Matthew 4:20
Encyclopedia
Matthew 4:20 is the twentieth verse of the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew
in the New Testament
. Jesus
has just begun preaching in Galilee
and has encountered the fishermen Simon Peter and Andrew
. He has called them to join him as "fishers of men," and in this verse the pair take up his offer.
The original Koine Greek
, according to Westcott and Hort
, reads:
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
The World English Bible
translates the passage as:
For a collection of other versions see BibRef Matthew 4:20
The traditional view is that the decision to join Jesus after this brief meeting was an example of his divine power. France, however, notes that this view is not explicit in the Gospel and that the alternate view that Jesus knew, and was even close friends, with both men beforehand is perfectly possible. John 1
and Luke 5:3 imply this version of events. Clarke notes that as a carpenter
one of Jesus' tasks might very well have been building and repairing fishing vessels and he thus had many opportunities to interact and befriend fishers such as Simon and Andrew.
Albright and Mann note that Matthew consistently emphasizes the importance of renunciation in coming to Jesus, as represented by the fishers' abandonment of their nets
. Fishing was a profitable, but capital intensive, occupation and abandoning everything would have been an important sacrifice. Clarke notes that this abandonment of worldly possessions was taken as a model by later Christian ascetics.
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
. Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
has just begun preaching in Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
and has encountered the fishermen Simon Peter and Andrew
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
. He has called them to join him as "fishers of men," and in this verse the pair take up his offer.
The original Koine Greek
Koine Greek
Koine Greek is the universal dialect of the Greek language spoken throughout post-Classical antiquity , developing from the Attic dialect, with admixture of elements especially from Ionic....
, according to Westcott and Hort
The New Testament in the Original Greek
The New Testament in the Original Greek is the name of a Greek language version of the New Testament published in 1881. It is also known as the Westcott and Hort text, after its editors Brooke Foss Westcott and Fenton John Anthony Hort...
, reads:
- οι δε ευθεως αφεντες τα δικτυα ηκολουθησαν αυτω
In the King James Version of the Bible the text reads:
- And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
The World English Bible
World English Bible
The World English Bible is a public domain translation of the Bible that is currently in draft form. Work on the World English Bible began in 1997 and was known as the American Standard Version 1997...
translates the passage as:
- They immediately left their nets and followed him
For a collection of other versions see BibRef Matthew 4:20
The traditional view is that the decision to join Jesus after this brief meeting was an example of his divine power. France, however, notes that this view is not explicit in the Gospel and that the alternate view that Jesus knew, and was even close friends, with both men beforehand is perfectly possible. John 1
John 1
John 1 is the first chapter in the Gospel of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.-Analysis:The first chapter of the Gospel of John can be divided in two parts:The first part John 1 is the first chapter in the Gospel of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.-Analysis:The...
and Luke 5:3 imply this version of events. Clarke notes that as a carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
one of Jesus' tasks might very well have been building and repairing fishing vessels and he thus had many opportunities to interact and befriend fishers such as Simon and Andrew.
Albright and Mann note that Matthew consistently emphasizes the importance of renunciation in coming to Jesus, as represented by the fishers' abandonment of their nets
Fishing net
A fishing net or fishnet is a net that is used for fishing. Fishing nets are meshes usually formed by knotting a relatively thin thread. Modern nets are usually made of artificial polyamides like nylon, although nets of organic polyamides such as wool or silk thread were common until recently and...
. Fishing was a profitable, but capital intensive, occupation and abandoning everything would have been an important sacrifice. Clarke notes that this abandonment of worldly possessions was taken as a model by later Christian ascetics.