John Calvin Commentary Luke 5:1

"Now it came to pass, while the multitude pressed upon him and heard the word of God, that he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret;" — Luke 5:1 (ASV)

He stood near the lake. Matthew and Mark, according to the usual custom of their language, call it the sea of Galilee. The proper name of this lake among the ancient Hebrews was כנרת (Chinnereth)³³⁸; but, when the language became corrupted, the word was changed to Gennesaret. Secular authors call it Gennesar; and that part which lay towards Galilee was called by them the sea of Galilee. The bank that adjoined Tiberias received its name from that city.

Its breadth and situation will be more appropriately discussed elsewhere. Let us now turn to the event related here.

Luke says that Christ entered a ship belonging to Peter and withdrew a moderate distance from the land, so that he might more conveniently address the multitudes from it, who flocked from various places to hear him. After teaching, he demonstrated his divine power through a miracle.

Indeed, it was not unusual for fishers to cast their nets on many occasions with little success, and for all their fruitless toil to be later recompensed by one successful throw. But this was proven to be a miracle by the fact that they had caught nothing during the whole night (which, however, is more suitable for catching fish), and then suddenly a great multitude of fishes was collected into their nets, enough to fill the ships.

Peter and his companions, therefore, readily concluded that a take, so far beyond the ordinary amount, was not accidental but was given to them by divine intervention.

³³⁸ Chinnereth occurs in Joshua, (occurs in Joshua, (19:35,) as the name of an adjoining city, from which the lake probably derived its name. In the French copy, our author gives it ,) as the name of an adjoining city, from which the lake probably derived its name. In the French copy, our author gives it Cinerot, or, as we have it, (or, as we have it, (Joshua 11:2,) ,) Chinneroth. But that word contains a But that word contains a Vau, which is here wanting: though it must be owned that, when it is connected with a which is here wanting: though it must be owned that, when it is connected with a Cholem point, that letter is often inserted, or left out, according to the pleasure of the writer. — point, that letter is often inserted, or left out, according to the pleasure of the writer. — Ed.