John 21:3

John 21:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.
• New International Version (NIV)“I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.

Context of John 21:3

1After that, Jesus showed himself to the disciples again when they were by Lake Tiberias. This is how it happened. 2Simon Peter, Thomas the Twin and Nathanael were together. (Nathanael came from Cana in Galilee.) The sons of Zebedee (James and John) and two other disciples were also there. Simon Peter said to the other disciples, ‘I will now go and catch fish.’ They replied, ‘We will come with you.’ So they went out and they got into the boat. But they caught nothing during that night. 4Early in the morning, Jesus was standing on the shore of the lake. But the disciples did not know that it was Jesus who stood there. 5Then Jesus asked them, ‘Friends, have you caught any fish?’ They answered, ‘No!’

John 21:3 word by word

λέγει αὐτοῖς Σίμων Πέτρος· ὑπάγω ἁλιεύειν. λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· ἐρχόμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς σὺν σοί. ἐξῆλθον καὶ ἐνέβησαν εἰς τὸ πλοῖον καὶ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ νυκτὶ ἐπίασαν οὐδέν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• SimonΣίμωνSimōn · SimonG4613
• PeterΠέτροςPetros · PeterG4074
• saithλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• unto themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• I goὑπάγωhupagō · to goG5217
• a fishingἁλιεύωhalieuō · to fishG232
• Weἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• goἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• withσύνsun · withG4862
• theeσύsu · youG4771
• They went forthἐξέρχομαιexerchomai · to go outG1831
• enteredἀναβαίνωanabainō · to ascendG305
• intoεἰςeis · towardG1519
• a shipὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• a shipπλοῖονploion · boatG4143
• immediatelyεὐθέωςeutheōs · immediatelyG2112
• ·ἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• thatἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
• nightνύξnux · nightG3571
• they caughtπιάζωpiazō · to arrest/catchG4084
• nothingοὐδείςoudeis · noneG3762

Cross-references for John 21:3

• 2 Kings 6:1One day, the group of prophets said to Elisha, ‘The place where we meet with you is too small for us.
• Matthew 4:18One day, Jesus was walking along the shore of Lake Galilee. He saw two men who were brothers. One man was called Simon, and he was also called Peter. His brother's name was Andrew. Their job was to catch fish. They were throwing their nets into the lake to catch fish.
• Luke 5:10Zebedee's sons, James and John, were fishermen who worked with Simon. They were also surprised. Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid. You have been catching fish. From now on you will catch people!’
• Acts 18:3They knew how to make tents which they could sell to people. Paul also made tents, so he stayed with them and he worked with them.
• Acts 20:34You yourselves know that I worked with my hands. I did that to get money. Then my friends and I could have the things that we needed.
• 1 Corinthians 9:6Barnabas and I seem to be the only leaders who must work at other jobs. We should not need to do that!
• 1 Thessalonians 2:9Our Christian friends, remember how we worked so hard to help you. We worked during the day and even during the night. We did not want to cause any problems for you. So we taught you God's good news and we did not ask you to give us anything in return.
• 2 Thessalonians 3:7You yourselves know that you ought to copy our example. You know that we were not lazy when we lived among you.
• Luke 5:5Simon replied, ‘Teacher, we worked all last night and we did not catch anything. But because you say it, I will put the nets into the water again.’
• 1 Corinthians 3:7The person who plants the seeds is not important. The person who gives water to the plants is not important. The important person is God, because he causes everything to grow.

Commentaries on John 21:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Peter saith - I go a fishing - Previously to the crucifixion of our Lord, the temporal necessities of himself and his disciples appear to have been supplied by the charity of individuals: Luke 8:3. As it is probable that the scandal of the cross had now shut up this source of support, the disciples, not fully knowing how they were to be employed, purposed to return to their former occupation of fishing, in order to gain a livelihood; and therefore the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3That night they caught nothing - This was so ordered in the providence of God that the miracle which was performed might appear more remarkable.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Fishing was usually successful in the early hours of the morning. However, this trip was useless and they caught nothing all night.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-63-6. Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing--(See on Lu 5:11). that night ... caught nothing--as at the first miraculous draught (see on Lu 5:5); no doubt so ordered that the miracle might strike them the more by contrast. The same principle is seen in operation throughout much of Christ's ministry, and is indeed a great law of God's spiritual procedure with His people.Read the comment

Topics related to John 21:3

• Fishermen
• Galilee
• John
• Peter

In the dictionaries

• Peter
• Simon Peter
• Peter, Simon Peter, Cephas
• Dare
• Fishing, the art of
• Galilee, Sea of
• Andrew
• Body, Spiritual
• Fisher; Fisherman
• Fishing

Commentaries on John 21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings