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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Mark 1:14–22. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here is, I. A general account of Christ's preaching in Galilee. John gives an account of his preaching in Judea, before this (ch. 2 and 3), which the other evangelists had omitted, who chiefly relate what occurred in Galilee, because that was least known at Jerusalem. Observe,
1.When Jesus began to preach in Galilee; After that John was put in prison. When he had finished his testimony, then Jesus began his. Note, The silencing of Christ's ministers shall not be the suppressing of Christ's gospel; if some be laid aside, others shall be raised up, perhaps mightier than they, to carry on the same work.
2.What he preached; The gospel of the kingdom of God. Christ came to set up the kingdom of God among men, that they might be brought into subjection to it, and might obtain salvation in it; and he set it up by the preaching of his gospel, and a power going along with it.
Observe, (1.) The great truths Christ preached; The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. This refers to the Old Testament, in which the kingdom of the Messiah was promised, and the time fixed for the introducing of it. They were not so well versed in those prophecies, nor did they so well observe the signs of the times, as to understand it themselves, and therefore Christ gives them notice of it; "The time prefixed is now at hand; glorious discoveries of divine light, life, and love, are now to be made; a new dispensation far more spiritual and heavenly than that which you have hitherto been under, is now to commence." Note, God keeps time; when the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand, for the vision is for an appointed time, which will be punctually observed, though it tarry past our time.
(2.)The great duties inferred from thence. Christ gave them to understand the times, that they might know what Israel ought to do; they fondly expected the Messiah to appear in external pomp and power, not only to free the Jewish nation from the Roman yoke, but to make it have dominion over all its neighbours, and therefore thought, when that kingdom of God was at hand, they must prepare for war, and for victory and preferment, and great things in the world; but Christ tells them, in the prospect of that kingdom approaching, they must repent, and believe the gospel. They had broken the moral law, and could not be saved by a covenant of innocency, for both Jew and Gentile are concluded under guilt. They must therefore take the benefit of a covenant of grace, must submit to a remedial law, and this is it - repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. They had not made use of the prescribed preservatives, and therefore must have recourse to the prescribed restoratives. By repentance we must lament and forsake our sins, and by faith we must receive the forgiveness of them. By repentance we must give glory to our Creator whom we have offended; by faith we must give glory to our Redeemer who came to save us from our sins. Both these must go together; we must not think either that reforming our lives will save us without trusting in the righteousness and grace of Christ, or that trusting in Christ will save us without the reformation of our hearts and lives. Christ hath joined these two together, and let no man think to put them asunder. They will mutually assist and befriend each other. Repentance will quicken faith, and faith will make repentance evangelical; and the sincerity of both together must be evidenced by a diligent conscientious obedience to all God's commandments. Thus the preaching of the gospel began, and thus it continues; still the call is, Repent, and believe, and live a life of repentance and a life of faith.
II.Christ appearing as a teacher, here is next his calling of disciples, Mar 1:16-20. Observe,
1.Christ will have followers. If he set up a school, he will have scholars; if he set up his standard, he will have soldiers; if he preach, he will have hearers. He has taken an effectual course to secure this; for all that the Father has given him, shall, without fail, come to him.
2.The instruments Christ chose to employ in setting up his kingdom, were the weak and foolish things of the world; not called from the great sanhedrim, or the schools of the rabbin, but picked up from among the tarpaulins by the sea-side, that the excellency of the power might appear to be wholly of God, and not at all of them.
3.Though Christ needs not the help of man, yet he is pleased to make use of it in setting up his kingdom, that he might deal with us not in a formidable but in a familiar way, and that in his kingdom the nobles and governors may be of ourselves, Jer 31:21.
4.Christ puts honour upon those who, though mean in the world, are diligent in their business, and loving to one another; so those were, whom Christ called. He found them employed, and employed together. Industry and unity are good and pleasant, and there the Lord Jesus commands the blessing, even this blessing, Follow me.
5.The business of ministers is to fish for souls, and win them to Christ. The children of men, in their natural condition, are lost, wander endlessly in the great ocean of this world, and are carried down the stream of its course and way; they are unprofitable. Like leviathan in the waters, they play therein; and often, like the fishes of the sea, they devour one another. Ministers, in preaching the gospel, cast the net into the waters, Mat 13:47. Some are enclosed and brought to shore, but far the greater number escape. Fishermen take great pains, and expose themselves to great perils, so do ministers; and they have need of wisdom. If many a draught brings home nothing, yet they must go on.
