Lange Commentary - Luke 5:1 - 5:11

Online Resource Library

Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | Download

Lange Commentary - Luke 5:1 - 5:11


(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)

This Chapter Verse Commentaries:

b. The Miraculous Draught Of Fishes (Luk_5:1-11)

      1And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word ofGod, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 2And saw two [little] ships standing by [the shore of] the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing theirnets. 3And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the peopleout of the ship. 4Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep [water], and let down your nets for a draught. 5And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: neverthelessat Thy word I will let down the net. 6And when they had this done, theyinclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake [began to break]. 7And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. 8When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me [Go outfrom me, i.e., from my ship]; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9For he was astonished [astonishment seized him], and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes10which they had taken: And so was also [and so also did it seize] James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fearnot; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. 11And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

General Remarks.—In the narrative of the miraculous draught of fishes, the main question is whether this occurrence is identical with the calling of four disciples, which is related by Matthew (Luk_4:18-22) and Mark (Luk_1:16-20), or whether it is actually distinct from this and did not occur till later. The distinction between the narrative of Luke and that of the other Synoptics is so great that many have maintained the latter opinion (Krabbe, Sepp, Hug). Yet in the nature of the case it is less probable that a calling crowned with such a conclusion should have been repeated twice in so short a time, and it can be shown that the narratives admit without great trouble of being brought into agreement. As respects the distinction in the notation of time, Matthew tells us only that the calling of the four took place while Jesus was walking on the shore; Mark, that the Lord after this calling returned into the city, and healed the demoniac in the synagogue, while Luke, on the other hand, has placed this last miracle before the miraculous draught of fishes. We believe that the arrangement of the events which Mark under Peter’s guidance maintains, deserves the preference, and that therefore Luke (Luk_4:31-44) already relates by anticipation what did not take place till after the miraculous draught. Perhaps he has let the events in the synagogue at Capernaum follow immediately after the portrayal of the occurrences in the synagogue at Nazareth, that faith and unbelief in the two places might be the more strongly contrasted. Luk_5:31 he only speaks in general of one of the Sabbaths which Jesus spent at Capernaum. The distinction in locality is removed when we observe that here also the one in no wise denies what the two others say. We do not read in Matthew and Mark any such thing as that our Lord standing on the shore from there called the four, but only that He was walking on the strand. Nothing hinders us from subjoining, what Luke alone relates, that thither also the people followed Him, and He, in order to preach, ascended a ship. If Luke also had failed to make us acquainted with this, we should have had to conclude, even from Matthew and Mark, that our Lord went into the ship. If Peter was mending nets, is it probable that Jesus would have called out to them from the shore: Leave all and follow me? A third difficulty, that Luke does not mention Andrew at all, is solved by the consideration that Peter in his narrative is so entirely the main person that even the sons of Zebedee are thereby thrown more or less into the shade. Besides he speaks also of other persons who were present in Peter’s ship (Luk_5:2; Luk_5:5; Luk_5:9), and taken with amazement at the astonishing miracle, and (Luk_6:14) enumerates Andrew among the twelve. The question left by him unanswered as to how the latter came to the Lord, is answered by Matthew and Mark, and if there still appears to be a difficulty in the fact that Luke alone relates the miracle and Matthew and Mark only the word of the Saviour, we know no better answer than this: “Undoubtedly to him who stands in Strauss’ point of view every single miracle would of necessity occasion afresh so much astonishment and headache that he would not be able to pass over one; but it being presupposed, on the other hand, that Jesus really wrought miracles and, moreover, many miracles, we cannot see why every evangelist was obliged to relate every miracle” (Ebrard). Perhaps Mark has omitted this circumstance of so much moment to Peter, even as he does not relate the walking of the apostle upon the water, because the humble apostle, under whose influence he wrote, wished rather to see it passed over. With Luke this reason did not weigh, and he freely communicates what redounds to the honor of the Lord as well as of the disciple. In brief, if only we make no unreasonable demands, we account it possible and easy to unite the three Synoptic accounts into a whole without needing to do violence to any one of them.

As respects John, he does not communicate this miracle, but has, on the other hand, related a similar calling of five disciples, among whom are three of these here named (Luk_1:35-52), and the question spontaneously presses itself on us how the one can be brought into agreement with the other. We believe that there is not here the least reason for speaking of a contradiction between the evangelists (Strauss, weisse, B. Baur, Fritzsche, De Wette, Theile, Von Ammon). John describes the first becoming acquainted on the occasion of an unexpected meeting; the Synoptics relate the nearer connection between the Saviour and the disciples. After the first stay of Andrew, John, and Peter with Jesus (John 1), they had gone away as His friends and had accompanied Him upon His Galilean journey, so that they, even at the beginning, as His disciples baptized (Joh_4:2). But still it was as yet a free, not a binding, intercourse, in which they were at liberty from time to time to return to the fish-net. Therefore we have, for instance, in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luk_4:16-30) not met them in the Saviour’s company. But in what way now this preliminary connection passes over into an abiding relation and in what way the apostles were called and set apart to the apostolic function, this is related to us in reference to these four in the narrative of the miraculous draught of fishes.

