ye have now caught," with a strong emphasis on the word "now." I believe our Lord's object was to show the disciples that the secret of success was to work at His command, and to act with implicit obedience to His word. It is as though He said, " Draw up the net ; and see for yourselves how profitable it is to do what I tell you." Fish for food they did not want now, for that was provided for them. Proof of the power of Christ's blessing, and the importance of working under Him was the lesson to be taught, and as they drew up the net they would learn it.
11. — [Simon Peter went up, etc.] I see no reason for supposing, in this verse, that Peter alone drew up the net. I think it rea- sonable to suppose that he is named as leader of the party, and captain of the boat. But I believe that all the others helped him. The " going up " must mean that Peter went on board the little boat.
Once more we see two miracles recorded in this verse. One miracle was the singularly large catch of fish which the net contained, a quantity evidently exceeding what was generally taken at one haul. The other miracle was the singular fact, that, in spite of this large quantity of fish, the net was " not broken." Miracle on miracle passed under the eyes of the as- tonished disciples. — Can we doubt that their minds recalled the miraculous draught of fishes on a former occasion, when " their net brake," and our Lord's words, " Fear not ; from henceforth thou shalt catch men ; " and also his original saying, " Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men ? " And can we doubt that some of them remembered the parable of the kingdom of Heaven being like to " a net cast into the sea," and finally drawn to shore ? (Luke v. 10. Matt. iv. 19 ; xiii. 47.)
Concerning the number one hundred and fifty-three, we know nothing, and it is useless to speculate. Some have thought that it refers to the languages, and some to the tribes or nations of the world, — each, it is alleged, about one hundred and fifty in number. But this is only guess-work. Yet it is worth remembering, that the strangers whom Solomon em ployed in building the first temple were precisely one hundred and fifty -three thousand and six hundred. Let the remark be taken for what it is worth. (2 Chron. ii. 17.)
Pearce calls attention to a remark of Jerome, that Oppian, a Greek poet of Cilicia, in the second century, who wrote on fish ing, " has given an account of the number of fishes known to him in his time, being exactly one hundred and fifty-three." This, at any rate, is curious.
Scott makes the remark, that " this draught of fishes might be sold for a considerable sum of money, which the Apostles would have need of, on their return to Jerusalem before the day of Pentecost." There may be something in the idea.