barnes is candid that it was "not proper to request Jesus to leave him" and traces it to ignorance rather than dislike. Gill lines it up with the widow of Zarephath saying much the same thing to Elijah at 1 Kings 17:18. Cambridge adds Manoah, the men of Beth-shemesh, David after Uzzah, Job and Isaiah. JFB simply supplies the Isaiah line as the paraphrase: "It was rather, Woe is me, Lord! How shall I abide this blaze of glory?" Ellicott names the same verse. ⚙ Four independent commentators reach for Isaiah 6:5 at this point without any of them claiming Luke quotes it, and that convergence is the honest measure of the link: a shared shape, not a citation.

iv. Taking men alive: the commission and the leaving — vv. 10 to 11

The answer to "go out from me" is Μὴ φοβοῦ, a present imperative with the negative, which is the Greek for stopping something already under way: stop being afraid. JFB reads the reply as an exegesis of the request: "This shows how the Lord read Peter's speech. The more highly they deemed Him, ever the more grateful it was to the Redeemer's spirit." Then the new vocabulary. Jesus does not call Peter a ἁλιεύς, a fisherman, the word Luke used in v. 2. He coins a periphrastic future with ζωγρῶν, and Ellicott pins it: "The word implies that what is caught is taken alive. The only other passage in which it occurs in the New Testament is 2Timothy 2:26."

Cambridge refuses to let that be comfortable, and is right to: "In Jeremiah 16:16 the fishers draw out men to death, and in Amos 4:2, Habakkuk 1:14, men are 'made as the fishes of the sea' by way of punishment." In the prophets the fishing image is judgment. ⚙ The one word ζωγρέω, take alive, is what turns the figure over, and it is the only thing that does. Pulpit traces the afterlife of the image through Clement of Alexandria's hymn and the fish carved in the catacombs; Cambridge records Tertullian's "We little fishes, after our Fish, are born in the water."

Then v. 11, and the detail that makes it cost something: ἀφέντες πάντα, having left everything, at the exact moment everything was worth the most. Benson sees it: "neglecting even the booty they had now taken." Henry turns it into the sharpest sentence any of these voices writes about the passage: "These fishermen forsook all, and followed Jesus, when their calling prospered." Barnes keeps it honest about scale, that it was "not much that they left, a couple of small boats and their nets," and then insists it was all they had. Cambridge notes they were not unconscious of the size of it, since Peter later raises it with the Lord and receives the promise of the hundredfold. And JFB records, without embarrassment, that after the crucifixion they are back at these boats in John 21:3.

Read under Sola Scriptura — this tool’s own fallible reading (⚙)

⚙ This is the tool's own fallible reading, offered to be tested against the text and not to be received on its authority. Read Luke 5:1 to 11 as one argument and the argument is about what the word of God does when it is believed against the evidence. Luke tells us twice what is at stake and never tells us what was preached: the crowd came for τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ (v. 1) and Peter obeyed ἐπὶ τῷ ῥήματί σου (v. 5). Between those two phrases the sermon is a blank, and the miracle fills it. The catch is not a reward for faith; it is an exhibition of what the word was doing in the ears of the crowd on the shore all morning, staged where a professional could measure it.

Notice the order Luke insists on. Peter's confession comes after the full net, not after the sermon. Cambridge marks it and the grammar confirms it: Ἰδὼν, having seen, and then the falling. Luke even makes the causal link explicit in v. 9 with γὰρ, for. This means that in this passage grace is the thing that convicts. Nothing threatens Peter. He is given a boatload of fish and it undoes him, because a gift that large from a source that near forces him to say what he is. That is the same movement as Isaiah 6, where the sight of the throne, not a rebuke, produces "I am ruined." And it is the reason his confession is in the first person singular with ἀνὴρ: general statements about human sinfulness cost nothing, and this one costs him his boat.

