Mark 1:18 Meaning and Explanation
“And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →At once Simon and Andrew leave their nets and follow Jesus.
What Does Mark 1:18 Mean?
Mark stamps the scene with his favorite word: straightway. There is no recorded deliberation, no request for time to settle affairs. The nets, the tools of their identity and their income, fall where they are, and the brothers go after him on the strength of his word alone.
Their nets were not evil; they were simply what had to be released in order to follow. Every disciple eventually learns what is hanging in his own hands when Christ calls. The brothers also teach us the mercy of promptness: obedience that does not negotiate is spared a thousand counter-arguments. What they left behind was small beside what they were given, for they were given him.
Mark 1:18 in the Original Language
euthys (εὐθύς), 'straightway' -- at once, immediately; the urgent word that drives the whole Gospel of Mark forward.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mark 1:18
What does Mark 1:18 mean?
At once Simon and Andrew leave their nets and follow Jesus.