And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.
8. in a little ship ] Rather, in the boat, whether ‘the ship’ of Joh 21:3 or a smaller boat attached to it, we cannot determine.
two hundred cubits ] About 100 yards.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Two hundred cubits – About 350 feet, or a little more than 20 rods.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 8. Dragging the net] It is probable that this was that species of fishing in which the net was stretched from the shore out into the sea; the persons who were in the boat, and who shot the net, fetched a compass, and bringing in a hawser, which was attached to the other end of the net, those who were on shore helped them to drag it in. As the net was sunk with weights to the bottom, and the top floated on the water by corks, or pieces of light wood, all the fish that happened to come within the compass of the net were of course dragged to shore. The sovereign power of Christ had in this case miraculously collected the fish to that part where he ordered the disciples to cast the net.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The other disciples came in a little fishing boat, dragging the net with fishes; probably, because it was too heavy to be lifted up into the boat.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
8. the other disciples came in alittle shipby ship.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the other disciples came in a little ship,…. The same that they were fishing in, in which they came to Christ as soon as they could, not choosing to expose themselves, as Peter did; nor was it proper that they should leave the ship, and, as it was, might have hands few enough to bring ship and net, so full of fish, safe to shore; and the rather, they did not think fit to do as he did,
for they were not far from land, but, as it were, two hundred cubits; which was about an hundred yards:
dragging the net with fishes: towing the net full of fishes all along in the water, till they came to land; an emblem of laborious Gospel ministers, who being once embarked in the work of the ministry, continue in it to the end, notwithstanding all toil, labour, and difficulties that attend them; and will at last bring the souls with them they have been made useful to, with great satisfaction and joy, to their dear Lord and master.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
In the little boat ( ). Locative case of (diminutive) for the larger boat (, verses John 21:3; John 21:6) could come no closer to shore. But the words seem interchangeable in John 6:17; John 6:19; John 6:21; John 6:22; John 6:24.
About two hundred cubits off ( ). For , cubit, see Mt 6:27 and for see 11:18.
Dragging (). Present active participle of for which see Ac 8:3.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
A little ship [ ] . The noun is diminutive. Rev., the little boat. It is hardly probable that this refers to a smaller boat accompanying the vessel. Compare the alternation of ploion and ploiarion in Joh 6:17, 19, 21, 22, 24.
Two hundred cubits. A little over a hundred yards.
With fishes [ ] . Or, the net of the fishes. So Wyc, Rev., full of fishes.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And the other disciples came in a little ship:” (hoi de alloi mathetai to ploiario elthon) “Then six other disciples came also of their own choice and will, in the small boat,” to shore from where the larger fishing vessel was anchored, Joh 21:2; Joh 21:7. Peter waded to shore, they rowed the little boat.
2) “For they were not far from land,” (ou gar esan markran apo tes ges) “For they were not far away from the shoreline,” where Jesus had come and called to them, Joh 21:4-5.
3) “But as it were two hundred cubits,” (al la hos apo pechon diakosian) “Away from the land, which is a distance of about one hundred yards or 300 feet.”
4) “Dragging the net with fishes.” (surontes to diktuon ton ichthuon) “They (came) dragging or hauling the net full of the fishes,” which they had caught in the net, when they obeyed His direction to cast on the right side of the ship, Joh 21:6; Luk 5:4; Luk 5:6-7.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(8) And the other disciples came in a little ship.Better. . . . in the boat. The two words ship and boat ( and ) are interchanged here, as in Joh. 6:17 et seq.
For they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits.That is, about 100 English yards. The shortness of the distance explains how they were able to drag the net in tow. The Greek preposition used with cubits (literally, two hundred cubits off) is used of distance only by St. John (Joh. 11:18 and Rev. 14:20).
Dragging the net with fishes.Comp. Note on Joh. 21:6. The Greek is more exactly,. . . . with the (literally, of the) fishesi.e., those with which the net had been filled (Joh. 21:6).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
8. Came in a little ship The little ship or lake-boat in which they were fishing. See note on Luk 5:2. Peter swam and they navigated to the shore.
Two hundred cubits But a hundred and thirty-two yards.
Dragging the net with fishes The net was doubtless of that kind which, with the first end attached to the boat, extended in a large circuit into the sea, and coming round, is fastened by the other end to the shore. As the approaches the shore the circle of the net narrows, and the enclosed fish are gradually brought to the shore. The net is sunk at the lower edge by weights, and sustained at the upper edge by corks, so as to form a perpendicular net-work for the fish encompassed by it.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Joh 21:8. Two hundred cubits,) About one hundred yards.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Joh 21:8-9 . .] in the little boat , on board of which they remained; local dative. Comp. Herod. v. 99: . See generally Becker, Homer. Bltter , p. 208 f.
The in the parenthesis states the reason why they did not quit the vessel; they could in this way also quickly enough reach the shore, which was very near (200 cubits = stadium 300 feet, see Wurm, de ponder , etc., p. 195; Hermann, Privatalterth . 46. 7).
On the form instead of the Attic , see Lobeck, ad Phryn . p. 245 f. On , see on Joh 11:18 .
.] the net, which was filled with the fishes (Joh 21:6 ). Comp. on this genit., Ngelsbach, z. Ilias , p. 31, Exo 3 .
