Luke 5:2
in Luke 5He saw two boats at the edge of the lake. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and he saw two boats standing by the lake: but the fishermen had gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
KJV
And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
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This verse in Luke 5
Commentary
13 notes on this verseNow mystically, the two ships represent circumcision and uncircumcision. The Lord sees these, because in each people He knows who are His, and by seeing, i. e. by a merciful visitation, He brings them nearer the tranquillity of the life to come. The fishermen are the doctors of the Church, because by the net of faith they catch us, and bring us as it were ashore to the land of the living.
This site's exposition
pressed upon him to hear the word of God
on Luke 5:1-3
As the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, Luke's own name for the Sea of Galilee, and used it as his platform when the crowd made the shore itself impossible to preach from. He entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land, a small request that turns Peter's boat into a pulpit and Peter himself into an unwitting first hearer of a private lesson still to come. The bench notes the ordinary courtesy Jesus asks rather than commands, the water's natural acoustics carrying his voice back to a crowd gathered on a sloped shore, a fisherman's boat pressed into service for the word before it is pressed into service for the catch.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
This was a sign of leisure, but according to Matthew He finds them mending their nets. For so great was their poverty, that they patched up their old nets, not being able to buy new ones.
The Medieval Church4 voices
Second, there is added the opportunity of a boat lifting him up upon the water, when it is added: And he saw two boats, opportune, namely, for carrying, both because they were near: on account of which he says: Standing by the lake; and also …
And He saw two boats standing by the lake. The two boats placed by the lake symbolize the circumcision and the foreskin. It is well said that Jesus saw them, for the Lord knows who are His in both peoples. And He leads their heart …
But the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. The fishermen are the teachers of the Church, who, having caught us in the net of faith and raised us from the depths to the moon, bring us to the land of the living like …
But the Lord seeks to avoid glory the more it followed Him, and therefore separating Himself from the multitude, He entered into a ship, as it is said, And he saw two ships standing near the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
2 ), and in Judea ( John iv. 3 ); but as yet they were not called to attend him constantly, and therefore here we have them at their calling, and now it was that they were called into a more intimate fellowship with Christ. When Christ had done preaching, he ordered Peter to apply himself to the business of his calling again: Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
And saw two ships standing by the lake,....
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
Two ships - Δυο πλοια, Two vessels, It is highly improper to term these ships.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
We have, in these verses — the history of what is commonly called the miraculous catch of fish . It is a remarkable miracle on two accounts. For one thing, it shows us our Lord's complete dominion over the animal creation. The fish of the sea are as much obedient to His will — as the frogs, and flies, and lice, and locusts, in the plagues of Egypt. All are His servants, and all obey His commands.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1858)
proposed
We have, in these verses — the history of what is commonly called the miraculous catch of fish . It is a remarkable miracle on two accounts. For one thing, it shows us our Lord's complete dominion over the animal creation. The fish of the sea are as much obedient to His will — as the frogs, and flies, and lice, and locusts, in the plagues of Egypt. All are His servants, and all obey His commands. For another thing, there is a singular similarity between this miracle worked at the beginning of our Lord's ministry, and another which we find Him working after His resurrection, at the end of His ministry, recorded by John. (John 21.) In both we read of a miraculous catch of fish. In both the Apostle Peter has a prominent place in the story. And in both there is, probably — a deep spiritual lesson, lying below the outward surface of the facts described. We should observe, in this passage — our Lord Jesus Christ's unwearied readiness for every good work. Once more we find Him preaching to a people who "pressed upon Him to hear the word of God." And where does He preach? Not in any consecrated building, or place set apart for public worship — but in the open air; not in a pulpit constructed for a preacher's use — but in a fisherman's boat. Souls were waiting to be fed. Personal inconvenience was allowed no place in His consideration. God's work must not stand still. The servants of Christ should learn a lesson from their Master's conduct on this occasion. We are not to wait until every little difficulty or obstacle is removed — before we put our hand to the plough, or go forth to sow the seed of the word. We may often be lacking convenient buildings for assembling a company of hearers. We may often be lacking convenient rooms for gathering children to Sunday school. What, then, are we to do? Shall we sit still and do nothing? God forbid!
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
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.
The words behind it
17 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| εἶδεν | eiden | He saw | G1492 → | 374 times |
| δύο | duo | two | G1417 → | 133 times |
| πλοῖα | ploia | boats | G4143 → | 67 times |
| ἑστῶτα | hestota | already lying | G2476 → | 153 times |
| παρὰ | para | by | G3844 → | 192 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λίμνην. | limnen | lake. | G3041 → | 11 times |
| οἱ | hoi | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | but | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἁλιεῖς | halieis | the fishermen | G231 → | |
| ἀπ᾽ | ap᾽ | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| αὐτῶν | auton | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἀποβάντες | apobantes | having gone out | G576 → | |
| ἔπλυνον | eplunon | were washing | G4150 → | |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δίκτυα. | diktua | nets. | G1350 → | 12 times |
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
εἶδενHe saw
eidenG1492 →374 times
δύοtwo
duoG1417 →133 times
πλοῖαboats
ploiaG4143 →67 times
ἑστῶταalready lying
hestotaG2476 →153 times
παρὰby
paraG3844 →192 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
λίμνην.lake.
limnenG3041 →11 times
οἱ<the>
hoiG3588 →19766 times
δὲbut
deG1161 →2765 times
ἁλιεῖςthe fishermen
halieisG231 →
ἀπ᾽from
ap᾽G575 →640 times
αὐτῶνthem
autonG846 →5565 times
ἀποβάντεςhaving gone out
apobantesG576 →
ἔπλυνονwere washing
eplunonG4150 →
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
δίκτυα.nets.
diktuaG1350 →12 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 4:21Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them,
it leads to
- Mark 3:17
James son of Zebedee and his brother John (whom He named Boanerges, meaning “Sons of Thunder”),
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 10:2
These are the names of the twelve apostles: first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
- Mark 1:19–20
Going on a little farther, He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat, mending their nets.
- Luke 5:10–11
and so were his partners James and John, the sons of Zebedee. “Do not be afraid,” Jesus said to Simon. “From now on you will catch men.”
- John 21:2
Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together.
- Mark 3:17
Through
Mark 1:19Going on a little farther, He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat, mending their nets.
it leads to
- Mark 5:37
And He did not allow anyone to accompany Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.
- Acts 12:2
He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.
- Mark 10:35
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and declared, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”
- Mark 5:37
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
About Luke

This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bede, On the Gospel of Luke; Bonaventure, Commentary on Luke, Chapter 5; J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, Luke; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Luke (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas.
