But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Peter's cry "Depart from me" wasn't a rejection of Jesus, but a panicked recognition of his own sinfulness in the face of divine holiness, reflecting an ancient Jewish belief that seeing God meant death. It reveals how encountering God's glory can shatter our self-perception, exposing our sin not to drive us away, but to reveal our desperate need for Him.
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus had just miraculously filled Peter’s boat with fish after a long night of fruitless labor. Seeing this overwhelming display of divine power, Peter is terrified by his own sinfulness in the presence of such holiness. He pleads with Jesus to leave him and his boat, not out of a lack of desire for Jesus, but from a profound sense of unworthiness.
Why did Peter, after witnessing such a miracle, beg Jesus to leave him?
Peter's reaction wasn't a rejection of Jesus, but an overwhelming recognition of divine holiness in Jesus' presence. He felt acutely his own sinfulness, a common response when people encounter the pure, powerful presence of God.
How did Jesus respond to Peter's fearful confession?
Jesus didn't scold Peter for his fear or unworthiness. Instead, He offered reassurance and a radical redefinition of Peter's future.
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Understand the original words
kyrios · Greek Noun
A title indicating authority, majesty, and divine sovereignty; when used by believers, it acknowledges Jesus as Master, Owner, and Yahweh incarnate.
hamartōlos · Greek Adjective
A state of moral corruption and separation from God that characterizes humanity; it describes an internal condition of missing the mark of God's holiness.
Peter's reaction reveals a profound understanding of divine holiness and human sinfulness, rooted in Old Testament experiences where encountering God often led to a sense of impending doom for the unworthy. This miracle and call mark a pivotal moment where Peter transitions from a follower to a full-time disciple, forever changing his life's purpose.
Early 1st century AD
Jesus' Public Ministry Begins
Jesus begins his public ministry in Galilee, teaching, healing, and gathering followers.
Early 1st century AD
First Call to Discipleship
Jesus had previously called Peter, Andrew, James, and John to follow Him as disciples after meeting them on the Jordan River. However, they had returned to their fishing businesses.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Jesus Teaches from Peter's Boat
Jesus borrows Simon Peter's boat to teach a large crowd gathered on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The crowd's pressure makes it difficult for Jesus to stand comfortably.
Early 1st century AD
The Miraculous Catch of Fish
After Jesus finishes teaching, He instructs Peter to cast his nets into the deep. Despite a fruitless night of fishing, Peter obeys, resulting in an enormous catch that nearly swamps two boats.
Early 1st century AD
Peter's Confession and Second Call
Overwhelmed by the miracle and sensing Jesus' divine power, Peter exclaims his unworthiness and asks Jesus to depart. Jesus reassures him, saying, 'Fear not; from now on you will be catching people.' This marks their definitive call to follow Jesus.
Early 1st century AD
Disciples Forsake All to Follow Jesus
In response to Jesus' call and the miraculous confirmation, Peter, Andrew, James, and John leave their fishing businesses, boats, and families to follow Jesus permanently.
This passage echoes Peter's cry of unworthiness in the face of divine glory, as Isaiah exclaims, 'Woe is me! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!'
Exodus 33:20Peter's fear of perishing in the presence of the divine, 'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord,' reflects the ancient understanding that seeing God's face meant death, as stated in Exodus: 'You cannot see my face, for no one can see me and live.'
Judges 6:22Like Peter's reaction to Jesus' miraculous power, Gideon expresses a similar fear of divine presence, saying, 'Alas, Sovereign Lord! How can I see the angel of the Lord and live?'
1 Timothy 1:15Peter's confession of being a 'sinful man' is powerfully amplified by Paul's self-description as 'the foremost of sinners,' highlighting that even those chosen by Christ recognized their deep sinfulness.
Job 42:5-6Job's response after God speaks, 'I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes,' parallels Peter's overwhelmed realization of his own sinfulness in the face of divine power and presence.
clarkeLuke 5:8: "When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord."
Depart from me; for I am a sinful man - Εξελθε απ' εμου, Go out from me, i.e. from my boat. Peter was fully convinced that this draught of fish was a miraculous one; and that God himself had particularly interfered in this matter, whose presence and power he reverenced in the person of Jesus. But as he felt himself a sinner, he was afraid the Divine purity of Christ could no…
jfbLuke 5:8: "When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord."
- Depart, &c.—Did Peter then wish Christ to leave him? Verily no. His all was wrapt up in Him (Joh 6:68). "It was rather, Woe is me, Lord! How shall I abide this blaze of glory? A sinner such as I am is not fit company for Thee." (Compare Isa 6:5.)
Peter's cry "Depart from me" wasn't a rejection of Jesus, but a panicked recognition of his own sinfulness in the face of divine holiness, reflecting an ancient Jewish belief that seeing God meant death. It reveals how encountering God's glory can shatter our self-perception, exposing our sin not to drive us away, but to reveal our desperate need for Him.
Jesus had just miraculously filled Peter’s boat with fish after a long night of fruitless labor. Seeing this overwhelming display of divine power, Peter is terrified by his own sinfulness in the presence of such holiness. He pleads with Jesus to leave him and his boat, not out of a lack of desire for Jesus, but from a profound sense of unworthiness.
Jesus had just miraculously filled Peter’s boat with fish after a long night of fruitless labor. Seeing this overwhelming display of divine power, Peter is terrified by his own sinfulness in the presence of such holiness. He pleads with Jesus to leave him and his boat, not out of a lack of desire for Jesus, but from a profound sense of unworthiness.
"But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”" — Peter's cry "Depart from me" wasn't a rejection of Jesus, but a panicked recognition of his own sinfulness in the face of divine holiness, reflecting an ancient Jewish belief that seeing God meant de…
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Last reviewed October 2026