Luke 5:7

And 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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(7) Their partners, which were in the other ship.—These are named in Luke 5:10 as “James, and John, the sons of Zebedee.”

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

5:1-11 When Christ had done preaching, he told Peter to apply to the business of his calling. Time spent on week days in public exercises of religion, need be but little hinderance in time, and may be great furtherance to us in temper of mind, as to our worldly business. With what cheerfulness may we go about the duties of our calling, when we have been with God, and thus have our worldly employments sanctified to us by the word and prayer! Though they had taken nothing, yet Christ told them to let down their nets again. We must not abruptly quit our callings because we have not the success in them we desire. We are likely to speed well, when we follow the guidance of Christ's word. The draught of fishes was by a miracle. We must all, like Peter, own ourselves to be sinful men, therefore Jesus Christ might justly depart from us. But we must beseech him that he would not depart; for woe unto us if the Saviour depart from sinners! Rather let us entreat him to come and dwell in our hearts by faith, that he may transform and cleanse them. These fishermen forsook all, and followed Jesus, when their calling prospered. When riches increase, and we are tempted to set our hearts upon them, then to quit them for Christ is thankworthy.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They beckoned - They gave signs. Perhaps they were at a considerable distance, so that they could not be easily heard.

Their partners - James and John. See Luke 5:10. The following remarks of Dr. Thomson ("The Land and the Book," vol. ii. p. 80, 81) will furnish a good illustration of this passage. After describing the mode of fishing with the "hand-net" and the "dragnet," he adds: "Again, there is the bag-net and basket-net, of various kinds, which are so constructed and worked as to inclose the fish out in deep water. I have seen them of almost every conceivable size and pattern. It was with some one of this sort, I suppose, that Simon had toiled all night without catching anything, but which, when let down at the command of Jesus, inclosed so great a multitude that the net broke, and they filled two ships with the fish until they began to sink. Peter here speaks of toiling all night; and there are certain kinds of fishing always carried on at night. It is a beautiful sight. With blazing torch the boat glides over the flashing sea, and the men stand gazing keenly into it until their prey is sighted, when, quick as lightning, they fling their net or fly their spear; and often you see the tired fishermen come sullenly into harbor in the morning, having toiled all night in vain. Indeed, every kind of fishing is uncertain. A dozen times the angler jerks out a naked hook; the hand-net closes down on nothing; the drag-net brings in only weeds; the bag comes up empty. And then again, every throw is successful - every net is full; and frequently without any other apparent reason than that of throwing it on the right side of the ship instead of the left, as it happened to the disciples here at Tiberias."

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

6. net brake—rather "was breaking," or "beginning to break," as in Lu 5:7, "beginning to sink."

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Luke 5:3"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And they beckoned unto their partners,.... Zebedee, and his two sons, James and John; Luke 5:10 who were at some distance from them, probably lay at anchor near the shore, not having put out to sea when the other vessel did, and so were not within call; but they were obliged to make signs to them, and beckon with their hands to come to them:

which were in the other ship; mentioned in Luke 5:2 which lay by the shore:

that they should come and help them; take up the net, and take the fish out of it:

and they came and filled both the ships; with the fishes they took out of the net, as full as they could hold, and which they were not well able to carry:

so that they began to sink; or "were almost immersed", as Beza's ancient copy, and another manuscript, with the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions read; the vessels were so heavy laden, with the vast quantity of fish that was taken, that they were just ready to sink with their burden.

Geneva Study Bible

And 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.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 5:7. κατένευσαν, they made signs, beckoned, here only in N. T. (ἐνένευον, Luke 1:62); too far to speak perhaps, but fishers would be accustomed to communicate by signs to preserve needful stillness (Schanz).—συλλαβέσθαι αὐτοῖς: this verb with dative occurs in Php 4:3 = to help one.—ὥστε, with infinitive = tendency here, not result.—βυθίζεσθαι, to sink in the deep (βυθός), here only in O. or N. T. in reference to a ship; in 1 Timothy 6:9 in reference to rich men.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

7. they beckoned] It is one of the inimitable touches of truthfulness in the narrative that the instinct of work prevails at first over the sense that a miraculous power has been exerted.

unto their partners] The word used is metochois, meaning fellow-workers.

in the other ship] St Luke uses the Greek word heteros for ‘another of two,’ much more frequently and with stricter accuracy than the other Evangelists.

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 5:7. Κατένευσαν, beckoned) as being at a distance, and for the sake of modesty [so as not to shout in the presence of the Lord]. They wished help, since a fish, when taken, has such eagerness to escape; however, that eagerness is not increased by a cry [therefore it was not to avoid frightening the fishes that the fishermen did not cry]. The net, no doubt, was broken in the upper end of it, where it was made fast. The fishes saw the net, the ship, the men, and felt themselves pressed on every side: therefore a cry on the part of the fishermen would have had no new (particular) advantage above a gesture, beckoning, to their partners.—μετόχοις, partners) For they were κοινωνοὶ, associates in fishing, Luke 5:10. Often, among the members of one society or family, there may be many pious men.—βυθίζεσθαι, to sink) They were being sunk low in the waters by the weight of the fishes.

Luke 5:7

Vincent's Word Studies

They beckoned (κατένευσαν)

The word originally means to nod assent, and so, generally, to make a sign. They made signs because of the distance of the other boat; hardly, as has been suggested, because they were too much amazed to speak.

Help (συλλαβέσθαι)

Lit., take hold with. Compare Philippians 4:3.

Began to sink (βυθίζεσθαι)

Only here and 1 Timothy 6:9, of drowning men in destruction. From βυθός, the depth. Wyc., they were almost drenched.