Joh 21:6 . , . . .] John relates simply what they saw on landing, namely, a fire of coals lying there, and food lying thereon ( i.e . a mess of fish , see on Joh 7:9 ; the singul. not of a single fish, as Beza, Hengstenberg, Godet, and others think, but collectively , as also , comp. Polyb. xxxiv. 8. 6 : ), and bread . That this preparation for the breakfast to be given was made by Jesus , would be understood by the reader as matter of course (see Joh 21:12-13 ). But how He brought together the materials, and who kindled the fire, cannot be determined; He might, before He called to the disciples, have Himself, or by other hands, made the preparations. Hence the narrative yields no miracle (bringing forth out of nothing, thought Chrysostom, Theophylact, Euth. Zigabenus, Grotius, Calovius, Maldonatus, and several others; but Nicephorus, Jansen, Luthardt: the angels had provided Him therewith; finally, Hengstenberg, Godet: without more precise definition of the marvellous How ), nor even the appearance of such (Lcke). But wherefore did Jesus make this preparation? Because the disciples were to eat with Him the early meal, with which He designed to connect so significant a transaction as that related in Joh 21:15 ff.; He willed to be the giver of the meal . Much that is irrelevant in the older expositors. According to Luthardt, the design is to depict how Jesus, without requiring their aid, knows how to feed the disciples from His own resources. But to what purpose any such further representation, since He had long ago miraculously fed thousands before the eyes of the disciples?
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.
Ver. 8. And the other disciples came, &c. ] They came all to Christ, but Peter sooner; he cast away all care of his fish, having the Lord to go to. It is best to be first and forwardest in a good matter; not only to make a shift to get to heaven, but to have an abundant entrance thereinto, to come bravely into the haven, by adding one grace to another, as Peter hath it, 2Pe 1:2 ; 2Pe 1:11 . It is a low and unworthy strain in some (saith one) to labour after no more grace than will keep life and soul together, that is, soul and hell asunder. But that man for heaven, and heaven for him, that sets up for his mark, “the resurrection of the dead,” Phi 3:11 , that is, by a metonymy of the subject for the adjunct, that perfection of holiness that accompanieth the state of the resurrection. Paul was Insatiabilis Dei cultor, insatiable worrshipper of God, saith Chrysostom.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
8. ] 200 cubits = 100 yards. The lake was about five miles broad Jos. B. J. iii. 10. 7: according to Stanley (Sinai and Palestine, p. 369), six in the widest part: according to Dr. Thomson (The Land and the Book, p. 400) nine.
] See reff.: a mode of speech peculiar to John.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Joh 21:8 . The rest came in the little boat, . Bengel correctly explains the , “Celeriter hi quoque venire poterant”. They were not far from the land, , “about one hundred yards”. , says Phrynichus, is ; we must use the form . Observe the unconscious exactness of the eye-witness. For the Hellenistic construction with . cf. Joh 11:18 . The others came , “hauling the net of the fishes,” or “netful of the fishes”; genitive of contents, like , a cup of wine. It is needless, with Lcke, to complete the construction with , cf. Joh 21:11 .
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
a little ship = the boat. Greek. ploiarion, dim. of ploion, Joh 21:3; Joh 21:6. Elsewhere in Joh 6:22, Joh 6:23 “boat”, Mar 3:9; Mar 4:36.
from. Greek. apo. App-104.
land = the land. Greek. ge. App-129.
two, &c. = about (Greek. apo. App-104.) two, &c.: i.e. one hundred yards. See App-51.
dragging. Greek suro. Only here, Act 8:3; Act 14:19; Act 17:6. Rev 12:4. Not the same word as in Joh 21:6.
the net with fishes = the net of fishes.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
8.] 200 cubits = 100 yards. The lake was about five miles broad-Jos. B. J. iii. 10. 7: according to Stanley (Sinai and Palestine, p. 369), six in the widest part: according to Dr. Thomson (The Land and the Book, p. 400) nine.
] See reff.: a mode of speech peculiar to John.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Joh 21:8. , for) These latter also (as well as Peter) were able to come quickly.- , the net) which had been left by Peter.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 21:8
Joh 21:8
But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from the land, but about two hundred cubits off), dragging the net full of fishes.-They were about one hundred yards from shore. The ships were boats, or canoes. In one of these they came to the shore, dragging the net with fishes. Their fishing vessel was a small one. The net likely had one end fastened to the shore. The boat with the other end made a circuit and caught all the fish in the circuit.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
cubits: Deu 3:11
Reciprocal: Mar 8:7 – fishes
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
8
The short distance from land is mentioned to explain why they came in a little ship. At that distance the water would be shallow, so that a larger boat would not navigate so well, especially when it had to serve as a sort of a “tug” to draw the filled net toward shore.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joh 21:8. But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits off) dragging the net of fishes. While Peter takes the lead, impetuously dashing into the water (comp. Mat 14:29), his fellow – disciples reach land more slowly. Yet they do not actually land the net: they only drag it to the shore. The landing is reserved for him who had displayed greatest earnestness and activity. All now proceeds directly towards the culminating point of the narrative,the meal.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
The other disciples behaved more normally. John was one of these whom Peter left to struggle with the nets. His record of the distance and the labor involved in this task corroborates his claim to being an eyewitness of these events (Joh 21:24).