John 21:3
New International Version
“I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

New Living Translation
Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night.

English Standard Version
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Berean Standard Bible
Simon Peter told them, “I am going fishing.” “We will go with you,” they said. So they went out and got into the boat, but caught nothing that night.

Berean Literal Bible
Simon Peter says to them, "I am going to fish." They say to him, "We also are coming with you." They went forth and went up into the boat, and during that night they caught nothing.

King James Bible
Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

New King James Version
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.

New American Standard Bible
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are also coming with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

NASB 1995
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

NASB 1977
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out, and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

Legacy Standard Bible
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

Amplified Bible
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said, “And we are coming with you.” So they went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

Christian Standard Bible
“I’m going fishing,” Simon Peter said to them. “We’re coming with you,” they told him. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I’m going fishing,” Simon Peter said to them.” We’re coming with you,” they told him. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

American Standard Version
Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also come with thee. They went forth, and entered into the boat; and that night they took nothing.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Shimeon Kaypha said to them, “I am going to catch fish.” They were saying to him, “We are also coming with you.” And they went out and embarked the ship, and that night they caught nothing.

Contemporary English Version
Simon Peter said, "I'm going fishing!" The others said, "We will go with you." They went out in their boat. But they didn't catch a thing that night.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Simon Peter saith to them: I go a fishing. They say to him: We also come with thee. And they went forth, and entered into the ship: and that night they caught nothing.

English Revised Version
Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also come with thee. They went forth, and entered into the boat; and that night they took nothing.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Simon Peter said to the others, "I'm going fishing." They told him, "We're going with you." They went out in a boat but didn't catch a thing that night.

Good News Translation
Simon Peter said to the others, "I am going fishing." "We will come with you," they told him. So they went out in a boat, but all that night they did not catch a thing.

International Standard Version
Simon Peter told them, "I'm going fishing." They all told him, "We'll go with you, too." So they went out and got into the boat but didn't catch a thing that night.

Literal Standard Version
Simon Peter says to them, “I go away to fish”; they say to him, “We go—we also—with you”; they went forth and immediately entered into the boat, and on that night they caught nothing.

Majority Standard Bible
Simon Peter told them, “I am going fishing.” “We will go with you,” they said. So they went out and immediately got into the boat, but caught nothing that night.

New American Bible
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

NET Bible
Simon Peter told them, "I am going fishing." "We will go with you," they replied. They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

New Revised Standard Version
Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

New Heart English Bible
Simon Peter said to them, "I'm going fishing." They told him, "We are also coming with you." They went out, and entered into the boat. That night, they caught nothing.

Webster's Bible Translation
Simon Peter saith to them, I go a fishing. They say to him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a boat immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

Weymouth New Testament
Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." "We will go too," said they. So they set out and went on board their boat; but they caught nothing that night.

World English Bible
Simon Peter said to them, “I’m going fishing.” They told him, “We are also coming with you.” They immediately went out and entered into the boat. That night, they caught nothing.

Young's Literal Translation
Simon Peter saith to them, 'I go away to fish;' they say to him, 'We go -- we also -- with thee;' they went forth and entered into the boat immediately, and on that night they caught nothing.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jesus Appears by the Sea of Tiberias
2Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3Simon Peter told them, “I am going fishing.” “We will go with you,” they said. So they went out and got into the boat, but caught nothing that night. 4Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not recognize that it was Jesus.…

Cross References
Luke 5:5
"Master," Simon replied, "we have worked hard all night without catching anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets."

John 21:4
Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not recognize that it was Jesus.


Treasury of Scripture

Simon Peter said to them, I go a fishing. They say to him, We also go with you. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

I go.

2 Kings 6:1-7
And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us…

Matthew 4:18-20
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…

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 that.

Luke 5:5
And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.

1 Corinthians 3:7
So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

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John 21
1. Jesus appearing again to his disciples is known of them by the great catch of fish.
12. He dines with them;
15. earnestly commands Peter to feed his lambs and sheep;
18. foretells him of his death;
22. rebukes his curiosity.
24. The conclusion.














(3) Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing.--The words are the vivid representation by an ear-witness of what actually took place as they re turned to their ordinary work during the interval between the Passover and Pentecost. It does not express either an abandonment of their higher vocation, or an expectation of the presence of the Lord. The picturesque colouring of the whole scene is quite in St. John's style, as is also the simple co-ordinate arrangement of sentences without connecting particles.

