Mark 1:17 kjv
And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
Mark 1:17 nkjv
Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."
Mark 1:17 niv
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people."
Mark 1:17 esv
And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men."
Mark 1:17 nlt
Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!"
Mark 1 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
| Matt 4:19 | “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” | Parallel account in Matthew's Gospel. |
| Luke 5:10 | “Do not fear; from now on you will be catching men.” | Parallel account in Luke's Gospel, after the miraculous catch. |
| Matt 16:24 | “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself...” | Call to true discipleship, self-denial. |
| John 10:27 | “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” | Followership as a characteristic of Jesus' sheep. |
| 1 Pet 2:21 | Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps. | Following Christ's example. |
| Jer 16:16 | “Behold, I am sending for many fishermen,” declares the LORD, “and they will catch them...” | Old Testament imagery of fishermen used by God, sometimes for judgment/gathering. |
| Ezek 47:9-10 | “Wherever the river flows... fishers will stand beside them...” | Imagery of abundance and healing, with fishermen benefiting from God’s flow. |
| Matt 9:37-38 | “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest...” | The mission of gathering souls likened to a harvest. |
| John 4:35 | “...look, I tell you, lift up your eyes and see that the fields are white for harvest.” | Disciples called to perceive the ripeness for evangelism. |
| Matt 28:19-20 | “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them...” | The Great Commission, the global mandate for "fishing for men." |
| Luke 24:47 | ...that repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all nations... | Universal scope of the evangelistic mission. |
| Acts 1:8 | “...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses...” | Empowerment for the mission of being "fishers of men." |
| Acts 2:41 | So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. | Practical example of "fishing for men" resulting in many additions. |
| Acts 4:4 | But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand. | Another early example of successful gospel proclamation and gathering. |
| 2 Cor 5:17 | Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. | Spiritual transformation foundational to new identity and purpose. |
| Eph 4:22-24 | ...to put off your old self... and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God... | Call to radical personal transformation in Christ. |
| Rom 12:2 | Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind... | Internal transformation of mind leading to renewed purpose. |
| Col 3:9-10 | ...having put off the old self with its practices and having put on the new self... | Putting off the old life and embracing the new life in Christ. |
| Phil 2:13 | for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. | God's active role in empowering believers for His work. |
| John 15:5 | “...for apart from Me you can do nothing.” | Necessity of remaining connected to Jesus for fruitfulness in ministry. |
| 2 Cor 3:5 | Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God. | Divine enablement for effective ministry. |
| 1 Cor 9:19-23 | For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. | Paul's example of becoming "all things to all people, that by all means I might save some," echoing "fishers of men." |
Mark 1 verses
Mark 1 17 Meaning
Mark 1:17 captures Jesus' authoritative call to His first disciples, Simon and Andrew, transforming their professional lives and setting their new vocational purpose. It is a profound declaration that if they choose to "Follow Him," He will divinely enable and empower them to shift from catching literal fish for physical sustenance to "fishers of men," engaging in the spiritual gathering of people for the Kingdom of God. This verse signifies a radical call to discipleship, a promise of divine enablement, and a redefinition of their life's mission from the mundane to the eternally significant.
Mark 1 17 Context
Mark 1:17 immediately follows Jesus' initial call to Simon (Peter) and Andrew as they were casting a net in the Sea of Galilee, a scene depicted in Mark 1:16. The verse is nestled within the introductory narrative of Jesus' public ministry, right after His baptism (Mark 1:9-11) and temptation (Mark 1:12-13). It also directly follows Jesus' central message: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15). In the verses immediately following (Mark 1:18-20), Mark emphasizes the disciples' immediate and complete abandonment of their former lives and their subsequent "following" of Jesus, underscoring the urgency and authority of His call. The historical and cultural context is vital; Galilee was a vibrant fishing region, making the "fishermen" metaphor relatable and powerfully transformative for His initial audience, who were deeply familiar with the trade. This sets a paradigm for all subsequent discipleship—a call to follow Jesus, resulting in a radical shift of purpose, empowered by His divine working.
