· Translation: KJV

Luke 5:8But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord."

The setting

Sea of Galilee, ~29 AD. Dawn. Simon Peter, covered in fish slime, suddenly realizes he's in the presence of the divine and falls to his knees in the boat. Capernaum, Israel.

The emotion here: sobered by recording human encounter with divine

The original word

hamartōlós (ἁμαρτωλός) — one who misses the mark, a sinner conscious of their failure

Why it matters

Peter used 'Lord' (Kyrios), the same title used for God in the Greek Old Testament

Read with care

What most readers miss in Luke 5:8

Peter says 'DEPART from me' - the opposite of what you'd expect from someone meeting Jesus

Common misconceptionPeople think Peter is being humble, but he's actually trying to ESCAPE God's presence because he's terrified of his own unworthiness being exposed.

Bible Genome reading

Luke 5:8 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerPeter
Eragospel
Primary emotionanxious
Literary typenarrative
MarkPrayer

Emotional genome

Comfort power30%
Quotability75%
Memorability80%
Crisis relevance85%
Standalone60%
Themes:convictionunworthiness

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open Luke 5

Luke 5:8 comes from the book of Luke, written during the gospel period. These words are attributed to Peter. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include conviction, unworthiness. Notable phrases: fell down at Jesus' knees; I am a sinful man. This verse is a prayer.

Your reflection

What does Luke 5:8 mean to you, today?

A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.

Speak your heart →

Get 3 verses for "anxious"

Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.