"Fishers of men" (Greek:ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων, 'fishermen of men', fromὁ ἁλιεύς, 'seaman, fisherman', andὁ/ἡ ἄνθρωπος, 'man, human being, woman') is a phrase used in thegospels to describe the mandate given byJesus to his firstdisciples. Two brother fishermen,Simon called Peter andAndrew, were casting a net into theSea of Galilee. As he commenced hispreaching ministry, Jesus called them to follow him and told them that in doing so they were to become "fishers of men". The phrase is mentioned inMatthew 4:19 andMark 1:17. Matthew's version states:
He said to them, "Follow me,
and I will make you fishers of men."
— Matthew 4:19ESV
This calling of the firstApostles, which eventually become a group of twelve, made the two fishermen early followers of Jesus. There is a parallel account in Mark 1:16–20 and a similar but different story in Luke 5:1–11; the Luke story does not include the phrase "fishers of men," but features the comparable sentence "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men."[1] TheCambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges calls Matthew 4:19 a "condensed parable",[2] drawn out at slightly greater length later in the same gospel.[3]
The Christian hymn "Fishers of Men" was written by Harry D. Clarke in 1927.[4][5]
Chapters 36–39 of theMandaean Book of John are about a fisher sent byHayyi Rabbi ("the Great Life") to fish for souls.[6]
John McEvilly writes that Jesus' meaning of “Fishers of men,” is those "destined to bring men into the Church and to life eternal." The allusion is, of course, to their former work. Jesus appears to be "fond of borrowing examples from the ordinary occupations of those He addresses." McEvilly further notes that Luke "pointedly records," that it was into Peter’s boat, Jesus went to teach, and that to Peter he said these words, who was later to become the foremost among the apostles (see Matt. 16:18, 19, John 21:15, Acts 2-3).[7]
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