Then the reversal, which is where I would stake the reading. Peter asks the Lord to go out (Ἔξελθε) and the Lord answers with a future tense. Peter proposes distance and receives a vocation. The request is refused by being over-answered: the man who says he is not fit to stand near is told he will spend his life bringing others near. And the verb is chosen with care. The trade word ἁλιεύς is dropped and ζωγρέω, to take alive, put in its place, a verb used only twice in the whole New Testament. Every prophetic use of the fishing image that these commentators can find (Jeremiah 16:16, Amos 4:2, Habakkuk 1:14) is judgment: fish are caught to die. One word turns it. So the honest summary is that Luke has taken the prophets' image of capture for destruction and, by a single rare verb, made it the image of rescue, and has attached it to a man who had just asked to be left alone.

What I will not claim: that the deep water, the two boats, the tearing net or the sinking are allegories Luke intends. Maclaren's warrant for symbolic reading is Christ's own word in v. 10 and nothing else, and he says so. Augustine's rent net as the divided Church, carried here by Cambridge and Pulpit, is a reading of the text, beautiful and ancient, not a statement in it. Pulpit's reduction of the miracle to supernatural knowledge of a shoal is a minority view and Luke does not exclude it. The text is stubborn about only two things: the word was the cause, and the fisherman was the catch.

The word that could not fill a net all night filled two boats in a moment, and the first thing it caught was the fisherman. (This line is ⚙ synthesis, not Scripture.)

⚙

Canonical Threads — out to the whole of Scripture

cross-refs · verify

AI-generated connections. Each carries a verification badge with a recorded basis; contested links are flagged.

The second draught: the net that held verbal / quotation: confirmed

John 21 stages this scene again after the resurrection, and the vocabulary follows it across. The Verifier finds δίκτυον shared at John 21:6, 21:8 and 21:11, with πλοῖον, γῆ and Σίμων alongside. The differences are as deliberate as the likenesses. Here the nets were tearing (imperfect, Ellicott and JFB); there, John says οὐκ ἐσχίσθη, it was not torn, and Cambridge sets the two side by side. Maclaren treats the pair as a single lesson about Peter, since in the first he begs Christ to leave the boat and in the second he throws himself into the water to reach Him: "the best place for a sinful man was as close to Christ as ever he could get." Cambridge notes the same contrast from Matthew 14:28.

John 21:6 · John 21:8 · John 21:11

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexemes G1350 δίκτυον (in 11 vv), G4143 πλοῖον (in 62 vv), G1093 γῆ (in 223 vv), G4613 Σίμων (in 69 vv). δίκτυον is the rare term and it is the one that carries the link; both texts are Greek, so a verbal tier is permitted. No quotation is claimed: the repetition is of vocabulary and scene, not of a cited sentence.

The same call in Matthew and Mark, and the dispute about it verbal / quotation: confirmed

Matthew 4:18 to 22 and Mark 1:16 to 20 report a lakeside call of the same four men in much of the same vocabulary. The Verifier confirms δίκτυον shared at Matthew 4:20, Matthew 4:21, Mark 1:18 and Mark 1:19, with πλοῖον and δύο. Whether it is the same event is genuinely contested in these sources. Ellicott sets out both sides and concludes only that "there is a slight presumption against the hypothesis of identity." JFB holds it is a third and distinct call. Poole harmonizes them at length. Cambridge and Ellicott both note that Matthew and Mark use a different net word, ἀμφίβληστρον, and that Luke's is generic. ⚙ The lexical link is real and computed; the historical identification is not, and this synthesis reports the disagreement rather than settling it.

Matthew 4:20 · Matthew 4:21 · Mark 1:18 · Mark 1:19

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexeme G1350 δίκτυον (in 11 vv) at all four refs, plus G4143 πλοῖον (in 62 vv), G1417 δύο (in 122 vv), G3641 ὀλίγος (in 41 vv). The rare lexeme δίκτυον carries the verbal tier and all refs are Greek New Testament. The tier certifies the shared wording only; the further claim that these passages report one and the same occasion is disputed by Ellicott, JFB, Poole and Cambridge and is not certified here.

