Matthew 4:18

Jesus. [The Call by the Sea, Matt. 4:18-22 = Mark 1:16-20 = Luke 5:1-11. Major comment: Luke.] Textual evidence attests (cf. p. 146) the reading “he.”

Simon. The Greek form of the Heb. Shim‘on, Simeon. In the days of Christ many Jews took Greek names or adopted Greek forms for their Hebrew names. This was particularly true of Jews living outside Palestine. But even in Palestine it was convenient to have a Greek name in view of the fact that Greek was the common commercial and intellectual language of the world of that day. See pp. 25, 29.

Peter. Gr. Petros, “a stone,” or “a rock” (see on ch. 16:18), a translation of the Aramaic Kepha’, a word rendered in English as Cephas, and also meaning “rock,” or “stone” (John 1:42). For a biographical sketch of Peter see on Mark 3:16.

Andrew. See on Mark 3:18.

A net. Gr. amphiblestron, a casting net, in contrast with diktuon, a general term for a fishing or hunting net, or sagene, a “dragnet” (see on ch. 13:47).