The Meaning of Matthew 4:19 Explained

Matthew 4:19

KJV: And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

YLT: and he saith to them, 'Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men,'

Darby: and he says to them, Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.

ASV: And he saith unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  he saith  unto them,  Follow  me,  and  I will make  you  fishers  of men. 

What does Matthew 4:19 Mean?

Context Summary

Matthew 4:18-25 - Opening Works Of Mercy And Power
We must read the first chapter of John into the opening paragraph. Already the Lord had met with these first disciples in the Jordan valley; but they had returned to their homes and nets. Their prompt surrender was the result of the power over their hearts which the Master had already won. Their old craft was to be theirs still-only in a nobler form. The patience, courage, tact which had been elicited by their calling, were now to be enlisted in the service of souls.
The evangelist then groups together the broad features of the early Galilean ministry. It was a triumphal progress. Notice the reiteration of all, Matthew 4:23. The words struggle to convey the wide comprehensiveness of Christ's influence, even across the border. When the love of God came to our world in the person of Jesus, it immediately began to repair the havoc and damage which sin had caused. There was no hesitation or questioning where it was God's will to heal. Let us always take that for granted for ourselves and others. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 4

1  Jesus, fasting forty days,
3  is tempted by the devil and ministered unto by angels
12  He dwells in Capernaum;
17  begins to preach;
18  calls Peter and Andrew,
21  James and John;
23  teaches and heals all the diseased

Greek Commentary for Matthew 4:19

Fishers of men [αλεεις αντρωπων]
Andrew and Simon were fishers by trade. They had already become disciples of Jesus (John 1:35-42), but now they are called upon to leave their business and to follow Jesus in his travels and work. These two brothers promptly (ευτεως — eutheōs) accepted the call and challenge of Jesus. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 4:19

John 1:30 A man [ἀνὴρ]
Three words are used in the New Testament for man: ἄῤῥην , or ἄρσην , ἀνήρ , and ἄνθρωπος . Ἄρσην marks merely the sexual distinction, male (Romans 1:27; Revelation 12:5, Revelation 12:13). Ἁνήρ denotes the man as distinguished from the woman, as male or as a husband (Acts 8:12; Matthew 1:16), or from a boy (Matthew 14:21). Also man as endowed with courage, intelligence, strength, and other noble attributes (1 Corinthians 13:11; Ephesians 4:13; James 3:2). Ἄνθρωπος is generic, without distinction of sex, a human being (John 16:21), though often used in connections which indicate or imply sex, as Matthew 19:10; Matthew 10:35. Used of mankind (Matthew 4:4), or of the people (Matthew 5:13, Matthew 5:16; Matthew 6:5, Matthew 6:18; John 6:10). Of man as distinguished from animals or plants (Matthew 4:19; 2 Peter 2:16), and from God, Christ as divine and angels (Matthew 10:32; John 10:33; Luke 2:15). With the notion of weakness leading to sin, and with a contemptuous sense (1 Corinthians 2:5; 1 Peter 4:2; John 5:12; Romans 9:20). The more honorable and noble sense thus attaches to ἀνήρ rather than to ἄνθρωπος . Thus Herodotus says that when the Medes charged the Greeks, they fell in vast numbers, so that it was manifest to Xerxes that he had many men combatants ( ἄνθρωποι ) but few warriors ( ἄνθρωποι ) vii., 210. So Homer: “O friends, be men ( ἀνέρες ), and take on a stout heart” (“Iliad,” v., 529). Ἁνήρ is therefore used here of Jesus by the Baptist with a sense of dignity. Compare ἄνθρωπος , in John 1:6, where the word implies no disparagement, but is simply indefinite. In John ἀνήρ has mostly the sense of husband (John 4:16-18). See John 6:10. -DIVIDER-
-DIVIDER-
[source]

2 Peter 2:10 After the flesh [οπισω σαρκος]
Hebraistic use of οπισω — opisō as with αμαρτιων — hamartiōn (sins) in Isaiah 65:2. Cf. Matthew 4:19; 1 Timothy 5:15.Of defilement (μιασμου — miasmou). Old word (from μιαινω — miainō Titus 1:15), here only in N.T.Despise dominion Κυριοτης — Kuriotēs is late word for lordship (perhaps God or Christ) (from Κυριος — Kurios), in Colossians 1:16; Ephesians 1:21; Judges 1:8. Genitive case after καταπρουντας — kataphrountas (thinking down on, Matthew 6:24).Daring (τολμηται — tolmētai). Old substantive (from τολμαω — tolmaō to dare), daring men, here only in N.T.Self-willed Old adjective (from αυτος — autos and ηδομαι — hēdomai), self-pleasing, arrogant, in N.T. only here and Titus 1:7.They tremble not to rail at dignities (δοχας ου τρεμουσιν βλασπημουντες — doxas ou tremousin blasphēmountes). “They tremble not blaspheming dignities.” Τρεμω — Tremō is old verb (Mark 5:33), used only in present as here and imperfect. Here with the complementary participle βλασπημουντες — blasphēmountes rather than the infinitive βλασπημειν — blasphēmein See Judges 1:8. Perhaps these dignities (δοχας — doxas) are angels (εςιλ — evil). [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 4:19 mean?

And He says to them Come follow after Me I will make you fishers of men
καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς Δεῦτε ὀπίσω μου ποιήσω ὑμᾶς ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων

λέγει  He  says 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
αὐτοῖς  to  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Δεῦτε  Come  follow 
Parse: Verb, Imperative, 2nd Person Plural
Root: δεῦτε  
Sense: come hither, come here, come.
ὀπίσω  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ὀπίσω 
Sense: back, behind, after, afterwards.
μου  Me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
ποιήσω  I  will  make 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.
ἁλιεῖς  fishers 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: ἁλιεύς  
Sense: a fisherman, fisher.
ἀνθρώπων  of  men 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ἄνθρωπος  
Sense: a human being, whether male or female.