6.Those whom Christ called, must leave all, to follow him; and by his grace he inclines them to do so. Not that we must needs go out of the world immediately, but we must sit loose to the world, and forsake every thing that is inconsistent with our duty to Christ, and that cannot be kept without prejudice to our souls. Mark takes notice of James and John, that they left not only their father (which we had in Matthew), but the hired servants, whom perhaps they loved as their own brethren, being their fellow-labourers and pleasant comrades; not only relations, but companions, must be left for Christ, and old acquaintance. Perhaps it is an intimation of their care for their father; they did not leave him without assistance, they left the hired servants with him. Grotius thinks it is mentioned as an evidence that their calling was gainful to them, for it was worth while to keep servants in pay, to help them in it, and their hands would be much missed, and yet they left it.
III.Here is a particular account of his preaching in Capernaum, one of the cities of Galilee; for though John Baptist chose to preach in a wilderness, and did well, and did good, yet it doth not therefore follow, that Jesus must do so too; the inclinations and opportunities of ministers may very much differ, and yet both be in the way of their duty, and both useful. Observe,
1.When Christ came into Capernaum, he straightway applied himself to his work there, and took the first opportunity of preaching the gospel. Those will think themselves concerned not to lose time, who consider what a deal of work they have to do, and what a little time to do it in.
2.Christ religiously observed the sabbath day, though not by tying himself up to the tradition of the elders, in all the niceties of the sabbath-rest, yet (which was far better) by applying himself to, and abounding in, the sabbath-work, in order to which the sabbath-rest was instituted.
3.Sabbaths are to be sanctified in religious assemblies, if we have opportunity; it is a holy day, and must be honoured with a holy convocation; this was the good old way, Act 13:27; Act 15:21. On the sabbath-day, tois sabbasin - on the sabbath-days; every sabbath-day, as duly as it returned, he went into the synagogue.
4.In religious assemblies on sabbath-days, the gospel is to be preached, and those to be taught, who are willing to learn the truth as it is in Jesus.
5.Christ was a non-such preacher; he did not preach as the scribes, who expounded the law of Moses by rote, as a school-boy says his lesson, but were neither acquainted with it (Paul himself, when a Pharisee, was ignorant of the law), nor affected with it; it came not from the heart, and therefore came not with authority. But Christ taught as one that had authority, as one that knew the mind of God, and was commissioned to declare it.
6.There is much in the doctrine of Christ, that is astonishing; the more we hear it, the more cause we shall see to admire it.
Historical interpretation
Nine Centuries of Reception
6 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Further, we are mystically carried away to heaven, like Elias, by this chariot, drawn by these fishers, as by four horses. On these four corner-stones the first Church is built; in these, as in the four Hebrew letters, (יהוה) we acknowledge the tetragrammaton, the name of the Lord, we who are commanded, after their example, to hear the voice of the Lord, and to forget (Ps. 45:11) the people of wickedness, and the house of our fathers' conversation, which is folly before God, and the spider's net, in the meshes of which we, like gnats, were all but fallen, and were confined by things vain as the air, which hangs on nothing; loathing also the ship of our former walk. For Adam, our forefather according to the flesh, is clothed with the skins of dead beasts; but now, having put off the old man, with his deeds, following the new man we are clothed with those skins of Solomon, with which the bride rejoices that she has been made beautiful. (Cant. 1:4. Vulg.) Again, Simon, means obedient; Andrew, manly; James, supplanter;f John, grace; by which four names, we are knit together into God's host;g by obedience, that we may listen; by manliness, that we do battle; by overthrowing, that we may persevere; by grace, that we may be preserved. (supplantatione) Which four virtues are called cardinal; for by prudence, we obey; by justice, we bear ourselves manfully; by temperance, we tread the serpent underfoot; by fortitude, we earn the grace of God.
