Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Luke 5:2
And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing [their] nets.
2. ships ] Rather, boats ( ploiaria).
standing ] i. e. lying at anchor.
were washing their nets ] If we combine these notices with those in Mar 1:16-20; Mat 4:18-22, we must suppose that during a discourse of Jesus the four disciples were fishing with a drawnet ( amphiblestron) not far from the shore, and within hearing of His voice; and that the rest of the incident (here narrated) took place on the morning after. The disciples had spent the night in fruitless labour, and now Peter and Andrew were washing, and James and John mending, their castingnets ( diktua), because they felt that it was useless to go on, since night is the best time for fishing.
nets ] Here diktua or castingnets (from dik I throw, funda, jaculum) as in Mat 4:20; Joh 21:6. In Mat 4:18 we have the amphiblestron or drawnet (from amphi and ballo, I throw around); and in Mat 13:47, sagn, seine or haulingnet (from satt ‘I load’).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Two ships – The ships used on so small a lake were probably no more than fishing-boats without decks, and easily drawn up on the beach. Josephus says there were 230 of them on the lake, attended by four or five men each. That they were small is also clear from the account commonly given of them. A single large draught of fishes endangered them and came near sinking them.
Standing by the lake – Anchored by the lake, or drawn up upon the beach.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. Two ships] , Two vessels, It is highly improper to term these ships. They appear to have been only such small boats as are used to manage nets on flat smooth beaches: one end of the net is attached to the shore; the fishermen row out, and drop the net as they go, making a kind of semicircle from the shore; they return, and bring the rope attached to the other end with them, and then the net is hauled on shore; and, as it was sunk with weights to the bottom, and floated with corks at the top, all the fish in that compass were included, and drawn to shore.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And saw two ships standing by the lake,…. Or two fishing boats; which were, as the Arabic version renders it, “detained by anchors at the shore of the lake”; the one belonging to Peter and Andrew, and the other to Zebedee, and his two sons, James and John:
but the fishermen were gone out of them; that is, either the above persons, or their servants:
and were washing their nets; on shore; they having gathered a great deal of soil and filthiness, but had caught no fish; and therefore were cleansing their nets, in order to lay them up, finding it to be in vain to make any further attempts with them at present; and which considered, makes the following miracle the more illustrious.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Two boats ( ). Some MSS. have , little boats, but was used of boats of various sizes, even of ships like .
The fishermen ( ). It is an old Homeric word that has come back to common use in the Koine. It means “sea-folk” from , sea.
Were washing (). Imperfect active, though some MSS. have aorist . Vincent comments on Luke’s use of five verbs for washing: this one for cleaning, for wiping the dust from one’s feet (10:11), of the sinful woman wiping Christ’s feet with her hair (Luke 7:38; Luke 7:44), of washing away sins (symbolically, of course) as in Ac 22:16, and of washing the body of Dorcas (Ac 9:37) and the stripes of the prisoners (Ac 16:33). On “nets” see on Matt 4:20; Mark 1:18.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Ships [] . Used of vessels in general. Some texts read ploiapia, a diminutive form, meaning little boats.
Were washing. From the sand and pebbles accumulated during the night ‘s work. Luke uses four different words for washing or cleansing : plunw, here, see also Rev 7:14; ajpomassw, of wiping the dust from the feet, only at chapter Luk 10:11; ejkmassw, of the woman wiping Christ ‘s feet with her hair, chapter Luk 7:38, 44; ajpolouw, of washing away sins, Act 22:16; louw, of washing the prisoners ‘ stripes and the body of Dorcas, Act 16:33; Act 9:37. The reading ajpoplunw is rejected by the best texts, so that ajpomassw is the only one peculiar to Luke. All the words were common in medical language.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And saw two ships standing by the lake,” (kai eiden duo ploiaria testota para ten limnen) “And he saw two boats standing by the lake,” or standing high in the water by the lake shore, with no cargo. The vessels were anchored near the shore, waiting to be used.
2) “But the fishermen were gone out of them,” (hoi de haleeis ap’ auton apobantes) “But the fishermen (who operated the boats) had gone out of and away from them,” a distance, leaving them empty and vacated. One may have been drawn up on the shore, anchored there.
3) “And were washing their nets.” (eplunon ta diktua) “And were washing the fishing nets,” indicating that they had finished cleaning their nets for use the next day. The fisherman seem to have been Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John, and their hired helpers, Mat 4:18-22; Mar 1:16-20.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(2) Two ships.Better, boats, or little ships, the Greek word being a diminutive, as in Joh. 6:23. The narrative implies that they were the boats respectively of Jonas, the father of Peter and Andrew, and of Zebedee.