And that night they caught nothing.--Comp. for the fact Luke 5:5; but the words are different. The word here rendered "caught" occurs nowhere in the other Gospels, but is found again in this chapter (John 21:10), and six times in the earlier chapters of the Gospel (John 7:30; John 7:32; John 7:44; John 8:20; John 10:39; John 11:57). It occurs also in Revelation 19:20. . . .

Verse 3. - Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a-fishing. The abruptness of the language addressed to six (μαθηταί) disciples, who seemed to be living as in one family, suggests a lengthened waiting, and some disappointment as to the effect upon their daily life of the great revelation. They are summoned by the most commanding spirit among them to resume what was, for some of them at least, their customary calling. He would seek in humble fashion, along the lines of ordinary duty to his family and himself, the supply of daily wants. According to some writers, Peter felt a presentiment of the coming of his Lord under scenes identical with those of his first call (Luke 5:1-11). According to others, Peter exhibited some of the heart-sickness of deferred hope. On either supposition we see a new illustration of, and testimony to, the character of the man who was so conspicuous an initiator. They say to him, We also come (or, go) with thee. They do not "follow" him, as they had been summoned once to follow their Lord; but they are willing, even eager, to accompany the strong-hearted man, and ready to take his lead. They share at once either in his presentiment or in the expression of his delayed hope. They went forth; i.e. from the home which they had made for themselves on this well-remembered spot - from Capernaum, which was most probably the early home of Peter, and a spot to which he would naturally revert. And entered into the ship; the veritable vessel that had often served them on that lake of storms. Though Peter and Andrew, James and John, had left their boats and nets and hired servants, it is not unlikely that members of their two families had retained them. And that night they took nothing. Let the unusual word be noticed. Πιάζειν occurs three times in this brief narrative and six times in the Gospel, in the sense of "laying hold," "taking possession of," but nowhere in the synoptists. It occurs, however, in Acts 12:4; 2 Corinthians 11:32; Ecclus. 23. 21; and, what is more remarkable, in the sense of "taking animals" in Revelation 19:20 (ἐπιάσθη τὸ θηρίον); so the LXX. for אָחַז (Song of Solomon 2:15). The night was then, as now, the most convenient time for fishing, and the fruitless effort must have reminded them of the night described in Luke 5. Some critics have supposed this failure to be parabolic or symbolic of the comparatively barren results of the apostolic ministry to the Jews, while what followed was prophetic of the great success which should accompany their appeal to the Gentiles. But Peter's wonderful success on the Day of Pentecost and on subsequent occasions in dealing with Jews, contradicts this interpretation. The only analogy which offers itself to our minds is the limited success of all their endeavors until the apostles were veritably endowed with power from on high.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Simon
Σίμων (Simōn)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4613: Simon. Of Hebrew origin; Simon, the name of nine Israelites.

Peter
Πέτρος (Petros)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4074: Peter, a Greek name meaning rock. Apparently a primary word; a rock; as a name, Petrus, an apostle.

told
λέγει (legei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

them,
αὐτοῖς (autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

“I am going
Ὑπάγω (Hypagō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 5217: To go away, depart, begone, die. From hupo and ago; to lead under, i.e. Withdraw or retire, literally or figuratively.

fishing.”
ἁλιεύειν (halieuein)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 232: To fish. From halieus; to be a fisher, i.e. to fish.

“We
ἡμεῖς (hēmeis)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

will go
Ἐρχόμεθα (Erchometha)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 2064: To come, go.

with
σὺν (syn)
Preposition
Strong's 4862: With. A primary preposition denoting union; with or together.

you,”
σοί (soi)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

they said.
Λέγουσιν (Legousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command.

[So] they went out
ἐξῆλθον (exēlthon)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1831: To go out, come out. From ek and erchomai; to issue.

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

got
ἐνέβησαν (enebēsan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1684: To step in; I go onboard a ship, embark. From en and the base of basis; to walk on, i.e. Embark, reach.

into
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.

the
τὸ (to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

boat,
πλοῖον (ploion)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4143: A ship, vessel, boat. From pleo; a sailer, i.e. Vessel.

[but]
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

caught
ἐπίασαν (epiasan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 4084: Probably another form of biazo; to squeeze, i.e. Seize (press), or officially (arrest), or in hunting (capture).

nothing
οὐδέν (ouden)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3762: No one, none, nothing.

that
ἐκείνῃ (ekeinē)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1565: That, that one there, yonder. From ekei; that one (neuter) thing); often intensified by the article prefixed.

night.
νυκτὶ (nykti)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3571: The night, night-time. A primary word; 'night'.


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