“But how can we do it?” the disciples might reasonably have answered. “How can we preach to Romans? How can we argue with Egyptians? We are brought up to use the Syrian tongue only. What language shall we speak to Greeks? How shall we persuade Persians, Armenians, Chaldeans, Scythians, Indians and other scattered nations to give up their ancestral gods and worship the Creator of all? What abilities in speaking have we to depend upon in attempting such work as this? And what hope of success can we have if we dare to proclaim laws directly opposed to the laws about their own gods that have been established for ages among all nations? By what power shall we ever survive our daring attempt?” The Proof of the Gospel
For by the net of holy preaching they drew fish, that is, men, from the depths of the sea, that is, of infidelity, to the light of faith. Wonderful indeed is this fishing! for fishes when they are caught, soon after die; when men are caught by the word of preaching, they rather are made alive.
(ubi sup.) Repent, therefore, and believe; that is, renounce dead works; for of what use is believing without good works? The merit of good works does not, however, bring to faith, but faith begins, that good works may follow.
(in Marc. i. 6) Now fishers and unlettered men are sent to preach, that the faith of believers might be thought to lie in the power of God, not in eloquence or in learning. It goes on to say, and immediately they left their nets, and followed him.
(ubi sup.) It may be asked, how he could call two fishers from each of the boats, (first, Peter and Andrew, then having gone a little further, the two others, sons of Zebedee,) when Luke says that James and John were called to help Peter and Andrew, and that it was to Peter only that Christ said, Fear not, from this time thou shalt catch men; (Luke 5:10) he also says, that at the same time, when they had brought their ships to land, they followed him. We must therefore understand that that transaction which Luke intimates happened first, and afterwards that they, as their custom was, had returned to their fishing. So that what Mark here relates happened afterwards; for in this case they followed the Lord, without drawing their boats ashore, (which they would have done had they meant to return,) and followed Him, as one calling them, and ordering them to follow.
As the Evangelist John relates, Peter and Andrew were disciples of the Forerunner, but seeing that John had borne witness to Jesus, they joined themselves to him; afterwards, grieving that John had been cast into prison, they returned to their trade. Wherefore there follows, casting nets into the sea, for they were fishers. Look then upon them, living on their own labours, not on the fruits of iniquity; for such men were worthy to become the first disciples of Christ; whence it is subjoined, And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me. Now He calls them for the second time; for this is the second calling in respect of that, of which we read in John. But it is shown to what they were called, when it is added, I will make you become fishers of men.
For we must not allow any time to lapse, but at once follow the Lord. After these again, He catches James and John, because they also, though poor, supported the old age of their father. Wherefore there follows, And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, &c. But they left their father, because he would have hindered them in following Christ. Do thou, also, when thou art hindered by thy parents, leave them, and come to God. It is shown by this that Zebedee was not a believer; but the mother of the Apostles believed, for she followed Christ, when Zebedee was dead.
We must know also, that action is first called, then contemplation; for Peter is the type of the active life, for he was more ardent than the others, just as the active life is the more bustling; but John is the type of the contemplative life, for he speaks more fully of divine things.
(non occ.) The Evangelist, having mentioned the preaching of Christ to the multitude, goes on to the calling of the disciples, whom he made ministers of his preaching, whence it follows, And passing along the sea of Galilee, &c.
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Summary
Mark 1:17 captures Jesus' foundational call to His first disciples, Simon, Andrew, James, and John, by the Sea of Galilee. This pivotal moment transforms their established lives as fishermen, inviting them into a new, radical purpose: to follow Him and be divinely equipped to "fish for men." It encapsulates the essence of Christian discipleship as a call to personal allegiance, spiritual transformation, and active participation in the mission of gathering souls into God's kingdom.
Context
Literary Context
This verse immediately follows Jesus' initial encounter with Simon (Peter) and Andrew, and subsequently James and John, by the Sea of Galilee (Mark 1:16-20). This calling narrative is strategically placed after Jesus' baptism, temptation, and the commencement of His public ministry with the proclamation of the kingdom of God and the call to repentance (Mark 1:14-15). It marks the transition from Jesus' solitary ministry to the establishment of His core group of followers, who would become the foundation of His earthly mission. The swift and immediate response of the disciples, leaving their nets and livelihoods, underscores the compelling authority and urgency of Jesus' call, setting the tone for the radical commitment required of His followers throughout Mark's Gospel.
