Mark 1:17
New International Version
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

New Living Translation
Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”

English Standard Version
And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

Berean Standard Bible
“Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”

Berean Literal Bible
And Jesus said to them, "Come after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men."

King James Bible
And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

New King James Version
Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

New American Standard Bible
And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will have you become fishers of people.”

NASB 1995
And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

NASB 1977
And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

Amplified Bible
And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me [as My disciples, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk], and I will make you fishers of men.”

Christian Standard Bible
“Follow me,” Jesus told them, “and I will make you fish for people.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
“Follow Me,” Jesus told them, “and I will make you fish for people!”

American Standard Version
And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

Contemporary English Version
Jesus said to them, "Follow me! I will teach you how to bring in people instead of fish."

English Revised Version
And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Jesus said to them, "Come, follow me! I will teach you how to catch people instead of fish."

Good News Translation
Jesus said to them, "Come with me, and I will teach you to catch people."

International Standard Version
Jesus told them, "Follow me, and I'll make you fishers of people!"

Majority Standard Bible
?Come, follow Me,? Jesus said, ?and I will make you fishers of men.?

NET Bible
Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people."

New Heart English Bible
Jesus said to them, "Come, follow me, and I will make you into fishers of people."

Webster's Bible Translation
And Jesus said to them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

Weymouth New Testament
"Come and follow me," said Jesus, "and I will make you fishers for men."

World English Bible
Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you into fishers for men.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and Jesus said to them, “Come after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men”;

Berean Literal Bible
And Jesus said to them, "Come after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men."

Young's Literal Translation
and Jesus said to them, 'Come ye after me, and I shall make you to become fishers of men;'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jesus said to them, Come after me, and I will make you to become fishermen of men.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Jesus said to them: Come after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

New American Bible
Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

New Revised Standard Version
And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And Jesus said to them, Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Yeshua said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And Jesus said to them: Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Godbey New Testament
Jesus said to them, Come after me, and I will make you to be fishers of men.

Haweis New Testament
And Jesus said to them, Come after me, and I will appoint you to be fishers of men:

Mace New Testament
(for they were fishers) and Jesus said to them, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

Weymouth New Testament
"Come and follow me," said Jesus, "and I will make you fishers for men."

Worrell New Testament
And Jesus said to them, "Come after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men."

Worsley New Testament
(for they were fishermen,) and Jesus said unto them, Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The First Disciples
16As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17“Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” 18And at once they left their nets and followed Him.…

Cross References
Matthew 4:19
“Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”

Luke 5:10
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.”

John 21:15-17
When they had finished eating, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love Me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he answered, “You know I love You.” Jesus replied, “Feed My lambs.” / Jesus asked a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?” “Yes, Lord,” he answered, “You know I love You.” Jesus told him, “Shepherd My sheep.” / Jesus asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was deeply hurt that Jesus had asked him a third time, “Do you love Me?” “Lord, You know all things,” he replied. “You know I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.

Matthew 28:19-20
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, / and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

John 15:16
You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.

Matthew 9:9
As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. “Follow Me,” He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him.

John 1:40-42
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus. / He first found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated as Christ). / Andrew brought him to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated as Peter).

Acts 2:38-41
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. / This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off—to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.” / With many other words he testified, and he urged them, “Be saved from this corrupt generation.” ...

1 Corinthians 9:19-23
Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. / To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), to win those under the law. / To those without the law I became like one without the law (though I am not outside the law of God but am under the law of Christ), to win those without the law. ...

2 Timothy 2:2
And the things that you have heard me say among many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be qualified to teach others as well.

Isaiah 6:8
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: “Whom shall I send? Who will go for Us?” And I said: “Here am I. Send me!”

Jeremiah 16:16
But for now I will send for many fishermen, declares the LORD, and they will catch them. After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill, even from the clefts of the rocks.

Ezekiel 47:10
Fishermen will stand by the shore; from En-gedi to En-eglaim they will spread their nets to catch fish of many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.

Proverbs 11:30
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.


Treasury of Scripture

And Jesus said to them, Come you after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

fishers.

Ezekiel 47:10
And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.