Taken alive: the only other ζωγρέω in the New Testament verbal / quotation: confirmed

Ellicott makes the observation and the Verifier confirms it: ζωγρέω, to take alive, occurs in exactly two verses in the New Testament, here at Luke 5:10 and at 2 Timothy 2:26, where Paul describes those held captive by the devil to do his will. Cambridge presses the irony without flinching: "But Satan too captures men alive." ⚙ Two fishers, then, and the same verb for both. The word says nothing about who the captor is; it says only that the catch is not killed. What distinguishes the nets is the fisherman, and Paul's sentence is about escape from the other one.

2 Timothy 2:26

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexeme G2221 ζωγρέω (in 2 vv). The verb occurs in only two verses in the entire New Testament, so the verbal link is as strong as a shared lexeme can be, and both refs are Greek. No quotation is claimed; Ellicott names the same pairing independently.

Woe is me: the standing reaction to disclosed holiness structural / thematic: confirmed

Peter's Ἔξελθε ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ is not original to him. Ellicott sets it beside Isaiah's "Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips" and Job's "now mine eye seeth Thee; wherefore I abhor myself." JFB paraphrases Peter directly in Isaiah's words and adds "(Compare Isa 6:5.)" Gill reaches for the widow of Zarephath at 1 Kings 17:18, who said much the same to Elijah. Cambridge assembles the fullest list: Manoah at Judges 13:22, Sinai at Exodus 20:19, Beth-shemesh at 1 Samuel 6:20, David at 2 Samuel 6:9, Job and Isaiah. Behind all of them stands the principle of Exodus 33:20, that no man shall see God and live. ⚙ Isaiah 6 is closest not only in words but in structure, since there too the confession of uncleanness is answered at once by a commission, and that structure is this passage.

Isaiah 6:5 · Exodus 33:20 · Judges 13:22 · 1 Kings 17:18

basis: Cross-Testament (Greek to Hebrew), so no shared Strong's number can be computed and a verbal tier is unavailable by rule. Recorded basis: the repeated narrative shape, disclosure of divine presence, immediate confession of uncleanness, and a word that does not withdraw. Ellicott and JFB name Isaiah 6:5 at this verse; Cambridge adds Judges 13:22 and the rest; Gill adds 1 Kings 17:18. Isaiah 6:5 is the clearest verbal echo of the four, and it is still structural and not a quotation, since Luke neither cites Isaiah nor reproduces his wording.

Fishers sent by God: judgment in the prophets, rescue here structural / thematic: confirmed

Cambridge will not let the image be sentimental: "In Jeremiah 16:16 the fishers draw out men to death, and in Amos 4:2, Habakkuk 1:14, men are 'made as the fishes of the sea' by way of punishment." In Jeremiah, God sends for many fishers and they fish His own people out of the land into exile. Amos threatens that they will be taken away with hooks. Habakkuk complains that the conqueror gathers men in his net like fish and sacrifices to it. Against that stands Ezekiel 47:9 to 10, where the healed water swarms with life and fishermen stand along its banks from Engedi to Eneglaim. ⚙ Luke's scene sits between the two, and the hinge is ζωγρέω: the net is the prophets' net, and the catch is kept alive.

Jeremiah 16:16 · Amos 4:2 · Habakkuk 1:14 · Ezekiel 47:9-10

basis: Cross-Testament (Greek to Hebrew), so a verbal tier is barred by rule and no shared Strong's number exists to compute. Recorded basis: a shared and explicitly prophetic motif, God sending fishers after human beings, which Cambridge names at Luke 5:10 citing Jeremiah 16:16, Amos 4:2 and Habakkuk 1:14. Ezekiel 47:9-10 is added here as the one prophetic fishing scene that is restoration rather than judgment; no commentator in this brief cites it, so that half of the thread is ⚙ synthesis and is offered as such.

