Matthew 4 · Verse 19

Matthew 4:19

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
Matthew 4:19, King James Version

Matthew 4:19 in other translations

BSB“Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
WEBHe said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers for men.”
ASVAnd he saith unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men.
YLTand he saith to them, ‘Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men,'
DARBYand he says to them, Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.
BBEAnd he said to them, Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.
WebsterAnd he saith to them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

What does Matthew 4:19 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
19. 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).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 19. Fishers of men. Ministers or preachers of the gospel, whose business it shall be to win souls to Christ.

(o) "fishers of men" Lk 5:10, 1Cor 9:20-22, 2Cor 12:16

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 19 Follow me - Come after me, δευτε οπισω μου. 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 - Eze 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, is a great honor; but those only who are by himself fitted for it, God calls. Miserable are those who do not wait fur this call - who presume to take the name of fishers of men, and know not how to cast the net of the Divine word, because not brought to an acquaintance with the saving power of the God who bought them. Such persons, having only their secular interest in view, study not to catch men, but to catch money: and though, for charity's sake, it may be said of a pastor of this spirit, he does not enter the sheepfold as a thief, yet he certainly lives as a hireling. See Quesnel. Some teach to work, but have no hands to row; Some will be eyes, but have no light to see; Some will be guides, but have no feet to go; Some deaf, yet ears, some dumb, yet tongues will be; Dumb, deaf, lame, blind, and maimed, yet fishers all! Fit for no use but store an hospital. Fletcher's Piscatory Eclogues. Ec iv. 5, 18. Following a person, in the Jewish phrase, signifies being his disciple or scholar. See a similar mode of speech, 2Kgs 6:19.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 4:18-22

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…

Read the full comment on Matthew 4:18-22 →

Matthew 4:19 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiAndG2532
λέγειlegeiHe saysG3004
αὐτοῖς·autoisto them;G846
δεῦτεdeuteComeG1205
ὀπίσωopisōafterG3694
μου,mouMe,G3165
καὶkaiandG2532
ποιήσωpoiēsōI will makeG4160
ὑμᾶςhumasyouG4771
ἁλιεῖςhalieisfishersG231
ἀνθρώπων.anthrōpōnof men.G444

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 4:19

  • Mark 1:17-18

    And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.

  • John 12:26

    If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

  • Matthew 16:24

    Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

  • Luke 9:59

    And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

  • John 1:43

    The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.

  • Luke 5:27

    And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me.

  • John 21:22

    Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.

  • Mark 2:14

    And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alpheus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.

  • Luke 5:10-11

    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. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

  • Matthew 19:21

    Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

  • 1 Corinthians 9:20-22

    And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

  • Ezekiel 47:9-10

    And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from En–gedi even unto En–eglaim; 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.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Follow.
8:22; 9:9; 16:24; 19:21; Mr 2:14; Lu 5:27; 9:59; Joh 1:43; 12:26
Joh 21:22
I will.
Eze 47:9,10; Mr 1:17,18; Lu 5:10,11; 1Co 9:20-22; 2Co 12:16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 4:18

    And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

  • Matthew 4:19

    And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

  • Matthew 4:20

    And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

Read all of Matthew 4

Matthew 4:19 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y díceles: Venid en pos de mí, y os haré pescadores de hombres.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et il leur dit: Venez après moi, et je vous ferai pêcheurs d’hommes.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und er spricht zu ihnen: Kommet mir nach, und ich werde euch zu Menschenfischern machen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		et ait illis: Venite post me, et faciam vos fieri piscatores hominum.