5:1 Now 1 Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and the crowd was pressing around him 3 to hear the word of God. 5:2 He 4 saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 5:3 He got into 5 one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then 6 Jesus 7 sat down 8 and taught the crowds from the boat. 5:4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and lower 9 your nets for a catch.” 5:5 Simon 10 answered, 11 “Master, 12 we worked hard all night and caught nothing! But at your word 13 I will lower 14 the nets.” 5:6 When 15 they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets started to tear. 16 5:7 So 17 they motioned 18 to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they were about to sink. 19 5:8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, 20 for I am a sinful man!” 21 5:9 For 22 Peter 23 and all who were with him were astonished 24 at the catch of fish that they had taken, 5:10 and so were James and John, Zebedee’s sons, who were Simon’s business partners. 25 Then 26 Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on 27 you will be catching people.” 28 5:11 So 29 when they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed 30 him.
5:12 While 31 Jesus 32 was in one of the towns, 33 a man came 34 to him who was covered with 35 leprosy. 36 When 37 he saw Jesus, he bowed down with his face to the ground 38 and begged him, 39 “Lord, if 40 you are willing, you can make me clean.” 5:13 So 41 he stretched out his hand and touched 42 him, saying, “I am willing. Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him. 5:14 Then 43 he ordered the man 44 to tell no one, 45 but commanded him, 46 “Go 47 and show yourself to a priest, and bring the offering 48 for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, 49 as a testimony to them.” 50
1 tn Grk “Now it happened that.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
2 sn The Lake of Gennesaret is another name for the Sea of Galilee. Cf. the parallel in Matt 4:18.
3 sn The image of the crowd pressing around him suggests the people leaning forward to catch Jesus’ every word.
4 tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
5 tn Grk “Getting into”; the participle ἐμβάς (embas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
6 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
7 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
8 tn Grk “sitting down”; the participle καθίσας (kaqisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
9 tn Or “let down.” The verb here is plural, so this is a command to all in the boat, not just Peter.
10 tn Grk “And Simon.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
11 tn Grk “answering, Simon said.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation to “Simon answered.”
12 tn The word ἐπιστάτης is a term of respect for a person of high status (see L&N 87.50).
13 tn The expression “at your word,” which shows Peter’s obedience, stands first in the Greek clause for emphasis.
14 tn Or “let down.”
15 tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
16 tn In context, this imperfect verb is best taken as an ingressive imperfect (BDF §338.1).
17 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate consequential nature of the action.
18 tn That is, “they signaled by making gestures” (L&N 33.485).
19 tn This infinitive conveys the idea that the boats were at the point of sinking.
20 sn Lord is a term of high respect in this context. God’s presence in the work of Jesus makes Peter recognize his authority. This vocative is common in Luke (20 times), but does not yet have its full confessional force.
21 sn Peter was intimidated that someone who was obviously working with divine backing was in his presence (“Go away from me”). He feared his sinfulness might lead to judgment, but Jesus would show him otherwise.
22 sn An explanatory conjunction (For) makes it clear that Peter’s exclamation is the result of a surprising set of events. He speaks, but the others feel similarly.
23 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
24 sn In the Greek text, this term is in an emphatic position.
25 tn Or “business associates.”
26 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
27 sn From now on is a common Lukan expression, see Luke 1:48.
28 tn The Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, thus “people.”
29 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of Jesus’ pronouncement.
30 sn The expression left everything and followed him pictures discipleship, which means that to learn from Jesus is to follow him as the guiding priority of one’s life.
31 tn Grk “And it happened that while.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
32 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
33 tn Or “cities.”
34 tn Grk “towns, behold, a man covered with leprosy.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou, “behold”) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
35 tn Grk “full of leprosy” (an idiom for a severe condition).
36 sn The ancient term for leprosy covers a wider array of conditions than what is called leprosy today. A leper was totally ostracized from society until he was declared cured (Lev 13:45-46).
37 tn Grk “And seeing.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, δέ (de) has not been translated here. The participle ἰδών (idwn) has been taken temporally.
38 tn Grk “he fell on his face”; an idiom for bowing down with one’s face to the ground.
39 tn Grk “and begged him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
40 tn This is a third class condition. The report portrays the leper making no presumptions about whether Jesus will heal him or not.
41 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the response of Jesus to the man’s request.
42 sn Touched. This touch would have rendered Jesus ceremonially unclean (Lev 14:46; also Mishnah, m. Nega’im 3.1; 11.1; 12.1; 13.6-12).
43 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
44 tn Grk “him”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
45 sn The silence ordered by Jesus was probably meant to last only until the cleansing took place with the priests and sought to prevent Jesus’ healings from becoming the central focus of the people’s reaction to him. See also 4:35, 41; 8:56 for other cases where Jesus asks for silence with reference to miracles.
46 tn The words “commanded him” are not in the Greek text but have been supplied for clarity. This verse moves from indirect to direct discourse. This abrupt change is very awkward, so the words have been supplied to smooth out the transition.
47 tn Grk “Going, show.” The participle ἀπελθών (apelqwn) has been translated as an attendant circumstance participle. Here the syntax also changes somewhat abruptly from indirect discourse to direct discourse.
48 tn The words “the offering” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
49 sn On the phrase as Moses commanded see Lev 14:1-32.
50 tn Or “as an indictment against them”; or “as proof to the people.” This phrase could be taken as referring to a positive witness to the priests, a negative testimony against them, or as a testimony to the community that the man had indeed been cured. In any case, the testimony shows that Jesus is healing and ministering to those in need.