Luk_5:1. The lake of Gennesaret.—See Lange on Mat_4:18.

Luk_5:2. And were washing their nets; ut peracto opere, Bengel, comp. Luk_5:5. That these fishers here appear almost as strangers cannot surprise us, since Luke has as yet not made mention of these friends of the Saviour with even a word.

Luk_5:3. Which was Simon’s.—It appears that Simon had not left the ship. That the Saviour, ascended this ship, not that of the sons of Zebedee, has probably its ground only in the fact that the latter at that moment chanced to be ashore, not on board their vessel. If Simon was older than Andrew, it becomes so much the plainer why he as owner of the ship is first named.

Luk_5:4. Launch out into the deep water.—As the first command had put the obedience of Peter to a slight test, so here his faith is exercised by an apparently arbitrary demand of the Saviour. To him as steersman the command is addressed in the singular; the plural ÷áëÜóáôå , ê . ô . ë ., has its force with reference to the rest of the crew of the boat, who must have been active therein. That Peter considers this latter command also as addressed to himself personally appears from the answer, Luk_5:5. Without doubt, after a night of unsuccessful toil this injunction to take up his work again in full day must have appeared singular to him, but he already knows enough of the Lord to bring his fisherman’s theory as a sacrifice to his faith at Jesus’ word alone.—Master. Not the common äéäÜóêáëá , but ὲðéóôÜôá ; about the same as the Hebrew øַáִּé , a title which was given even to such teachers as any one entertained respect for, without as yet standing in a personal relation to them, comp. Luk_17:13.

Luk_5:6. Their net began to break.—If there was here an actual rent, it was, of course, only a beginning of tearing, since otherwise the whole draught might have been immediately lost again. So in like manner the allusion to the sinking of the vessels must be understood cum grano salis, without, however, our being actually obliged with De Wette to see here an exaggeration.

Luk_5:7. And they beckoned.—According to Matthew’s and Mark’s account, also, the two ships lay close enough together to be able with a slight signal to join each other, the more easily as the crew of the second ship had doubtless observed the uncommon occurrence on the first with intense curiosity. That they for astonishment and fear were incapable of speaking, and, therefore, had to limit themselves to beckoning like Zacharias (Luke 1), is not said by Luke, but only by Euthym. Zigab. and Theophylact.

Luk_5:8. Go out from me.—The cause of this crushing impression of wonder upon Peter is easy to explain. His words by no means entitle us to compare him to a credulous fool who trembles when he unexpectedly espies an arch-magician near him (Von Ammon, Leben Jesu, ii. p. 378). It appears to us, on the other hand, that the sequel must not be overlooked. Peter had as yet been able to judge no other miracle which he had seen, so well as this. It belonged to his calling, it took place on his vessel, with his fish-net, after his own fruitless endeavors, in his immediate presence. In the case of earlier works of the Saviour, his understanding had indeed doubtless given silent acquiescence, but here both understanding and heart were constrained to bow themselves before a present majesty. Thankfulness and surprise, after so long disappointment, unite themselves with a deep consciousness of his unworthiness, so that he is no longer able to abide in the presence of the Holy One. Had his conscience, perhaps, something to reproach him with that be after a voluntary association of a month with Jesus had again returned to his calling? Had the words: “We have toiled the whole night and have taken nothing,” been expressed in a tone of displeasure and doubt? Or did there perchance in this place concur an instinctive dread of danger when he felt the sinking of the ship, and did he entreat for preservation? In such a disposition as that of Peter, various causes may work together so as to call forth such a cry of distress. That he did not confess any particular offence, but his general sinfulness in the presence of the Holy One, hardly needs, we presume, any proof. The entreaty; “Depart from me,” the Lord heard in spirit, while He dealt exactly against its letter and turned in to be with the man who with trembling hand waved Him from himself.

