Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 4:21

"And going on from thence he saw two other brethren, James the [son] of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them." — Matthew 4:21 (ASV)

Mending their nets — On the assumption that the account in Saint Luke preceded what we read here, the “mending” might seem to be the natural consequence of the “breaking” described there and be noted as an undesigned coincidence.

It must be remembered, however:

1. The “mending,” as well as the “washing,” was a natural task even after a night of unsuccessful fishing.
2. The Greek of Saint Luke does not say that the nets actually broke, but that they were on the point of breaking and were beginning to do so.