Matthew 4:18

II. FISHERS OF MEN.

18. And walking.

He was probably on his way from Nazareth, from which place he had been driven away, to Capernaum. If he had already been at Capernaum he would not have waited till the Sabbath before healing Peter's wife's mother.-- Peloubet.

Sea of Galilee.

So named from the province on its western side. It was also called the Sea of Tiberias from. city built by Herod Antipas on the southwest shore, and named in honor of the Emperor Tiberius (John 6:1; John 21:1). It is pear-shaped, the broad end being toward the north, the greatest width being six and three-quarter miles; it is twelve and. half miles long, and 165 feet deep. It is surrounded on all sides by hills, from 500 to nearly 2,000 feet high. Its waters are pure and sweet, and abound in fish. It is, according to Lieut. Lynch, 653 feet below the Mediterranean. Many populous towns once stood upon its shores, but they and their commerce are gone. Tiberias and Magdala are the only inhabited spots.-- G. W. Clark.

Simon called Peter.

A contraction of Simeon,. Hebrew word which means "hearing." He had previously been named Peter, "a rock" (John 1:42), the name by which he was called after the disciples were constituted apostles.

Andrew.

A Greek word meaning "manly." Whether he was younger or older than his brother, Simon Peter, is not known. They had formerly lived in Bethsaida (John 1:44), but had afterward gone to Capernaum to live (Luke 4:31; Luke 4:38).

Casting. net into the sea.

A hand-net. Hand-nets are exceedingly common in the East, and of various kinds. They differ from drag-nets, which are trailed along the bottom of the fishing-place. Hand-nets are let down into the water, and are more or less of. bag shape.

They were fishers.

The occupation was, of course,. humble one, but not, as is often assumed, mean or servile, or incompatible with some degree of mental culture. His family were probably in easy circumstances. He and his brother Andrew were partners of John and James, the sons of Zebedee, who had hired servants; and from various indications in the sacred narrative we are led to the conclusion that their social position brought them into contact with men of education.-- F. C. Cook.