Historical & Cultural Context
In 1st-century Galilee, fishing was a common and essential industry, particularly around the Sea of Galilee (also known as Lake Gennesaret or Tiberias). Fishermen like Simon, Andrew, James, and John were skilled laborers, often working in family-owned businesses, which provided a stable livelihood. Their lives were deeply intertwined with the rhythms of the lake, the casting of nets, and the selling of their catch. The call to abandon such a secure profession to follow an itinerant rabbi was a profound and counter-cultural act. Rabbis typically had disciples who sought them out; here, Jesus actively seeks and calls His disciples, demonstrating His unique authority. The metaphor of "fishing" would have been immediately comprehensible to these men, grounding a new spiritual mission in their familiar professional experience.
Key Themes
Mark 1:17 contributes significantly to several key themes within Mark's Gospel and the broader New Testament. Firstly, it highlights the sovereign call of Jesus, demonstrating His initiative in choosing and commissioning His disciples, rather than them choosing Him. This divine election is a recurring motif, emphasizing God's active involvement in salvation history. Secondly, it introduces the theme of radical discipleship, where following Jesus demands immediate and costly abandonment of former ways of life for a new purpose. This call to self-denial and cross-bearing is central to Jesus' teaching, as seen later in passages like Mark 8:34. Thirdly, the verse establishes the missional purpose of the disciples' calling, transforming them from "fishers of fish" to "fishers of men." This new vocation is inherently evangelistic, foreshadowing the global mandate to spread the Gospel, which culminates in the Great Commission given to the apostles.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
Derived from "come hither," this imperative verb functions as a direct, urgent invitation and command from Jesus. It signifies a summons to immediate physical and spiritual proximity, demanding a decisive response and a reorientation of one's life towards following Him. It's not a suggestion but an authoritative call to action.
This verb denotes an active, creative, and purposeful action. When Jesus says "I will make," it emphasizes His divine agency and transformative power. It implies that the disciples' new identity and mission as "fishers of men" will not be self-achieved but will be a direct result of Jesus' work in and through them, shaping and equipping them for their new purpose.
Directly meaning "a fisher" or "fisherman," this word is crucial for the central metaphor. It connects the disciples' former profession to their new spiritual calling. The term implies skill, patience, strategic effort, and a focus on gathering, directly paralleling the work of evangelism and discipleship in drawing people into God's kingdom.
Verse Breakdown
"And Jesus said unto them,"
This opening clause establishes Jesus' divine authority and initiative. He is the one speaking, issuing a direct command and invitation. The "them" refers specifically to Simon and Andrew (and implicitly James and John, who are called immediately after in Mark 1:19-20), highlighting the personal nature of His call to these specific individuals.
"Come ye after me,"
This is a direct, imperative command to follow Jesus. It signifies more than just physical proximity; it demands allegiance, obedience, and a radical reorientation of their lives, putting Jesus at the center. It implies leaving their former way of life (their nets, their trade, their security) to embark on a new path defined by Christ.
"and I will make you to become fishers of men."
This is Jesus' transformative promise and the declaration of their new purpose. The phrase "I will make you to become" underscores that this transformation is a divine work, not something they achieve through their own effort. The metaphor "fishers of men" repurposes their existing professional skill for a spiritual mission, signifying the gathering of people into God's kingdom through the proclamation of the Gospel, rescuing them from spiritual lostness.
Literary Devices
Mark 1:17 is rich in Metaphor, which is the primary literary device. Jesus employs the familiar imagery of "fishers" to describe the disciples' new spiritual vocation. This metaphor is highly effective because it directly relates to the disciples' former profession, making the abstract concept of evangelism tangible and understandable. Just as literal fishermen cast nets to gather fish for sustenance, these "fishers of men" are called to "catch" people for eternal life, drawing them out of the "sea" of spiritual lostness and into the safety and community of God's kingdom. The transformation from fishing for perishable fish to fishing for immortal souls highlights the profound shift in purpose and the eternal significance of their new mission. The immediate and radical response of the disciples also exemplifies Dramatic Irony and Foreshadowing, as they likely did not fully grasp the immense implications of what it meant to "fish for men" at that moment, yet their immediate obedience foreshadows the global impact their future ministry would have.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Mark 1:17 stands as a foundational text for understanding Christian discipleship and mission. Theologically, it underscores the sovereignty of God in calling individuals into His service, emphasizing that the initiative always rests with Him. It also highlights the transformative power of Jesus, who not only calls but also equips and empowers His followers for their new purpose. The transition from "fishers of fish" to "fishers of men" signifies a profound reorientation of life from earthly pursuits to eternal ones, demonstrating that all human skills and vocations can be consecrated and repurposed for God's redemptive plan. This verse encapsulates the essence of the Great Commission, showing that evangelism is not merely an activity but an intrinsic part of the identity of those who truly follow Christ. It challenges believers to consider how their own lives, talents, and resources can be leveraged for the spiritual harvest.