Washing their nets.There is a slight, but noticeable variation here, from the mending their nets in St. Matthew and St. Mark. The process implied that having fished fruitlessly during the night, they were now giving up the work, and cleaning their nets from weeds, etc., before laying them up. On the assumption that the two narratives refer to the same event, some have seen in the mending, a confirmation of the statement in St. Luke that the nets brake. The Note on Luk. 5:6 will, however, show that is precisely what he does not say.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. Ships Small fishing smacks, such as plied the waters of this lake. For the full account of Capernaum and Gennesaret see our notes on Mat 4:13, with the map.
Standing by the lake The word stand might imply that the ships were in the water. But the phrase by the lake implies that they were drawn up out of the water, and were lying upon the dry beach for safety. This shows that they must have been small craft.
Washing their nets Cleansing the filth of the fish and sea from the threads of the nets. Though the brothers had gone out of their boats they were probably in sight, net washing, as if, their work being done, they were about to depart.
At the present day, no fishermen cast their nets, and no boats cut the waves, of Gennesaret. The wild Bedouin, who loves the desert but detests the water, hovers around its shores. The desolation will rather increase than diminish, until the extending power of Christian Europe can arrive at that locality and destroy the devastators.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘And he saw two boats standing by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them, and were washing their nets.’
So with the crowds pressing Him so hard Jesus looked around Him and saw two boats moored by the shore, but they were empty, for the fishermen had disembarked and some were washing and mending their nets (diktau), while others were fishing from the shore with casting nets (amphibleston). The owners were in partnership together and had a satisfactory little business. But on this particular day they were not happy men. They and their crews had fished all night and had caught nothing. Jesus, however recognised that He knew them. He had met them when they were disciples of John the Baptiser and He and they had come back to Galilee together.
The fruitlessness of their mission is reflected in Mark where we are told that they were casting their nets. These were casting nets which were used from the shore by someone standing in the water. Thus it would appear that while some were washing the main nets (drag nets) and mending them, others of the group were trying vainly to see if they could catch anything to make up for their bad night and for what they had failed to catch with their drag nets at sea. They did not want to return home totally empty. It is a sad picture of a group of weary and forlorn men who have had a hard time. Mark and Luke simply bring out different aspects of the incident in the same way as two newspaper reporters might.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
Ver. 2. Were washing their nets ] Though they laboured last night, and had taken nothing. Ferendum et sperandum. Hope beguiles calamity, as good company doth the way.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2. ] , ‘ut peracto opere,’ Bengel: see Luk 5:5 .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Luk 5:2 . : two boats standing by the lake, not necessarily drawn up on shore, but close to land, so that one on shore could enter them. They had just come in from the fishing, and were without occupants, their owners having come on shore to clean their nets.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
saw. App-133. Not the same word as in Luk 5:27, Luk 5:1 two ships. At that time there were about 4,000 on the lake.
ships = boats.
standing : i.e. at anchor. Eng. idiom is “lying”.
the fishermen. This call was not that of Mar 1:16-20. When the Lord said “Let us go”, &c. (Mar 1:38), they perhaps did not go with Him, but returned to their ships. But from this second call they never left Him. See Luk 5:11, below.
out of = away from. Greek. apo. App-104. as in Luk 5:36. Not the same word as in verses: Luk 5:3, Luk 5:17.
washing. Greek. apopluno. App-136. At the first call they were casting their net (amphiblestron). Here they were washing their nets.
nets. Greek. Plural of diktuon. Compare Joh 21:6-11.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
2.] , ut peracto opere, Bengel: see Luk 5:5.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Luk 5:2. , the fishermen) So they are called, as if being still regarded as strangers to Jesus.-, washed) inasmuch as their work was done.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
washing: Mat 4:21, Mar 1:19
Reciprocal: Mat 4:18 – walking
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2
When a boat is said to be standing it means it is stationary in a certain spot. These two ships were thus being held while their owners were out washing their nets after a night’s use in the sea.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Luk 5:2. By the lake. Either by the shore of the lake, or possibly drawn up on the shore.
Washing their nets. After the night of toil (Luk 5:5).
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 2
Two ships, &c.; what would now be called fishing boats; they appear to have been drawn up upon the sand.