Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 1:20
And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.
20. straightway ] Notice the frequency of this formula of transition. It has occurred just before, Mar 1:18.
the hired servants ] The mention of these, of the two vessels employed (Luk 5:7), and the subsequent allusion to St John’s acquaintance with a person in so high a position as the high priest (Joh 18:15), seem to indicate that Zebedee, if not a wealthy man, was at any rate of some position at Capernaum.
went after him ] For the miraculous draught of fishes which accompanied or followed this incident see Luk 5:2-11. Observe how gradually the Four had been called to their new work; (1) first they were disciples of the Baptist (Joh 1:35); (2) then they were directed by him to the Lamb of God (Joh 1:36); (3) afterwards they were invited by our Lord to see where He dwelt (Joh 1:39); (4) then they became witnesses of His first miracle (Joh 2:2); (5) now after a further exhibition of His power over nature they are enrolled amongst His attached followers. The still more formal call was yet to come.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And straightway he called them,…. As soon as he saw them; for he was looking out for them, having appointed them long before to the service he now called them to;
and they left their father Zebedee with the hired servants, and went after him. It might seem unnatural, had they left their father alone in the ship, to have taken the care and management of it, and therefore it is added, “with the hired servants”; who were hired for that purpose, to assist in mending the nets, and casting them, and managing the ship, and conducting it from place to place, and therefore were not to be charged with want of humanity; and such was the power that went along with Christ’s call, that notwithstanding natural affection to their parents, and the gain they might get by these servants and their trade, they cheerfully quitted all, and followed Christ; [See comments on Mt 4:22].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
With the hired servants ( ). One hired for wages (), a very old Greek word. Zebedee and his two sons evidently had an extensive business in co-operation with Andrew and Simon (Luke 5:7; Luke 5:10). Mark alone has this detail of the hired servants left with Zebedee. They left the boat and their father (Mt 4:22) with the hired servants. The business would go on while they left all (Lu 5:11) and became permanent followers of Jesus. Many a young man has faced precisely this problem when he entered the ministry. Could he leave father and mother, brothers and sisters, while he went forth to college and seminary to become a fisher of men? Not the least of the sacrifices made in the education of young preachers is that made by the home folks who have additional burdens to bear because the young preacher is no longer a bread-winner at home. Most young preachers joyfully carry on such burdens after entering the ministry.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
With the hired servants
Peculiar to Mark. It may imply that Zebedee carried on his business on a larger scale than ordinary fishermen.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “And straightway He called them:”- (kai euthus ekalesen autous) “And He immediately called them,” to follow Him, as He had called Simon and Andrew, Mar 1:17; Mat 4:18-21.
2) “And they left their father Zebedee,” (kaiaphentes ton patera auton Zebedaion) “And leaving Zebedee, their father,” Mat 4:22. They did not leave their father alone, however, as indicated as follows:
3) “In the ship with the hired servants,” (en to ploio meta ton misthoton) “in the boat with the hired hands,” hired assistants, those paid to help them in the fish trade. They did not hesitate, look back, from the call and will of God for their lives. They were trustworthy decision makers, such as are needed in the work of the Lord, Luk 9:62.
4) “And went after Him.”(apelthon opiso autou) “They went after Him, of their own choice or accord,” without promise of pay (good wages), and without any threat or coercion from Jesus. They obeyed the call of Jesus, without consultation with the flesh or relatives, or apparently without any detainment, even by their own father. The call of Jesus must have first place in the life of every person, regarding spiritual matters, Mat 19:27-29; Luk 5:11; Mar 8:34-38; Gal 1:15-20. These brethren left a thriving business, in which they had hired helpers, to follow their Lord, without showing disrespect to their father.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(20) With the hired servants.Peculiar to this Gospel, and of some interest as throwing light on the relative social position of the sons of Zebedee.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
20 And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.
Ver. 20. See Trapp on “ Mat 4:21 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
20. ] . is inserted for particularity, and perhaps to soften the leaving their father alone. It gives us a view of the station of life of Zebedee and his sons; they were not poor fishermen, but had hired servants .
Matt. has . .
Now may we not venture to say that both these accounts came from Peter originally? Matthew’s an earlier one, taught (or given in writing perhaps) without any definite idea of making it part of a larger work; but this carefully corrected and rendered accurate, even to the omitting the name Peter , which though generally known, and therefore mentioned in the oral account, was perhaps not yet formally given, and was therefore omitted in the historical .
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mar 1:20 . : they left their father with the hired assistants . This is taken by some as a merely pictorial trait, but others justly regard it as a touch of humanity. It comforted Mk. and probably his voucher Peter that the two brothers did not need to leave their father alone . He could do without them.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
He called. See note on “Come” (Mar 1:17).
ship = boat.
with the hired servants. A Divine supplement in Mark.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
20.] . is inserted for particularity, and perhaps to soften the leaving their father alone. It gives us a view of the station of life of Zebedee and his sons; they were not poor fishermen, but had hired servants.
Matt. has . .