Mark 1 17 Word analysis
- And Jesus: Indicates continuation of narrative; Jesus is the central figure, the initiator.
- said (εἶπεν - eīpen): A simple past tense, emphasizing a direct, authoritative utterance. It is a declaration, not a question or a suggestion.
- to them (αὐτοῖς - autois): Specifically refers to Simon and Andrew, the first two individuals Jesus called, personalizing the instruction and promise.
- "Follow (δεῦτε ὀπίσω - deute opisō): The imperative "come here/hither" (δεῦτε) combined with "behind/after" (ὀπίσω) signifies an immediate, urgent command to physically come and symbolically become a disciple, adopting His ways, teachings, and life purpose. It is a summons to direct allegiance.
- Me (μου - mou): Highlights that discipleship is singularly focused on Jesus; He is the object and the way.
- and I will make (κἀγὼ ποιήσω - kagō poiēsō): The conjunction "and" links the command with a divine promise. "I will make" is future tense, active voice, signifying Jesus as the powerful agent who will cause something to happen. It indicates His supernatural ability to transform and equip them for this new role. This is not self-effort but Christ-enabled.
- you become (ὑμᾶς γενέσθαι - hymas genesthai): "You" specifies the recipients. "To become" denotes a process of transformation in identity and capability. It is not an instant status, but a shaping, enabling process initiated and sustained by Jesus.
- fishers (ἁλιεῖς - halieis): Literally "fishermen." This term directly relates to their existing profession, making the metaphor powerfully immediate and relatable. It highlights a change in what they "catch," not how they "catch" (which implies transferring their skill, reoriented).
- of men (ἀνθρώπων - anthrōpōn): The genitive "of men/people" denotes the new "catch" – human souls. It shifts their focus from gathering physical sustenance to gathering spiritual souls into God's Kingdom.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me,": This opening establishes Jesus' divine authority to call and direct lives. The direct command "Follow Me" is an invitation to total allegiance and imitation of His life and teachings, moving beyond a mere student-rabbi relationship to a life-transforming commitment. It represents a pivot point, demanding immediate, unreserved obedience.
- "and I will make you become fishers of men.”": This phrase functions as Jesus' foundational promise and commissioning. "I will make" underlines Jesus' supernatural enablement; the transformation from literal fishermen to "fishers of men" is His doing. It means He will equip them for the task of evangelism and gathering people into God's Kingdom, repurposing their acquired skills for a new, spiritual harvest. This metaphor implies seeking out, gathering, and drawing people into a new sphere, often understood as saving them from spiritual destruction (the "sea") and bringing them to salvation.
Mark 1 17 Bonus section
The imagery of "fishers of men" re-contextualizes an Old Testament theme often associated with divine judgment or gathering from dispersion (e.g., Jer 16:16). Jesus redeems and re-purposes this powerful metaphor for the positive, salvific work of gathering souls into His Kingdom. This call immediately challenged existing religious structures that focused on maintaining the purity of Israel rather than proactively reaching out to those perceived as "outside." Furthermore, the disciples' immediate abandonment of their nets and family implies a profound understanding of Jesus' unique authority and the unparalleled significance of His call, indicating a readiness for radical transformation and self-sacrifice at His command.
Mark 1 17 Commentary
Mark 1:17 encapsulates the essence of Jesus' call to discipleship: it's a summons to follow Him first and foremost, which in turn leads to a radical re-purposing of one's life. Jesus leverages the familiar occupation of fishing to paint a vivid picture of their new mission. "Follow Me" is an authoritative command to personal allegiance and imitation, demanding immediate action and redirection of one's entire life purpose. The crucial phrase "I will make you become" highlights Jesus' unique power to transform and enable His followers for their new mission; it's a promise of divine empowerment, not a mere instruction for self-improvement. The transition from catching literal fish to "fishers of men" symbolizes a shift from temporal pursuits to eternal ones—from sustaining physical life to saving spiritual lives, drawing people from the "sea" of lost humanity into the security of God's Kingdom. This is the blueprint for all Christian service: personal devotion to Christ preceding and enabling effective spiritual ministry.