They that go down to the sea in ships, and the word that made it structural / thematic: confirmed

Psalm 107:23 to 30 is the Old Testament's own account of men whose work is on deep water and who see the works of the LORD there: they cry out, He stills the storm, He brings them to their desired haven. Psalm 33:9 supplies the principle under this miracle in six words, that He spoke and it came to be. ⚙ Luke does not quote either. What he records is a sentence of Jesus followed by a result in the water, and Gill reads the mechanism the same way, that the fish "by the secret divine power of Christ, were gathered together just in that place, where by his order they cast the net." Pulpit dissents and prefers supernatural knowledge of a shoal; the disagreement is recorded rather than resolved.

Psalm 107:23-30 · Psalm 33:9

basis: Cross-Testament (Greek to Hebrew); no shared Strong's lexeme can exist, so a verbal tier is barred by rule. Recorded basis: a shared pattern, the sea as the place where the LORD's works are seen by working men, and the creative efficacy of the bare divine utterance. No commentator in this brief cites either Psalm at this passage, so the pairing is ⚙ synthesis and the tier is kept at structural for that reason.

Leaving the plough: Elisha and the abandoned trade typological

1 Kings 19:19 to 21 is the nearest Old Testament analogue to v. 11. Elisha is at work with twelve yoke of oxen when the mantle falls on him; he slaughters the oxen, burns the gear, feeds the people and follows. ⚙ The correspondence is close in shape: a man called mid-labour, and the tools of the old trade rendered unusable rather than merely set down. The differences matter too. Elisha destroys his equipment; these men leave boats that JFB notes they are working again in John 21:3. Benson makes the point Luke actually supports, that the sacrifice came at the moment of maximum profit, "neglecting even the booty they had now taken."

1 Kings 19:19-21

basis: Cross-Testament figural reading; no shared Strong's lexeme is computable between Hebrew and Greek, so a verbal tier is barred by rule. The figure (prophetic call interrupting a trade, with the trade's instruments abandoned) is ancient and widely drawn, but no commentator in this brief cites 1 Kings 19 at Luke 5:11, so the specific pairing is ⚙ synthesis. Marked typological rather than structural because the claim is figural, and the disanalogy is stated in the body.

The reader lifted above the people structural / thematic: confirmed

Nehemiah 8:4 to 5 puts Ezra on a wooden platform made for the purpose, above the assembly, and the people stand when he opens the book. ⚙ Luke's boat performs the same function by accident of need: it raises the reader of the word above the crowd and puts water between him and the press of bodies, so that everyone can hear. Barnes independently describes the resulting acoustics, the shore standing about him "in the form of an amphitheater." This is a similarity of arrangement only. Luke makes no allusion, and none should be read into the boat.

Nehemiah 8:4-5

basis: Cross-Testament (Greek to Hebrew); no shared lexeme is computable, so a verbal tier is barred by rule. Recorded basis: correspondence of physical arrangement in a public reading of God's word, the speaker raised above the assembly. This is the weakest thread in the unit and is kept deliberately small: no commentator in the brief draws it, and the claim is about staging, not meaning.

An earlier meeting at the Jordan: the harmonizers' premise flagged: verify source

Ellicott, JFB, Benson, Cambridge and Maclaren all appeal to John 1:35 to 42 to explain why Peter obeys a stranger's order and why he already calls Him Lord. JFB says the calls were "all distinct and progressive." Maclaren says the authoritative tone is "not explicable unless we fall back upon what Luke does not tell us, but John does." Cambridge says they "had already received a call to faith" and had only returned to their ordinary work. Barnes, at Luke 5:5, assumes the reverse, that Jesus came to them "almost a stranger and unknown." ⚙ Luke supplies no prior meeting. The link is a harmonizing inference from another Gospel, carried unanimously by most of these sources and contradicted by one of them, and it is flagged on that account.

John 1:35-42

basis: Flagged because the basis is contested and not computed: the Verifier returns no shared lexeme for this pair, and the connection rests entirely on harmonizing Luke with John. Ellicott, JFB, Benson, Cambridge and Maclaren assert it; Barnes assumes the opposite at Luke 5:5. Verify against the sources before relying on it for anything.