Now may we not venture to say that both these accounts came from Peter originally? Matthews an earlier one, taught (or given in writing perhaps) without any definite idea of making it part of a larger work; but this carefully corrected and rendered accurate, even to the omitting the name Peter, which though generally known, and therefore mentioned in the oral account, was perhaps not yet formally given, and was therefore omitted in the historical.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mar 1:20. , the hired servants) It is probable from this that Zebedee was not a poor man.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
they left: Mar 10:29, Deu 33:9, 1Ki 19:20, Mat 4:21, Mat 4:22, Mat 8:21, Mat 8:22, Mat 10:37, Luk 14:26, 2Co 5:16
Reciprocal: Mar 3:17 – James Mar 10:35 – James
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
0
All of these men were only required to come along with Jesus. No initiation act was required of them because John had already baptized them. We know that he was to prepare a people for Christ, and Jesus accepted these men as they were which shows that they had been made ready for his service. John had but one method of preparing men for Christ which ended with baptism. So we must conclude these men had been baptized by John the Baptist to await service under Christ.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mar 1:20. With the hired servants. Peculiar to Mark. Zebedee was not poor, and was not left helpless by this act of his sons
Went after him, not simply followed Him (Matt. and Luke). The great particularity of the brief account suggests that Peter himself told Mark the story. Simon,without the addition: called Peter (Matthew) is historically more accurate. Hence the order of Mark is probably the more exact, Peter being an eye-witness throughout.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
CHAPTER 12
THE MIRACULOUS DRAUGHT OF FISHES
Luk 5:1-11. And it came to pass, while the multitudes were pressing on Him to hear the word of God, and He was standing near the Lake Genesareth [i.e., the Sea of Galilee], and He saw two ships standing by the lake, and the fishermen having gone from them were washing their nets, and entering into one of the ships, which belonged to Simon, He requested him to shove out a little from the land, and sitting down, He was teaching the multitudes from the ship. And when He ceased speaking, He said to Simon, Lead out into the deep, and spread your nets for a draught. And Simon, responding, said to Him, Master, toiling through the whole night, we caught nothing; but at Thy word I will spread the net. And doing this, they caught a great multitude of fishes; and their net was breaking, and they beckoned to their comrades in the other ship, having come to assist them; they came, and filled both the ships, so that they were sinking. Simon Peter, seeing, fell before the knees of Jesus, said to Him, Depart from me, because I am a sinful man, Lord; because affright took hold of him, and all those who were with him, on account of the draught of fishes which they received; likewise, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were companions of Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, Fear not; from now you shall be catching men. And hauling their ships up on the land, leaving all, they followed Him. Mark (Mar 1:20) says: Immediately He called them. And leaving their father Zebedee in the ship, with the hired hands, they departed after Him. The beautiful sea of Galilee, clear as a crystal, limpid and bright, sixteen and a half miles long, seven and a half miles wide, with seventy miles of coast, one hundred and thirty feet deep, this day abounds in a vast variety of most excellent fish. My hotel-keeper said he caught five thousand pounds at a single draught. The prophetic desolation has been on that country so long being mainly given up to the wandering Arabs, who exhibit but little skill in fishing they have accumulated in vast quantities, ready for the returning children of Abraham, who are fast coming back, and quite a number have recently gathered about this beautiful sea, so memorable in the history of our Lord. This scene took place near Capernaum, headquarters of our Savior and His disciples, and resulted in the call of Peter and Andrew who were brothers, sons of Jonah, and James and John, who were brothers, the sons of Zebedee and Salome. They were professional fishermen, and, as we see before, owned ships i.e., fishing-boats and hired hands, to serve them in their business. Hence it seems that they were doing well. While this wonderful and miraculous draught of fishes, looking like they had struck such a run of luck that they would certainly get rich quickly, was calculated so to encourage them in their business that they would certainly hold on; but grace prevails and gets the victory. They leave their ships, and their hired hands their livelihood, and with no prospect of temporal support, relying only on the good providence of God, they forsake all and follow Jesus, who has already assured them that He will make them fishers of men. How magnificantly true! Who can count the numberless host that had been won for Jesus through the living ministry of these four apostles, and their words of steel and lightning left shining in God’s blessed Book? This wonderful miracle, right on the spot where they had fished all night (a better time than the day) and caught nothing; now they catch so many that they fill both ships, and they are sinking under the intolerable quantity of large and splendid fishes no wonder they tare overwhelmed with the realization that they are in the presence of a Superhuman Being; the very consciousness of the Almighty inundates them with reverential awe, and appalls them with the apprehension of the Divine presence and power. Consequently, Peter naturally deeply sensitive and excitable, shouts:
Lord depart from me, because I am a sinful man. Peter was not sanctified till Pentecost, three years subsequently; hence he is affrighted with the realization of his sinful nature. O what a happy choice did these four bright young men make when they exchanged their fishing-boats for the silver trumpet! The manner of their lives, inured to the hardships of sea and land, toiling all night, exposed to the chilly waters and the arduous, constant toil, had proved to them a most valuable gymnasium, which had developed in them an iron constitution, and eminently prepared them for the conflicts, exposures, privations, burdens, and toils of missionary life, far better than any theological curriculum they could have gone through. While intellectual culture is not to be depreciated, but continued through this life and, doubtless, coming eternity, the physical constitution and the spiritual experiences and enduements constitute the preponderant qualifications of a gospel preacher.
Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 20
Hired servants. This shows that they were not very poor, as is often supposed. The disciples returned to their home again after this, and Jesus with them as their guest, Mark 1:29; comp. also Mark 1:35,36, which show that Jesus spent the night in their dwelling.–It is remarkable that, after the series of exciting scenes to which these disciples were now introduced had been brought to a close by the crucifixion of their Master we find them again returning to their early home, and to their wonted occupations, (John 21:1-14,) though only for a short time.