Luk_5:10. And so also did it seize James and John.—See on Mat_10:2-4. In respect to their relationship to the Saviour, we must refer the reader to the dissertation of Wieseler in the Studien und Kritiken, 1840, p. 648 ff., who has convincingly demonstrated that Salome, the wife of Zebedee, was an own sister of Mary, the mother of the Lord, so that her children were own cousins of Jesus. In Joh_19:25 there are not three, but four women named, and Mary, the wife of Cleopas, must be carefully distinguished from His mother’s sister Salome, the wife of Zebedee. [It will be noticed that among the women mentioned as being present at the crucifixion, Mat_27:56, three are named as conspicuous: Mary Magdalen, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children. Mar_15:40 the same three are mentioned, only that Zebedee’s wife is mentioned by the name of Salome. We have, however, no reason to doubt that Salome and Zebedee’s wife are one and the same. In Joh_19:25, besides the mother of Jesus, whose presence is not mentioned by the other two evangelists, we find mentioned Mary Magdalen and Mary, the wife of Cleopas, whose identity with Mary, the mother of James and Joses, we have no reason to call in question. But where is Salome? The whole passage reads thus: “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother and His mother’s sister, Mary, the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene.” The question here is: Besides the mother of our Lord, are there two women mentioned here, or three? Is Mary, the wife of Cleopas, to be taken as identical with His mother’s sister, or as different? If the former, Salome is not to be found, and John has omitted bearing witness to this fidelity of his own mother. If the latter, Salome is identical with our Lord’s mother’s sister, and the three whom the first two Synoptics mention, are also mentioned here.—C. C. S.]

Luk_5:11. They forsook all.—Not only the ship, but the rich haul. Zebedee soon returned without his sons to Bethsaida (Mar_1:20), while they proceed with the Lord through Capernaum’s gate, where He immediately after (see above), in the synagogue and in the house of Peter, works the miracles already related by Luke in anticipation (Luk_4:31-42), to enter with Him afterwards upon the journey through Galilee, which had been already, Luk_4:43-44, mentioned with a word, to be afterwards, Luk_5:12 f., described more in detail.

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. We have here in Luke the first account of an anticipatory choice of apostles, which is the less to be passed over unnoticed since the Saviour evidently lays so much weight upon it. Our attention is from the beginning drawn to it by the fact that the Saviour seeks the disciples and does not wait until they approach Him of their own impulse, but takes the first step towards them, so that He can afterwards say to them: Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you. In this act the word, Luk_5:10, which the Saviour spoke on this occasion, bears the stamp of the deepest wisdom. It is a word of might, precisely fitted to come home to a heart like that of Peter; a brief word, but which, therefore, could the less be obliterated from the memory; a figurative word, borrowed from Simon’s own calling, which could the less be unintelligible to him as it was at the same time in congruity with the Old Testament manner of speech (Jer_16:16; Isa_42:10). It is, finally, a word full of promise, which, it is true, commanded that which was hardest, but promised also that which is highest and was immediately ratified by a sign.

2. It has been asked whether Peter’s draught of fishes was a miracle of omniscience or omnipotence. In other words, whether the Saviour, because of His higher knowledge, because He wished to see, saw at this moment, at a certain part of the sea, the largest number of fishes which were together, or whether He, through the mighty operation of His will, drove the finny tribes together to one point. It is not to be denied that the former admits of being received into the realm of our conceptions more easily than the latter. On the other hand, we are not to overlook the truth that according to the nature of things and the poetic declaration of the Psalm (Psa_8:8), the dominion over all that passeth through the paths of the seas belongs to the ideal of the perfect Son of Man.

3. The miracle here accomplished deserves to be called a striking revelation of the majesty of the Saviour. It took place within a sphere which these four disciples could judge better than any one else, and only after faith had been required of Peter and this faith had been found approved. It stands forth at the same time as a symbol of their whole subsequent apostolical activity: abundant draught of fishes at the simple word of the Lord, after a night also of fruitless wearying toil, without, however, losing the draught. It is noticeable that here there is mention of the tearing of the nets; but afterwards, in the case of a similar miracle, it is no longer mentioned, Joh_21:11. [Trench, not inaptly, regards the former miracle as symbolical of the gathering of men into the outward kingdom of God on earth, from which they may be lost; the latter one, as symbolizing the gathering of the elect souls into the kingdom of glory, none of whom will be lost.—C. C. S.]

4. In this whole work of wonders, Christ reveals Himself as the Fisher of men. It is known how dear this symbol was to the early Christians; this is testified by their monuments, rings, cups, &c., and by the characteristic word ἰ÷èýò itself, in which they recognized the initials of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Saviour; but especially by the beautiful words from the hymn of Clemens Alexandrinus:

ἁëéåῦ ìåñüðùí

ôῶí óùæïìÝíùí ,

ðåëÜãïõò êáêßáò

ἱ÷èῦò ἁãíïýò

êýìáôïò ἐ÷èñïῦ

ãëõêåñῇ æùῇ äåëåÜæùí , ê . ô . ë .

[Fisher of mortals

The saved

From the sea of wickedness

Pure fish

From the hostile wave

For sweet life enticing.]

