5:6a

When they had done so: The clause When they had done so means “Once the fishermen had lowered/cast their nets into the water.” It connects Jesus’ command with what happened next. Some other ways to translate this are:

When the fishermen did as Jesus told them (New Century Version)
-or-
They let them down (Good News Translation)

5:6b

they caught such a large number of fish: The pronoun they refers to the fishermen.

In some languages it may be more natural to make the nets the subject. For example:

their ⌊nets⌋ trapped such a large number of fish
-or-
their nets were so full of fish (New Living Translation (2004))

caught: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as caught has the basic meaning “to enclose.” Different languages have different expressions for “catching” fish. See 5:4c for some examples.

a large number of fish: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a large number of is the same word that is often used to describe a large crowd of people. It describes a large number of something.

If your language has a specific word for a large group of fish, use it here. For example:

a great shoal of fish (Revised Standard Version)

(The word “shoal” is a specific English term that is used only for a group of fish.)

their nets began to tear: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as tear also means “break.” For example:

their nets began to break (New International Version)

Use a term in your language that refers to nets breaking or tearing.

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