The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 488

to Christ'e creative power. LnthrmU thinks ftahe■, a hundred and Arty and th.reo, Various of the ministry of angels. Borne h11ve efforts have beon made from cnrly times to suggoeted thnt Poter prepared tho hasty give some symbolic meaning to this enume- ropnst during the interval that elnpsed ration. Canon Westcott has tlotn iled severe.I between hi.a lnncling on the shore nnd tho of these strange guesses. Cyril of Alexan- npproach of the boat. Our Lord, who knew d1'ia set the example, and was followed by how to anango for tho lust supper with his Ammoniu, the presbyter, who both in dil~ disciples, cmd who harl oil the resouroes forent wnya regarded the 3 as ropreeeutative oC Providence, und hosts of disciples olong of the Trinity, the 100 + 5fJ representing, tho shoro, would, with superlative ease, and in different proportions, the aucccas of the wHhout revealing himeolf to strangers, have apostolic ministry among Gentiles and Jews. ml\Clo this simple meal; and, with his know- Augustine observes that 10 is the number of ledge of the cose, would have still de- the Law, rmtl 7 the number of the Spirit, lighted to not towards his beloved ones o.s = 10 + 7 17; and the numbers from 1 + 2 at onoe their Host and their Minister. He = + 3 .. + 17 153; so that the namber rs- simply prepared far hi.a own. whnt he has presents all who are brought to God under been doing ever since. every dispensation of grace. G-re!Jory the ...Ver. .10.~esua aaith to them, Bring of G-reat reaches the value 17 in the same the ftsh (l,,j,dp,a.) whioh ye have now taken fashion as Augustine, bnt, says he, it is only (see. note on ver. 3). It ie not exactly said by faith in the Trinity that either Jew or what was done with thie fish. The impli- Gentile ever reaches the falness of salvation; cation is that to the 11Canty meal alreo.dy 17 is therefore multiplied by 3 = 3 x 17, provided, the new eupply was added, o.nd which produces 51, which is the number of that the Lord permitted hiB disciples to join true rest; multiplied again by 3, which com- his repast, and to r13joice with him at the pletes the glory of lhe perfected, it is 153. suocess of their labour. They and he shared Hengstenberg, following (hotius, supposes in,the travail, and were satisfied therewith. a reference to the 153,600 Canaanitieh prose- The circumstance is highly. parabolic of lytes who were received inro the kingdom the common joy which would fill his heart in Solomon's day (2 ChJ:on. ii. 17) ! though and theirs when the fulness of the Gentiles the odd 600 certainly confuse the reckoning. should be brought in, and all Israel be Jerome refers to the opinion of a learned saved. naturalist of the second century, Oppian, Ver. 11.-Then Simon Peter went. up. 1 who is said to have ascertained that there Here again Simon is first in action, es John were 153 different kinds of fish in the seas, is the more rapid and real in his mental and that the apostles took of every kind, processes, The other disciples me.y have revealing the ultimate success of the fishers aided him, following his lead ; but the of souls with every kind of man-an allegory 11ingular verbs are used on both occesions based on false science o.nd insecure date., (d.vlfJ71 and e't>.,ro1Te). In like manner, and involving e. stupendous miracle, if ii though the twelve apostles took part in the be meant foran historical fact. Severs.I of transo.otione of Pentecost, Peter opened his the modern Tiibingen school, in various bnt mouth to .speak. On other occasions, while unsatisfactory wo.ys, see in the number one John spake by.the eloquent glances of his made up by the letters composing the name of eye, and the rest of the disciples joined their Simeon (71) bar (22) Jonah (31) Kephas (29); leader in testimony and prayer, Pater's and here even Keim follows suit. Thoma. voice was that, which conveyed the mighty finds the number in the mystic IXEIT::S, exultation of their common heart (Acts iii. "Jesus Christ the Son of God, Saviour." 12, etc. ; iv. 8, etc. ; viii. 20, etc.; x. 31- ReUBS discourages mystical or occult mean- xi.; xv. 7-11). The word J.vlfJ11, "went ing. The remark of Baumgartcn-Crusius, up," mast be explained by the fact that that the number is simply an index of the dva;fJa.1ve1v is used of embarking in a vessel authenticity of the narrative, e.nd of !he fact (oh. xxi. 3; M11rk vi. 51; Acts xx.i. 6), that the fishes ioue counted on the occasion, thou"h in eaoh case there is some difference is eminently sensible (so Godet and Meyer). in the manuscripts, with reference to the The fact that it is not a round number adds t1c1xt, as there is, aho here. If the vessel to the probability of this statement, and wns qrawn up on the shore, with t~e n~t enters a caveat against allegorical interpre- otte.ch.cid to it, the f11rm of expression lS tation. And for e.11 they were so many, the explicable. : Peter went up into the boat net was not rent. This is obviously a point {or the lines of t)le net, and, having secured of contrast with the first miraculous draught It, he drew tlie net to the land,• full of great of fishee, when the nets brake and the b0D.ts began to sink. This does form a probable I K and L read ivlB11 instee.11 of lt.vlfJ11, • 'Eirl .,,ijs -,,iis of T.R. has been replnced Alford, 11,nd Westcott ancl Hort, by el, -r'l,v by RT., Tisnheuclorf (8th edit.), Tregelles, -yijv, with l't, A, l.:, :i.nd numerous cursives. 504- THE GOSPEL ACCORDING 'l'O ST. JOHN. [on. xx1. 1-25.