⚙Christ in the Unittypology · verify

AI-generated reading; weigh it against the text.

He spoke, and it came to be: the Creator in the borrowed boat ancient/widely-held

⚙ The passage makes one claim about Jesus by arrangement rather than by assertion: a sentence is spoken and the deep obeys. Gill states the mechanism without hedging, that the fish "by the secret divine power of Christ, were gathered together just in that place." Psalm 33:9 gives the Old Testament form of that power, He spoke and it came to be, and Psalm 107 puts working seamen in front of it. Peter's reaction is the tell: he does not applaud a lucky cast, he falls down and says he is a sinful man, which is what people in Scripture do in the presence of God and not in the presence of a good fisherman. Maclaren reads the moment the same way, as "the recognition of Christ as in some sense the manifestation to him of the Divine Presence." Cambridge, Ellicott and JFB all reach for Isaiah 6, which is a theophany, to gloss it. The apostolic conclusion that the One through whom all things were made is here in a fishing boat is not stated by Luke; it is the reading the scene has always produced.

Psalm 33:9 · Psalm 107:23-30 · John 1:3 · Colossians 1:16

The net of the kingdom, and the Fish the fishers followed ancient/widely-held

Cambridge cites Gregory, that in working a miracle He discloses a mystery, and calls this "an acted parable, of which the significance is explained in Matthew 13:47," the dragnet let down into the sea that gathers of every kind. Augustine, reported by both Cambridge and Pulpit, read the straining net of v. 6 as the Church that now is, full of divisions, against the unrent net of John 21:11 as the Church that shall know no schisms. Cambridge records Tertullian: "We little fishes, after our Fish (ΙΧΘΥΣ, that is Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς Θεοῦ Υἱὸς Σωτήρ) are born in the water (of baptism)." Pulpit quotes Clement of Alexandria's hymn to the Fisher of men and the fish carved through the catacombs. ⚙ The line from this boat to the ancient Church's chosen sign for Christ runs through this verb and this net, and the fulfilment these commentators point to is Acts 2:41, where the man who asked Christ to leave the boat catches three thousand in one morning.

Matthew 13:47 · John 21:11 · Acts 2:41

Isaiah's coal, and the word that stood in its place novel

⚙ Four of these commentators put Isaiah 6:5 beside Luke 5:8, and the parallel is exact for three steps: the sight of holiness, the cry of uncleanness, and then a commission. But Isaiah's fourth step is a live coal carried from the altar to his mouth, and his sending follows the cleansing. Luke reports no coal and no cleansing rite. What stands in that place is a person and two words, Μὴ φοβοῦ, and then the commission comes anyway. ⚙ The reading offered here is that the sequence is not shortened but fulfilled: the One whose presence exposed the sin is Himself what the altar coal pointed at, so the atoning act does not need to be staged in the boat. This is a proposal built on the shape of the two scenes, not on anything Luke or these commentators say, and it should be weighed as such; the safer and more widely held statement is simply Barnes's, that He "came to seek the lost and to save the impure" and "graciously condescends to dwell with those who are humble and contrite."

Isaiah 6:5-8 · Hebrews 9:13-14 · Luke 5:32

The refusal that was answered with a sending ancient/widely-held

Peter asks Christ to withdraw and receives a future tense instead. ⚙ This is the redemptive-historical logic of the whole Gospel compressed into one exchange, and Luke marks it himself twenty-four verses later in the same chapter: "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:32). Henry draws the pastoral consequence in the plainest terms in this brief: "We must all, like Peter, own ourselves to be sinful men, therefore Jesus Christ might justly depart from us. But we must beseech him that he would not depart; for woe unto us if the Saviour depart from sinners!" Barnes says the request "arose from ignorance of the character of Jesus." JFB, reading the reply, says the Lord was never pained by too high an estimate of Himself. The confession was accurate and the inference drawn from it was wrong, and the answer corrects only the inference.

