Bible Strands
Luke 5:1
On one occasion, while Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret with the crowd pressing in on Him to hear the word of God,
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus stands by the Lake of Gennesaret while a crowd presses in to hear the word of God. This event occurs on a specific occasion immediately before the appearance of two boats at the water's edge.
The words — ἐπικεῖσθαι (epikeisthai) literally means "pressing on" or pressing against, denoting the physical force of the multitude. Ἐγένετο (Egeneto) translates to "it came to pass," functioning as the narrative marker for the unfolding event.
The thread — The physical pressure of the crowd parallels the logistical precaution in Mark 3:9 to secure a boat so the multitude would not crush Him. The same lakeside location and encounter with Simon and Andrew appear in Matthew 4:18 and Mark 1:16.
Why it lands — The text records a literal gathering of people seeking instruction, not a metaphorical assembly. It requires the reader to acknowledge that the word of God is delivered within tangible human urgency and physical proximity.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
Cross-references
- Mark 1:16 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
- Matthew 4:18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
- Mark 3:9 Jesus asked His disciples to have a boat ready for Him so that the crowd would not crush Him.
- Matthew 14:34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret.
- Mark 6:53 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and moored the boat.
- Deuteronomy 3:17 The Jordan River in the Arabah bordered it from Chinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) with the slopes of Pisgah to the east.
- Joshua 12:3 as well as the Arabah east of the Sea of Chinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea), eastward through Beth-jeshimoth, and southward below the slopes of Pisgah.
- Matthew 11:12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subject to violence, and the violent lay claim to it.
- Mark 5:24 So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd followed and pressed around Him.
- Numbers 34:11 then go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain and continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Chinnereth.