Luke 5:9

For he and his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The narrator records the immediate reaction of Simon Peter and his fishing partners following the miraculous haul. This moment occurs between Peter’s confession of unworthiness in Luke 5:8 and Jesus’ commissioning promise in Luke 5:10.

The words — θάμβος (thambos) translates literally as amazement or stunned wonder, while περιεσχησεν (perieschēsen) means were surrounded or laid hold of. The text first reports the fishermen’s physical and emotional immobilization before any theological explanation follows.

The thread — This stunned reaction parallels the awe at Jesus’ authoritative teaching in Luke 4:32 and the terror that leaves Peter speechless in Mark 9:6, while the catch itself points to the created order under divine sovereignty in Psalms 8:8. The narrative pattern ties human awe at God’s intervention across the Gospels and the Psalter.

Why it lands — The verse demands acknowledgment that divine action precedes and overwhelms human calculation, requiring the reader to face their own capacity for stunned silence. It asks for honest assessment of one’s position when confronted with grace that exceeds expectation.

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

θάμβοςthambosAmazement γὰρgarfor περιέσχενperieschenlaid hold αὐτὸνautonon him καὶkaiand πάνταςpantason all τοὺςtousthose σὺνsunwith αὐτῷautōhim ἐπὶepiat τῇtēathe ἄγρᾳagracatch τῶνtōnof the ἰχθύωνichthuōnfish ὧνhōnwhich συνέλαβον,sunelabonthey had taken,

King James Version

For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:

Cross-references

Psalms 8:8 the birds of the air and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.
Mark 9:6 For they were all so terrified that Peter did not know what else to say.
Luke 4:32 They were astonished at His teaching, because His message had authority.
Psalms 8:6 You made him ruler of the works of Your hands; You have placed everything under his feet:
Luke 4:36 All the people were overcome with amazement and asked one another, “What is this message? With authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!”