New Living Translation
Matthew 4:19
19Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”
Matthew 4:19 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
- New International Version (NIV)“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Context of Matthew 4:19
17From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” 18One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 20And they left their nets at once and followed him. 21A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too.
Read all of Matthew 4Matthew 4:19 word by word
καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· δεῦτε ὀπίσω μου, καὶ ποιήσω ὑμᾶς ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Matthew 4:19
- Matthew 8:22But Jesus told him, “Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.”
- Matthew 9:9As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.
- Matthew 16:24Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.
- Matthew 19:21Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
- Mark 2:14As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him.
- Luke 5:27Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him.
- Luke 9:59He said to another person, “Come, follow me.” The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”
- John 1:43The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me.”
- John 12:26Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.
- John 21:22Jesus replied, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow me.”
- Ezekiel 47:9There will be swarms of living things wherever the water of this river flows. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will become fresh. Life will flourish wherever this water flows.
- Mark 1:17Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”
- Luke 5:10His 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!”
- 1 Corinthians 9:20When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law.
- 2 Corinthians 12:16Some of you admit I was not a burden to you. But others still think I was sneaky and took advantage of you by trickery.
Commentaries on Matthew 4:19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19Follow me - Come after me, . Receive my doctrines, imitate me in my conduct - in every respect be my disciples. We may observe that most of the calls of God to man are expressed in a few solemn words, which alarm, the conscience, and deeply impress the heart. I will make you fishers of men - Ezekiel 47:8-10, casts much light on this place; and to this prophet our Lord probably alludes. To follow Christ, and be admitted into a partnership of his ministry…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19Fishers of men - Ministers or preachers of the gospel, whose business it shall be to win souls to Christ.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-22Verses 18-22 When Christ began to preach, he began to gather disciples, who should be hearers, and afterwards preachers of his doctrine, who should be witnesses of his miracles, and afterwards testify concerning them. He went not to Herod's court, not to Jerusalem, among the chief priests and the elders, but to the sea of Galilee, among the fishermen. The same power which called Peter and Andrew, could have wrought upon Annas and Caiaphas, for with God…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19Come, follow Me: This meant accepting the beliefs and lifestyle of a teacher as your own (Matthew 16:24; Deuteronomy 5:33; 1 Kings 19:19–21). fishers of men: The disciples would help in the saving and judging work of the kingdom of heaven (see Matthew 10:5–15; 13:47–51; Ezekiel 29:4–5; Amos 4:2).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. And he saith unto them, Follow me--rather, as the same expression is rendered in Mark, "Come ye after Me" (Mr 1:17). and I will make you fishers of men--raising them from a lower to a higher fishing, as David was from a lower to a higher feeding (Psa 78:70-72).Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 4:19
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 4
- 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
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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