4:19a
“Come, follow Me,” Jesus said: The Berean Standard Bible places the words Jesus said in the middle of what Jesus said. This is good English style. However, in some languages it may be more natural to put these words at the beginning of 4:19. For example:
And he said to them, “Follow me…” (English Standard Version)
When Jesus told Simon and Andrew to follow him, he meant two things:
(a) He wanted them to literally go with him;
(b) He wanted them to become his disciples.
In trying to express these two meanings, you should be aware of the following problems that some translators have faced:
(a) A translation such as “Come with me” may not adequately express the teacher-student relationship that the word follow implies. It may imply that Jesus and the disciples had equal status.
(b) A translation such as “Follow me” may imply that Simon and Andrew were simply supposed to walk behind Jesus on the road or were to follow Jesus at a later time.
New Living Translation (1996) may provide a model that avoids these wrong implications. It has made clear that the word follow refers to being a disciple:
Come, be my disciples.
If you follow this translation model, use the same term for “disciples” as you will use in 5:1c.
4:19b
and I will make you fishers of men: This clause is a metaphor. In this metaphor, the work of gathering people into God’s kingdom is compared to the work of fishermen. The way that these two occupations are similar are that both catch/gather things. Both bring/move things from one situation to another.
Jesus used this metaphor to tell Simon and Andrew that he wanted them to change occupations. He told them that he would train them to do the work of fishing for people. They would fish for (catch) people like fishermen fish for (catch) fish.
Here are some other ways to translate this metaphor:
• Translate the metaphor literally. For example:
I will show you how to fish for people (New Living Translation (2004))
In many languages, it will not be possible to use a word combination like “fish for people.” Another solution will have to be found.
• Explain the metaphor. For example:
I will teach you how to catch people instead of fish (God’s Word)
In some languages, an expression like “catch people” refers to someone who gathers people to do forced labor. Or it refers to a policeman who catches a criminal. If that is true in your language, it may be necessary to express the meaning in a different way. For example:
I will teach you how to bring in people instead of fish (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
I will teach you to bring people into the kingdom instead of bringing in fish.
-or-
Your work has been to catch fish ⌊in a net⌋. But now I will teach you to do the work of bringing people into the kingdom.
• Use a simile. For example:
I will teach you to search for people like you have been catching fish.
I will make you: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I will make you means “I will teach you” or “I will train you” to do a different kind of work. For example:
I will teach you (God’s Word)
-or-
I will show you (New Living Translation (2004))
It does not imply that Jesus will force them to change their work.
men: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as men refers to people in general. For example:
people (Good News Translation)
You should use a word in your language that includes both men and women.
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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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