5. “Where the blessing of God operates aright, there does it operate as coals upon the head, and brings to the knowledge of sin and of grace. To be caught by the Lord, is on earth the greatest blessedness; after this there is no greater than to be able to catch men for the Lord.” Löhe.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

Jesus in the midst of a throng longing for salvation.—The Fisher of men on the shore of the most remarkable sea.—All that on earth we name our own must be ready for the service of the Lord.—The Lord’s ways: 1. Other, 2. higher than man’s ways.—Even the Lord’s disciples know dark nights.—After a dark night a bright morning.—The faith of Peter: 1. Tried, 2. enduring, 3. changed into sight.—The obedience of faith: 1. Its ground, 2. its nature, 3. its blessing.—All is yours, if ye are Christ’s.—The remarkable transitions in the life of faith: 1. From disappointment to surprise, 2. from want to plenty, 3. from joy to terror, 4. from fear to hope.—The humility of Peter, Luk_5:8, compared with that of Paul, 1Ti_1:15.—Where a contrite heart exclaims: “Depart from me, O Lord,” there does He certainly turn in.—The beholding of the great deeds of the Saviour must lead us to holy wondering.—Whoever has once rightly feared need never fear again.—The preacher of the gospel a fisher of men.—Only he who leaves all can gain all.—The wonderful draught of fishes an image of the preaching of the gospel: 1. The wide-reaching command (Luk_5:4), 2. the hard labor (Luk_5:5 a.), 3. the sole might (Luk_5:5 b.), 4. the rich fruit (Luk_5:6-7), 5. the right temper (Luk_5:8), 6. the highest requirement of the evangelical function (Luk_5:10-11).—Whoever is himself caught of Jesus, must again catch others.—How admirably does Jesus understand the art of winning hearts for Himself!—Canstein:—To the Christian all places are hallowed for the transaction of divine things, whether for himself or for others.—J. Hall:—Labor in our calling, however simply it may be done, makes us fitted for the blessing of God (Psa_127:1-2).—Majus:—The Lord brings His own wonderfully into the deep and into the height.—Nov. Bibl. Tub.:—Whoever receives Jesus to himself, such a one does He reward with abundance, not only of spiritual but of temporal blessing.—Abundance makes not less care and trouble than lack.—Before we let the blessing of God perish, we should beckon to others and have them enjoy it with us.—Hedinger:—Spiritual poverty is the nearest way to the greatest riches in God.—Brentius:—Whoever is faithful in that which is least, to him is more committed.—Herder:—“Launch out into the deep” is God’s word of command to every one in his vocation, and let: “Lord, at Thy word,” be the answer of every one in order to draw God’s blessing with his net.—Heubner:—The miraculous draught of fishes a prophetic type of Act_2:41.—The humility of the Christian in good fortune, first makes the blessing truly a blessing.—The blessed fishermen: 1. Blest by Jesus’ gracious presence, 2. by the rich gift, 3. by the gracious call of Jesus.—The just means of gaining temporal blessing: 1. God’s word, 2. labor, 3. trust in God, 4. acknowledgment of personal un-worthiness, 5. right use of the blessing.—Rieger:—How nothing humbles man so much as grace.—Fuchs:—Peter an example for us: 1. Hear when the Lord speaks; 2. labor when the Lord commands; 3. believe what the Lord promises; 4. follow whither the Lord calls.—Bachmann:—Concerning a blessing in our vocation: 1. We should desire it according to this order; a. hear willingly and diligently God’s word, b. go faithfully on in thy toil, c. trust the Lord thy Helper. 2. We should rightly apply it after this rule; a. recognize in receiving it thy unworthiness, b. prove therewith thy thankfulness, c. follow after Jesus with joyfulness.—Thomasius:—Man as he is: 1. Before the Lord comes to him, 2. when the Lord comes to him, 3. after the Lord comes to him.—Fr. Arndt:—The Christian a fisher of men.—Lisco:—Blessing in our temporal calling: 1. On what it depends; 2. of what nature it Isaiah 3. for what it inspirits us.

Footnotes:

Luk_5:1.—Rec.: ôïῦ ἀêïýåéí , instead of which we read with Tischendorf êáὶ ἀêïýåéí . Not the purpose, but the circumstance is expressed. [Inter al. c. A., B., Sin.—C. C. S.]

Luk_5:2.—Rec.: ðëïῖá . With A., C.*, L., &c., it appears that we must read ðëïéÜñéá for ðëïῖá . [Sin. has ðëïῖá , but omits the preceding äýï .—C. C. S.]

Luk_5:10.— Ἔóῃ æùãñῶí . The resolved form expressing that it should be his calling.—C. C. S.]