1 And it came to pass, in the multitude pressing on him to hear the word of God, that he was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret,
2 and he saw two boats standing beside the lake, and the fishers, having gone away from them, were washing the nets,
3 and having entered into one of the boats, that was Simon's, he asked him to put back a little from the land, and having sat down, was teaching the multitudes out of the boat.
4 And when he left off speaking, he said unto Simon, `Put back to the deep, and let down your nets for a draught;'
5 and Simon answering said to him, `Master, through the whole night, having laboured, we have taken nothing, but at thy saying I will let down the net.'
6 And having done this, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes, and their net was breaking,
7 and they beckoned to the partners, who `are' in the other boat, having come, to help them; and they came, and filled both the boats, so that they were sinking.
8 And Simon Peter having seen, fell down at the knees of Jesus, saying, `Depart from me, because I am a sinful man, O lord;'
9 for astonishment seized him, and all those with him, at the draught of the fishes that they took,
10 and in like manner also James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon; and Jesus said unto Simon, `Fear not, henceforth thou shalt be catching men;'
11 and they, having brought the boats upon the land, having left all, did follow him.
12 And it came to pass, in his being in one of the cities, that lo, a man full of leprosy, and having seen Jesus, having fallen on `his' face, he besought him, saying, `Sir, if thou mayest will, thou art able to cleanse me;'
13 and having stretched forth `his' hand, he touched him, having said, `I will; be thou cleansed;' and immediately the leprosy went away from him.
14 And he charged him to tell no one, `But, having gone away, shew thyself to the priest, and bring near for thy cleansing according as Moses directed, for a testimony to them;'
15 but the more was the report going abroad concerning him, and great multitudes were coming together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities,
16 and he was withdrawing himself in the desert places and was praying.
17 And it came to pass, on one of the days, that he was teaching, and there were sitting by Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who were come out of every village of Galilee, and Judea, and Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was -- to heal them.
18 And lo, men bearing upon a couch a man, who hath been struck with palsy, and they were seeking to bring him in, and to place before him,
19 and not having found by what way they may bring him in because of the multitude, having gone up on the house-top, through the tiles they let him down, with the little couch, into the midst before Jesus,
20 and he having seen their faith, said to him, `Man, thy sins have been forgiven thee.'
21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, `Who is this that doth speak evil words? who is able to forgive sins, except God only?'
22 And Jesus having known their reasonings, answering, said unto them, `What reason ye in your hearts?
23 which is easier -- to say, Thy sins have been forgiven thee? or to say, Arise, and walk?
24 `And that ye may know that the Son of Man hath authority upon the earth to forgive sins -- (he said to the one struck with palsy) -- I say to thee, Arise, and having taken up thy little couch, be going on to thy house.'
25 And presently having risen before them, having taken up `that' on which he was lying, he went away to his house, glorifying God,
26 and astonishment took all, and they were glorifying God, and were filled with fear, saying -- `We saw strange things to-day.'
27 And after these things he went forth, and beheld a tax-gatherer, by name Levi, sitting at the tax-office, and said to him, `Be following me;'
28 and he, having left all, having arisen, did follow him.
29 And Levi made a great entertainment to him in his house, and there was a great multitude of tax-gatherers and others who were with them reclining (at meat),
30 and the scribes and the Pharisees among them were murmuring at his disciples, saying, `Wherefore with tax-gatherers and sinners do ye eat and drink?'
31 And Jesus answering said unto them, `They who are well have no need of a physician, but they that are ill:
32 I came not to call righteous men, but sinners, to reformation.'
33 And they said unto him, `Wherefore do the disciples of John fast often, and make supplications -- in like manner also those of the Pharisees -- but thine do eat and drink?'
34 And he said unto them, `Are ye able to make the sons of the bride-chamber -- in the bridegroom being with them -- to fast?
35 but days will come, and, when the bridegroom may be taken away from them, then they shall fast in those days.'
36 And he spake also a simile unto them -- `No one a patch of new clothing doth put on old clothing, and if otherwise, the new also doth make a rent, and with the old the patch doth not agree, that `is' from the new.