Matthew 4:19,20
And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men…

Luke 5:10
And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

Jump to Previous
Fishers Follow Jesus
Jump to Next
Fishers Follow Jesus
Mark 1
1. The office of John the Baptist.
9. Jesus is baptized;
12. tempted;
14. he preaches;
16. calls Peter, Andrew, James, and John;
23. heals one that had a demon;
29. Peter's mother in law;
32. many diseased persons;
40. and cleanses the leper.














Come, follow Me,
This invitation from Jesus is a direct call to discipleship. In the cultural context of first-century Judaism, rabbis would often have disciples who followed them to learn their teachings and way of life. Jesus, however, calls His disciples with authority, indicating His unique role as the Messiah. The call to "come" implies leaving behind one's current life and priorities to embrace a new path. This echoes the call of God to Abraham to leave his homeland (Genesis 12:1) and the call to the Israelites to follow God through the wilderness (Exodus 13:21).

Jesus said,
The authority of Jesus is central here. Unlike other rabbis, Jesus speaks with divine authority, as seen throughout the Gospels (Matthew 7:29). His words are not merely suggestions but commands that demand a response. This phrase also highlights the personal nature of the call; it is Jesus Himself who invites individuals into a relationship with Him.

and I will make you
This phrase indicates transformation and purpose. Jesus promises to change the identity and mission of those who follow Him. The transformation is not self-generated but is a work of Jesus in the life of the believer. This aligns with the biblical theme of God shaping and molding His people, as seen in the imagery of the potter and clay (Isaiah 64:8).

fishers of men.
This metaphor is rich with meaning, especially given the context of Jesus calling fishermen as His first disciples. Fishing was a common occupation around the Sea of Galilee, and Jesus uses this familiar imagery to convey a new mission: evangelism and the gathering of people into the Kingdom of God. The phrase connects to Old Testament prophecies about gathering people (Jeremiah 16:16) and reflects the mission of the Church to spread the Gospel (Matthew 28:19-20). The transformation from catching fish to catching people signifies a shift from a temporal to an eternal focus, emphasizing the value of souls and the urgency of the Gospel message.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus
The central figure in this passage, Jesus is calling His first disciples. He is the Son of God, the Messiah, and the teacher who invites others to follow Him.

2. Simon (Peter) and Andrew
These are the first disciples Jesus calls. They are fishermen by trade, which is significant to the metaphor Jesus uses.

3. Sea of Galilee
The location where Jesus calls Simon and Andrew. It is a significant place in Jesus' ministry, often associated with His teachings and miracles.

4. Fishing
The occupation of Simon and Andrew, which Jesus uses as a metaphor for their new mission.

5. Discipleship
The event of calling the first disciples marks the beginning of Jesus' ministry and the establishment of His followers.
Teaching Points
The Call to Follow
Jesus' invitation to "Come, follow Me" is a personal call to each believer. It requires a response of faith and obedience.

Transformation of Purpose
Jesus transforms the disciples' occupation from fishing for fish to fishing for people, indicating a shift in purpose and mission for those who follow Him.

Evangelism as a Lifestyle
Being "fishers of men" suggests that evangelism is not just an activity but a way of life for believers.

Immediate Obedience
The disciples' immediate response to Jesus' call serves as a model for how we should respond to His leading in our lives.

Empowerment for Mission
Jesus equips those He calls. The promise to make them "fishers of men" implies that He will provide the necessary skills and opportunities.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
“Come, follow
Δεῦτε (Deute)
Verb - Imperative - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 1205: Come hither, come, hither, an exclamatory word. From deuro and an imperative form of eimi; come hither!

Me,”
μου (mou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

Jesus
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2424: Of Hebrew origin; Jesus, the name of our Lord and two other Israelites.

said,
εἶπεν (eipen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

“and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

I will make
ποιήσω (poiēsō)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.

you
ὑμᾶς (hymas)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

fishers
ἁλιεῖς (halieis)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 231: A fisherman. From hals; a sailor, i.e. a fisher.

of men.”
ἀνθρώπων (anthrōpōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 444: A man, one of the human race. From aner and ops; man-faced, i.e. A human being.


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NT Gospels: Mark 1:17 Jesus said to them Come after me (Mar Mk Mr)
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