Luke 5:32 · Luke 19:10 · 1 Timothy 1:15

Apparatus & Provenance

The biblical text is the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain (CC0). Hebrew/Greek text, transliteration, morphology and Strong’s are transcribed from the Berean interlinear (CC0) + Strong’s lexicons (PD); the literal renderings, divergence notes, word notes and all synthesis are this tool’s own work (⚙) — fallible; verify them.

Named voices, quoted verbatim from public-domain works:

  • Albert Barnes, Notes on the Bible (1834)
  • Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture (c. 1905)
  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, — (1880s)
  • Charles Ellicott, Commentary for English Readers (1878)
  • Geneva Study Bible, Marginal Notes (1599)
  • Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory (1871)
  • John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible (1746–63)
  • Joseph Benson, Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1810s)
  • Matthew Henry, Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)
  • Matthew Poole, Annotations upon the Holy Bible (1685)
  • The Pulpit Commentary, Spence & Exell, eds. (1880s)

Text. Scripture is BSB (CC0). The interlinear, parsing and Strong's data are the Berean set as supplied in the brief, which orders some words for English rather than in Greek sequence (Luke 5:1 lists δὲ before Ἐγένετο, and 5:5 lists the vocative Ἐπιστάτα first). The literal renderings above restore normal Greek order; where the brief's gloss column was blank or marked with placeholder characters, no gloss has been invented.

What is uncertain in this unit. First, whether Luke 5:1-11 reports the same occasion as Matthew 4:18-22 and Mark 1:16-20. Ellicott weighs both and allows only "a slight presumption against the hypothesis of identity"; JFB calls it a third and distinct call; Poole harmonizes; Cambridge and Benson assume a prior call at the Jordan from John 1:35-42. Barnes, at 5:5, writes as though Jesus were nearly unknown to Peter. This synthesis records the disagreement and decides nothing. Second, the nature of the catch: Gill and Henry treat it as a creative miracle, Pulpit as supernatural knowledge of a shoal. Luke's wording supports either.

Sources and their limits. Two entries used here were capped in the brief (Benson at 5:1 and Maclaren at 5:4 and 5:8); quotations were taken only from the visible portion, and no claim is made about what the omitted text argues. Barnes at 5:7 is quoting Dr. Thomson's nineteenth-century travel observation, and Barnes at 5:1 quotes Josephus on the fertility of Gennesaret; both are background, not exegesis. The Augustine and Gregory material reaches us only through Cambridge and Pulpit and has not been checked against the Latin. Poole's entries at 5:2 and 5:5 through 5:11 are cross-references to his note on 5:3, so Poole speaks once in this unit.

Threads. Every cross-Testament thread here is tiered structural or typological, because Greek and Hebrew share no Strong's numbers and a verbal tier would be a false certificate. The three verbal threads (John 21, Matthew 4 with Mark 1, and 2 Timothy 2:26) rest on lexemes the Verifier computed: δίκτυον in 11 verses and ζωγρέω in 2. Two Verifier candidates were deliberately not made into threads. 1 Timothy 6:9 shares the rare βυθίζω (2 verses) with the sinking boats, but there it is riches drowning men in ruin, and the sense runs the other way; 1 Peter 2:6 shares περιέχω (2 verses) with the astonishment that encircled Peter, and the overlap is grammatical, not theological. Matthew 21:18 shares the rare ἐπανάγω and has nothing else in common with this scene. Reporting these as declined is part of the record.

Machine layer. Everything marked ⚙, including all four movements' connective argument, the sola reading, the pullquote and the Ezekiel 47, Psalm 107, Psalm 33, Nehemiah 8 and 1 Kings 19 pairings, is fallible synthesis and is offered to be tested. The commentators' words are verbatim and named. Where this synthesis goes beyond them it says so.

✦ = human, public-domain source, quoted and named. ⚙ = machine synthesis, to be verified. Flagged cross-references are left visible on purpose — the verifier working in the open. “Search the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)