Home · Luke · Chapter 5

Luke 5:10

Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

This is after the four apostle fishermen make a huge catch following Jesus's instruction and Peter says he is a sinful man. 

Spoken to:
Peter
KJV issues:
4
KJV

Luke 5:10 Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

NIV

Luke 5:10 Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people

What His Listeners Heard

Don't be terrified. After this now, you will be capturing/reviving people.

Greek

Greek Word Order

Μὴ     φοβοῦ:        ἀπὸ   τοῦ νῦν       ἀνθρώπους ἔσῃ                  ζωγρῶν.
Don't be terrified. After  this now     people        you will be      reviving/capturing

We exist from now on as what we do.

Lost in Translation

Luke 5:10 starts dramatically and ends humorously. It starts with the dramatic, "don't be terrified." The punchline is translated as "catch/fish" but it has nothing to do with fishing though the translators want it to. It means to "capture" and "revive," so "you will be reviving men."  Fishing in Greek means "bringing to the light."

Vocabulary (Greek word by word)

Μὴ [447 verses](conj) "Not" is me , which is the negative used in prohibitions and expressions of doubt meaning "not" and "no." The negative, μή, rejects, is relative,  and subjective. It is used in imperative and subjunctive clauses because both express opinions. This negative applies to will and thought. With pres. or aor. subjunctive, it is used in a warning or statement of fear, "take care" It can be the conjunction "lest" or "for fear that." Used before tis with an imperative to express a will or wish for something in independent sentences and, with subjunctives, to express prohibitions. It is used with infinitives that express a purpose.

φοβοῦ: [19 verses](verb 2nd sg pres imperat mp ) "Fear" is phobeo, which means to "put to flight." "terrify," "alarm," "frighten," and in the passive, "be put to flight," "be seized with fear," be frightened," "stand in awe of" (of persons)," "dread (of persons)," and "fear or fear about something."

ἀπὸ [190 verses]​(prep) "From" is apo, a preposition of separation which means "from" or "away from" from when referring to place or motion, "from" or "after" when referring to time, "from" as an origin or cause. It also means the instrument "by" which a thing is done. Referring to time, it means "from," and "after."   Usually takes the genitive object.

τοῦ [821 verses](article sg neut gen)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). When not preceding a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones."  Proper nouns do normally not take articles but they are needed when the noun ending cannot be changed to show the noun's role in the sentence as an object, indirect object, or genitive (possessive) form. However, the Greek article is very close to "this" so the purpose of an article like this can also be demonstrative. See this article.   - 

νῦν [31 verses](adv) "Henceforth" is nyn (nun), which means "now," "at the present moment," "at the present time," "just now," "presently," and "as it is."

ἀνθρώπους [209 verses](noun pl masc acc) "Men" is anthropos, which is "man," and, in plural, "mankind." It also means "humanity" and that which is human and opposed to that which is animal or inanimate.

ἔσῃ [614 verses](verb 2nd sg fut ind mid) "Will be" is eimi, which means "to be," "to exist," "to be the case," of circumstance and events "to happen,"  and "is possible." With the genitive object, the sense is "belongs to." With the dative object, the object acts like a possessive and "it is to him" becomes "it is his."  With the preposition, εἰς, the sense is "consist of."

ζωγρῶν. [1 verse](part sg pres act masc nom) "Catch" is from a verb that means to "save alive," "take captive (instead of killing)," "restore to life," and "revive."

KJV — word by word

Fear -- "Fear" is translated from a Greek word that means "to terrify" and "to put to flight," but in the passive, it means to be put to flight and be frightened. When applied to people, it means to "be in awe of" or "dread." It is not a command, as you would think from the KJV.

not; -- The negative used here is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, and requests. If not used with a verb of subjective action--thinking, feeling, seeing, etc.--its sense is that "not wanting" or "thinking" something, not that it isn't done or thought. 

from -- The word translated as "from" means "from" in both locations and when referring to a source or a cause. It also means the instrument "by" which a thing is done and "away from." Referring to time, it means "from," and "after."  It is not the word form  usually translated as "of."

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more. 

henceforth -- The Greek word translated as "henceforth" means "now," "at the present moment,""presently," and "as it is." With the article, its sense is "the present" or "this now."

thou -- This is from the second-person, singular form of the verb.

shalt -- (CW) The verb "shalt" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics.  The word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions. This is not a helping verb to make the "catch" the future tense.

catch (CW, WF) "Catch" is from a verb that means to "save alive," "take captive," "restore to life," and "revive." This word is a participle, not an active verb.

men. -- The Greek word for "man" means "man," "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men," "people," and "peoples." 

NIV — word by word

Do -- This English helping verb is used to create questions, commands, negative statements, and smooth word flow in translation from Greek

n’t  -- The negative used here is the Greek negative of a subjective opinion, commands, and requests. If not used with a verb of subjective action--thinking, feeling, seeing, etc.--its sense is that "not wanting" or "thinking" something, not that it isn't done or thought.

be -- This helping verb "be" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.

afraid-- "Afraid" is translated from a Greek word that means "to terrify" and "to put to flight," but in the passive, it means to be put to flight and be frightened. When applied to people, it means to "be in awe of" or "dread." It is not a command, as you would think from the KJV.

from -- The word translated as "from" means "from" in both locations and when referring to a source or a cause. It also means the instrument "by" which a thing is done and "away from." Referring to time, it means "from," and "after."  It is not the word form  usually translated as "of."

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more. 

now on-- The Greek word translated as "henceforth" means "now," "at the present moment,""presently," and "as it is." With the article, its sense is "the present" or "this now."

you -- This is from the second-person, singular form of the verb.

will -- (CW) The verb "will " here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics.  The word also means "to exist" and where it doesn't connect to characteristics or conditions. This is not a helping verb to make the "catch" the future tense.

fish (WW, WF) "Fish" is from a verb that means to "save alive," "take captive," "restore to life," and "revive." This word is a participle, not an active verb.

for -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "the" in the Greek source

people -- The Greek word for "people" means "man," "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men," "people," and "peoples." 

Related Verses

Matthew 4:19 "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

Mark 1:17 Come after me, and I will make you