Matthew 4 · Verse 20

Matthew 4:20

And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
Matthew 4:20, King James Version

Matthew 4:20 in other translations

BSBAnd at once they left their nets and followed Him.
WEBThey immediately left their nets and followed him.
ASVAnd they straightway left the nets, and followed him.
YLTand they, immediately, having left the nets, did follow him.
DARBYAnd they, having left their trawl-nets, immediately followed him.
BBEAnd straight away they let go the nets and went after him.
WebsterAnd they immediately left their nets, and followed him.

What does Matthew 4:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
20. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

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

Barnes' Notes
Verse 20. Straightway. Immediately--as all should do when the Lord Jesus calls them.

Left their nets. Their nets were the means of their living, perhaps all their property. By leaving them immediately, and following him, they gave every evidence of sincerity. They showed, what we should, that they were willing to forsake all fro the sake of Jesus, and to follow him wherever he should lead them. They went forth to persecution and death, for the sake of Jesus; but also to the honour of saving souls from death, and establishing a church that shall continue to the end of time. Little did they know what awaited them, when they left their unmended nets to rot on the beach, and followed the unknown and unhonoured Jesus of Nazareth. So we know not what awaits us, when we become his followers but we should cheerfully go, when our Saviour calls, willing to commit all into his hand--come honour or dishonour, sickness or health, riches or poverty, life or death. Be it ours to do our duty at once, and to commit the result to the great Redeemer who has call us. Comp. Mt 6:33, 8:21,22 Jn 21:21,22.

Followed him. This is an expression denoting that they became his disciples, 2Kgs 6:19.

(p) "their nets" Mk 10:28-31.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 They straightway left their nets - A change, as far as it respected secular things, every way to their disadvantage. The proud and the profane may exult and say, "Such preachers as these cannot be much injured by their sacrifices of secular property - they have nothing but nets, etc., to leave." Let such carpers at the institution of Christ know, that he who has nothing but a net, and leaves that for the sake of doing good to the souls of men, leaves his All: besides, he lived comfortably by his net before; but, in becoming the servant of all for Christ's sake, he often exposes himself to the want of even a morsel of bread. See on Mat 19:27 (note).

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 4:20 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.

οἱhoi<the>G3588
δὲdeAndG1161
εὐθέωςeutheōsimmediatelyG2112
ἀφέντεςaphenteshaving leftG863
τὰtatheG3588
δίκτυαdiktuanetsG1350
ἠκολούθησανēkolouthēsanthey followedG190
αὐτῷ.¶autōHim.G846

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

Cross references for Matthew 4:20

  • Mark 10:28-31

    Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel’s, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.

  • Matthew 19:27

    Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?

  • Luke 18:28-30

    Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.

  • Psalms 119:60

    I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.

  • 1 Kings 19:21

    And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

  • Galatians 1:16

    To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

  • Matthew 10:37

    He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
10:37; 19:27; 1Ki 19:21; Ps 119:60; Mr 10:28-31; Lu 18:28-30
Ga 1:16

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Matthew 4:21

    And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.

Read all of Matthew 4

Matthew 4:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Ellos entonces, dejando luego las redes, le siguieron.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et eux aussitôt, ayant laissé leurs filets, le suivirent.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Sie aber verließen alsbald die Netze und folgten ihm nach.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		At illi continuo relictis retibus secuti sunt eum.