The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1 — Section 9

of Galilee; a better reo.ding is (1racl racpd.,...,v), muob larger elze. But whc !her it be the oe.et- and paMing akmg. Our Lord oo.me up ing-net or the dro.~-net, the comparison is 11 from the south, passing through Samaria, striking one. It 1B plain that, lil the pur- till he reached Co.no. of Galilee. He then suit of his calling, the fisherman ho.e no Jlll8Sed along by the seashore towards power to me.ke e.ny separation between the Capernaum; e.nd on hie way found the four good fish e.nd the worthless. He he.s little 4lieciples whom he had previously nomi- or no insight into what is going on heneo.th nated, but who were now engaged in their the surface of the water. Bo with the calling of fishermen. St. l\la1·k then relates "fisher of men." He denls with the world the oircumstanoes of their <'&11 in the exact spiritual e.nd invisible; e.nd how, then, oe.n words or St. Matthew, which were in all he be fully conscious of the results of his probability those of o.postolioal tradition work? His work is pre-eminently II work (' Speaker's Comment.ary '). It will be seen of faith. It may be observed here that St. that St. Mark's account, in this introductorv Mark, in this enrlier pa.rt of his narrative, port.ion of his Gospel, is very concise, e.ucl speaks of St. Peter e.s Simon, though after- that there a.re many things to be supplied wards (eh. iii. 16) he oe.lls him Peter. We from the first chapter of St. John; as, for me.y also notice here, once for e.11, St. Mark's example, that after our Lord's baptism by constant use of the word "straightway" John, e.nd e.fter his fa.sting e.nd temptation ( eb6,..,s or ebBvs). This word occurs no less in the desert, the Jews sent messengers to than ten times in this chapter. In the the Baptist, to inquire of him whether he Authorized Version the word (el,6/o,s) is were the Christ. John e.t once confessed rendered indifferently by various English the.t he was not the Christ, but that there synonyms, as "forthwith," "immediately,'' was One even then among them, though they etc. : wherco.s in the Revised Version it haa knew him not, who was indeed the Christ. been thought fit to note this peculiarity or And then, the very next de.y after, Jesus mannerism in St. Mark's Gospel by the use came to him, e.nd John then said to those of the sume English synonym, " straight- around him, "Behold the Lamb of God In way," throughout this Gospel. The Holy Upon this two of John's disciples e.t once Spirit, while guiding the minds of those betook themselves to Jesus. The first was whom he moved to write these records, did Andrew, who forthwith brought his own not use e.n overpowering influence, so e.s to brother Simon, afterwards ea.lied "Peter," interfere with their own natural modes of to our Lord. Again, the day after this, our expression. Ee.eh sacred writer, while Lord called Philip, e. fellow-citizen with guarded a.go.inst error, has reserved to him Andrew and Peter, of Bethsaida. Then his own peculiarities of style and expression. Philip brought Ne.thauaeL Here, then, we Vere. 19, 20.-The calling of James e.nd have some more disciples nominated, who John, the sons of Zebedee. St. Mark here were with Jesus e.t the marriage in Cana of mentions that they left their father Zebedee Galilee. Then Jesus returned a.go.in into in the boat with the hired 1erve.nts Judiea; and those disciples "nominate," as (p.,.,-/i. .,..,,, µ,1<180,-rwv). This mention of the we might call them, went be.ck for e. time to "hired servants" is peculiar to St. Mark. their occupation of fishermen. Meanwhile He often follows the narrative of St. our Lord, while in Judiea, wrought miracles Matthew; but he adds little details such e.s &nd preached. until the envy of the scribes this, here and there, which show that he knew and Pharisees constrained him to return 8t. Me.tthew's narrative to be true, e.nd e.lso age.in into Galilee. And then it was that that he we.s an independent witness, This he solemnlv called Andrew e.nd Peter, and 0 circumstance here incidentally mentioned Ja.mes and J ohn, as recorded by St. Mark shows the.t there was a difference in here. So that St. John alone gives some position in life between Zebedee's fa:nily account of the events of the first yee.r of o.nd that of Simon o.nd Andrew. It appears our Lord's ministry. The three synoptic thut e.11 Jews he.d free right offishing in the Gospels gh-e the narrative of his public sea of Galilee, which o.bounded in fish. minilltry, commencing from the second Zebedee, therefore, whose home seems to year. Re saw Bimon and Andrew, the have been e.t Jerusalem, had a fishing es- brother of Bimon, casting e. net in the 1eo. tablishment in Galilee, probably managed :13.f.Jv.oV'Ta.s a.i,,1>if3>..71u-rpov lr -rfi 8aAIUTU?1 ). by his partners, Andrew and Simon, during 8uch was the text underly;.ng the Autho- hill absence. But he would naturally visit riwd Version ; but a better reading is the este.bliBbment from time to time with his a.11,<1>1/3.f.Jv.oV'Ta.s lv .,-~ 8oA.d.uf1"!1. St. Mark sons, e.nd especially before the great festive.ls, thinks it UJ1.necesso.ry to mention the nd when e. le.rger supply of fish than usual at o.ll; tlnugh doubtless it was the would be required for the visitors crowding a.µ,q,l/3J,71u-rpov, or ea, ling-net. When our to Jerusalem at that time. (See • Speaker's Lord likcns his gospel to II net, he uses the Commentary.') (gure of the drag-net (<1"'Y111'1J), 11 :c.et Pf 11 Yer. 21.-Aud tho7 went into Caper- OD, L 1-40.] 'l'HE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MAUK.