37 `And no one doth put new wine into old skins, and if otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and itself will be poured out, and the skins will be destroyed;
38 but new wine into new skins is to be put, and both are preserved together;
39 and no one having drunk old `wine', doth immediately wish new, for he saith, The old is better.'
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Luke 5
Commentary on Luke 5 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 5
Lu 5:1-11. Miraculous Draught of Fishes—Call of Peter, James, and John.
Not their first call, however, recorded in Joh 1:35-42; nor their second, recorded in Mt 4:18-22; but their third and last before their appointment to the apostleship. That these calls were all distinct and progressive, seems quite plain. (Similar stages are observable in other eminent servants of Christ.)
3. taught … out of the ship—(See on Mt 13:2).
4. for a draught—munificent recompense for the use of his boat.
5. Master—betokening not surely a first acquaintance, but a relationship already formed.
all night—the usual time of fishing then (Joh 21:3), and even now Peter, as a fisherman, knew how hopeless it was to "let down his net" again, save as a mere act of faith, "at His word" of command, which carried in it, as it ever does, assurance of success. (This shows he must have been already and for some time a follower of Christ.)
6. net brake—rather "was breaking," or "beginning to break," as in Lu 5:7, "beginning to sink."
8. Depart, &c.—Did Peter then wish Christ to leave him? Verily no. His all was wrapt up in Him (Joh 6:68). "It was rather, Woe is me, Lord! How shall I abide this blaze of glory? A sinner such as I am is not fit company for Thee." (Compare Isa 6:5.)
10. Simon, fear not—This shows how the Lord read Peter's speech. The more highly they deemed Him, ever the more grateful it was to the Redeemer's spirit. Never did they pain Him by manifesting too lofty conceptions of Him.
from henceforth—marking a new stage of their connection with Christ. The last was simply, "I will make you fishers."
fishers of men—"What wilt thou think, Simon, overwhelmed by this draught of fishes, when I shall bring to thy net what will beggar all this glory?" (See on Mt 4:18.)
11. forsook all—They did this before (Mt 4:20); now they do it again; and yet after the Crucifixion they are at their boats once more (Joh 21:3). In such a business this is easily conceivable. After pentecost, however, they appear to have finally abandoned their secular calling.
Lu 5:12-16. Leper Healed.
(See on Mt 8:2-4.)
15. But so, &c.—(See Mr 1:45).
Lu 5:17-26. Paralytic Healed.
(See on Mt 9:1-8).
17. Pharisees and doctors … sitting by—the highest testimony yet borne to our Lord's growing influence, and the necessity increasingly felt by the ecclesiastics throughout the country of coming to some definite judgment regarding Him.
power of the Lord … present—with Jesus.
to heal them—the sick people.
19. housetop—the flat roof.
through the tiling … before Jesus—(See on Mr 2:2).
24. take up thy couch—"sweet saying! The bed had borne the man; now the man shall bear the bed!" [Bengel].
Lu 5:27-32. Levi's Call and Feast.
(See on Mt 9:9-13; and Mr 2:14.)
30. their scribes—a mode of expression showing that Luke was writing for Gentiles.
Lu 5:33-39. Fasting.
(See on Mt 9:14-17.)
The incongruities mentioned in Lu 5:36-38 were intended to illustrate the difference between the genius of the old and new economies, and the danger of mixing up the one with the other. As in the one case supposed, "the rent is made worse," and in the other, "the new wine is spilled," so by a mongrel mixture of the ascetic ritualism of the old with the spiritual freedom of the new economy, both are disfigured and destroyed. The additional parable in Lu 5:39, which is peculiar to Luke, has been variously interpreted. But the "new wine" seems plainly to be the evangelical freedom which Christ was introducing; and the old, the opposite spirit of Judaism: men long accustomed to the latter could not be expected "straightway"—all at once—to take a liking for the former; that is, "These inquiries about the difference between My disciples and the Pharisees," and even John's, are not surprising; they are the effect of a natural revulsion against sudden change, which time will cure; the new wine will itself in time become old, and so acquire all the added charms of antiquity. What lessons does this teach, on the one hand, to those who unreasonably cling to what is getting antiquated; and, on the other, to hasty reformers who have no patience with the timidity of their weaker brethren!