Luke 5:1
A plain-spoken deep dive on this verse. Read the chapter →
On one occasion, while Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret with the crowd pressing in on Him to hear the word of God,
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
MIRACULOUS DRAUGHT OF FISHES--CALL OF PETER, JAMES, AND JOHN. (Luk 5:1-11) taught . . . out of the ship--(See on Mat 13:2).
Open source ↗This passage of story fell, in order of time, before the two miracles we had in the close of the foregoing chapter, and is the same with that which was more briefly related by Matthew and Mark, of Christ's calling Peter and Andrew to be fishers of men, Mat 4:18, and Mar 1:16. They had not related this miraculous draught of fishes at that time, having only in view the calling of his disciples; but Luke gives us that story as one of the many signs which Jesus did in the presence of his disciples, which had not been written in the foregoing books, Joh 20:30, Joh 20:31. Observe here, I. What vast crowds attended Christ's preaching: The people pressed upon him to hear the word of God (Luk 5:1), insomuch that no house would contain them, but he was forced to draw them out to the strand, that they might be reminded of the promise made to Abraham, that his seed should be as the sand upon the sea shore (Gen 22:17), and yet of them but a remnant shall be saved, Rom 9:27. The people flocked about him (so the word signifies); they showed respect to his preaching, though not without some rudeness to his person, which was very excusable, for they pressed upon him. Some would reckon this a discredit to him, to be thus cried up by the vulgar, when none of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him; but he reckoned it an honour to him, for their souls were as precious as the souls of the grandees, and it is his aim to bring not so much the mighty as the many sons to God. It was foretold concerning him that to him shall the gathering of the people be. Christ was a popular preacher; and though he was able, at twelve, to dispute with the doctors, yet he chose, at thirty, to preach to the capacity of the vulgar. See how the people relished good preaching, though under all external disad…
Open source ↗5:1-11 This is the first call of disciples recorded in Luke; Matthew and Mark recount a (presumably earlier) call of the four fishermen brothers (Matt 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20). Jesus demonstrated extraordinary authority in the miraculous catch of fish and in his call of Simon Peter.
Open source ↗Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
Jesus asked His disciples to have a boat ready for Him so that the crowd would not crush Him.
When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret.
When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and moored the boat.
as well as the Arabah east of the Sea of Chinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea), eastward through Beth-jeshimoth, and southward below the slopes of Pisgah.
So Jesus went with him, and a large crowd followed and pressed around Him.
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subject to violence, and the violent lay claim to it.
The Jordan River in the Arabah bordered it from Chinnereth to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) with the slopes of Pisgah to the east.
In the meantime, a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling one another. Jesus began to speak first to His disciples: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
then go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain and continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Chinnereth.
“Who touched Me?” Jesus asked. But they all denied it. “Master,” said Peter, “the people are crowding and pressing against You.”