Reflection and Application
Mark 1:17 offers profound insights for contemporary believers, inviting us to examine the nature of our own discipleship. Just as Jesus issued a direct, personal call to the Galilean fishermen, He continues to call individuals today to follow Him with wholehearted devotion. This verse challenges us to consider what "nets"—whether they be careers, comforts, relationships, or personal ambitions—we might need to "leave" in order to fully embrace His call. It reassures us that the transformation required for effective ministry is not self-generated but is a divine work: "I will make you." Our role is to respond in obedience and availability, trusting that Jesus will equip us for the unique mission He has for each of us. The call to be "fishers of men" remains a timeless mandate, urging us to actively participate in sharing the hope of the Gospel, using our God-given talents and spheres of influence to draw others into a saving relationship with Christ. This requires both courage to speak and compassion to serve, reflecting the heart of the one who called us.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did Jesus choose fishermen as His first disciples?
Jesus' choice of fishermen was strategic and multi-faceted. Firstly, it demonstrated His divine authority and ability to call ordinary people from humble backgrounds, rather than those from religious or elite circles, to accomplish extraordinary purposes. This underscored a key theme of the kingdom of God: it is accessible to all and often works through the seemingly insignificant. Secondly, their profession provided a powerful and immediately relatable metaphor for their new mission. As fishermen, they understood patience, perseverance, strategic casting, and the joy of a great catch. This practical experience could be directly translated into the spiritual work of evangelism and discipleship. Finally, their lives as fishermen often involved hard work, resilience, and a communal spirit, qualities that would be essential for the demanding and often challenging work of spreading the Gospel and building the early church, as seen in their later ministries recorded in the book of Acts.
Does the call to be "fishers of men" apply to all Christians today, or just to evangelists?
The call to be "fishers of men" in Mark 1:17 is a foundational principle of Christian discipleship that applies to all believers, not exclusively to those with a specific evangelistic gifting. While some are uniquely called and gifted as evangelists (Ephesians 4:11), every follower of Jesus is commissioned to participate in the mission of making disciples. This doesn't necessarily mean standing on a street corner preaching, but rather living out the Gospel authentically in our daily lives, sharing our faith naturally in our spheres of influence, and inviting others to know Christ. Just as the early disciples were called to a radical reorientation of their lives, we too are called to allow our lives, talents, and resources to be used by God to draw others to Him. This can involve acts of service, sharing personal testimony, engaging in spiritual conversations, or simply living a life that reflects Christ's love, thereby being a "light of the world" as Jesus taught in Matthew 5:14-16.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Mark 1:17 finds its ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who is not only the caller but also the very "catch" for whom humanity longs. Jesus, the Son of God, came into the world to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10), embodying the ultimate "fisher of men" by drawing all people to Himself through His sacrificial death and resurrection. The disciples' mission to gather others into the kingdom is a participation in Christ's ongoing redemptive work. He is the one who empowers them, fulfilling His promise, "I will make you," through the indwelling Holy Spirit, who enables believers to bear witness to Him (Acts 1:8). Furthermore, the "men" they are to fish for are those whom Christ came to redeem, offering them new life and inclusion in the family of God, a new covenant established through His blood (Luke 22:20). Thus, the call to be "fishers of men" is not merely a human endeavor but a divine partnership, rooted in Christ's finished work on the cross, which makes salvation possible for all who believe (John 3:16), and empowered by His continued presence and Spirit, ensuring the harvest of souls for His glory until He returns (Revelation 22:20).