St Matthew Chapter IV : Verses 18-25
Contents
- Matt. iv. 18-25 (Douay-Rheims text) & Latin text (Vulgate)
- Notes on text
- Additional Notes: harmonizing the synoptic accounts.
Matt. iv. 18-25
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| Simon and Andrew. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum. |
Ambulans autem Jesus juxta mare Galilææ, vidit duos fratres, Simonem, qui vocatur Petrus, et Andream fratrem ejus, mittentes rete in mare ( erant enim piscatores),
19 And he saith to them: Come ye after me, and I will make you to be fishers of men.
et ait illis : Venite post me, et faciam vos fieri piscatores hominum.
20 And they immediately leaving their nets, followed him.
At illi continuo relictis retibus secuti sunt eum.
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| James and John. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum. |
Et procedens inde, vidit alios duos fratres, Jacobum Zebedæi, et Joannem fratrem ejus, in navi cum Zebedæo patre eorum, reficientes retia sua : et vocavit eos.
22 And they forthwith left their nets and father, and followed him.
Illi autem statim relictis retibus et patre, secuti sunt eum.
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| Healing all manner of sickness. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum. |
Et circuibat Jesus totam Galilæam, docens in synagogis eorum, et prædicans Evangelium regni : et sanans omnem languorem, et omnem infirmitatem in populo.
24 And his fame went throughout all Syria, and they presented to him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and such as were possessed by devils, and lunatics, and those that had palsy, and he cured them:
Et abiit opinio ejus in totam Syriam, et obtulerunt ei omnes male habentes, variis languoribus, et tormentis comprehensos, et qui dæmonia habebant, et lunaticos, et paralyticos, et curavit eos :
25 And much people followed him from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
et secutæ sunt eum turbae multæ de Galilaea, et Decapoli, et de Jerosolymis, et de Judaea, et de trans Jordanem.
Notes
Note. — These Annotations are based on the more generally accepted opinion, that St Luke in ch. v. 1-11 relates the same incident -which St Matthew gives in this passage.
saw two brethren, etc. Jesus had met them before. Andrew . . . findeth first his brother Simon, and saith to him: We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus (St John i. 41, 42).
casting a net. In the New Testament, we find three different kinds of net mentioned : —
(1) The draw net (σαγήυη, to load). See infra, xiii. 47,
whence our English word “ seine ” is derived.
(2) The casting net (ἁμφίβλεστρον). See infra, iv. 18 ; St Mark i. 16.
It was circular in shape, and had weights attached to make it sink, “ When skilfully cast from over the shoulder, by one standing on the shore or in a boat, it spreads out into a circle (ἁμφιβάλλεται) as it falls upon the water, and then, sinking swiftly by the weight of the leads attached to it, encloses whatever is below it ” (Trench, Syn., lxiv).
(3) Another kind of casting net (δίκτυον), used for both fishing and hunting.
It was probably at this time, before the call of the first four apostles, that the first miraculous draught of fishes took place (St Luke v. 1).
Order of events : —
(a) Jesus walks by the Sea of Galilee.(b) The crowds press around Him.(c) He enters Peter’s boat and preaches to the people.(d) The miraculous draught of fishes is caught.(e) Jesus calls the four apostles.(f) They leave all and follow Him.
19. Come ye after me, — i.e. “ Follow me” (Δεῦτε ὀπίσω μου), as a disciple accompanies his master.
fishers of men. St Luke gives our Lord’s words more expressively, Thou shalt catch men. Lit. “shall be taking men alive” (ζωγρῶν, from ζωός and ἀγρεῖν). The “ eris capiens” of the Vulgate gives the idea of continuity, but does not bring out the idea of catching men “ alive.”
St John Chrysostom remarks, “ The fishermen takes the fish out of the water in order to kill them, but we cast our nets in order to vivify those we take.” As David was called from the sheepfold to be the shepherd of Israel, as the magi were led by a star to the feet of the Saviour, so the fishermen are “ called from their nets to become fishers of men."
Note the details of the symbol : —
St Peter’s bark represents The Catholic Church.The net The doctrines taught by the apostles.The rent in the net Heresies and schisms.The sea The world.The fishes The souls of men.
21. the son of Zebedee. As the father of Simon and Andrew is not mentioned, we may infer that be was dead.
in a ship. The Greek word πλοῖον may be applied to vessels of all sizes ; here it evidently means a boat.
mending their nets. The verb employed may also mean adjusting or preparing their nets, but the Vulgate prefers “mending” (reficientes). St Luke throws a light on these words : They enclosed a very great multitude of fishes, and their net broke (St Luke v. 6).
22. left their nets and father. St Mark adds, with his hired men.
They left their homes, families, boats, business, all they held naturally dear. In the eyes of the world they had not much to renounce, but he gives much who gives up not only what he has, but what he is desirous of possessing (St Aug.). We know that the apostles realized that they were making a real sacrifice ; and Jesus, on another occasion, promised them a special reward in return (see infra, xviii. 28-30 ; St Mark x. 29, 30). From the fact that Zebedee had his hired men (St Mark i. 20), we conclude that he was fairly well off, and more prosperous than St Peter and St Andrew. This was their second call. The first call is related by St John (ch. i.) ; then Andrew, Simon, Philip, and Nathaniel became Christ’s disciples, but evidently did not yet give up all. The three Synoptists mention James and John for the first time when relating this miracle ; both James and John must have known our Lord previously through St Peter, St Andrew, and St Philip, who were also “ of Bethsaida.”
followed him. They were the first four apostles called to leave all.
Only once do we hear of their returning to their nets, and then it was probably in order to provide themselves with food (see St John xxi. 3), and not for the purpose of trading.
23. Jesus went about all Galilee. St Matthew has a parallel passage in ix. 35, which evidently refers to another journey through Galilee. This verse gives a general description of our Lord’s Public Life. He went about doing good (Acts x. 35). The journey through Galilee must have taken several months. Jesus was now accompanied by His first four disciples.
teaching in their synagogues. Jesus taught those who came to worship in the synagogues from their own sacred books. “ The synagogues were places of assembly for public worship, where on Sabbaths and feast-days (at a later period, also on the second and fifth days of the week) the people met together for prayer, and to listen to the reading of portions of the Old Testament, which were translated and explained in the vernacular dialect. With the permission of the president, any one who was fitted might deliver addresses ” (Meyer). See also art. on Synagogues, Bk. II. The word “ synagogue ” originally meant “ an assembly,” then it came to be applied to the building where the assembly met. Our word “ Church ” is also used in this twofold sense.
gospel. Except in the title, this is the first time the word occurs in the first gospel. Jesus, in preaching, acted like the Good Shepherd, who seeks the wandering sheep.
gospel of the kingdom. This expression is rarely found without the complement “ of heaven ” or “ of God.” It only occurs here and in ch. ix. 35 and xxiv. 14. The gospel of the kingdom means the glad tidings of salvation which Christ came to announce.
healing all manyier, etc. “ In a few words the Evangelist speeds over a shower of miracles” (St Jn. Chrys.). Christ’s mighty deeds confirmed His doctrine and attracted people to Him.
among the people. The Greek word “λαός,” like the Latin “vulgus,” means the common people. Christ’s miracles were chiefly worked for the poor, whom He specially loved and cherished, and whom He commends to our care.
24. his fame. Lit. “ the report of him ” (ἡ ἀκοὴ αὐτοῦ). The word (ἀκοὴ) here translated “fame” does not necessarily imply the idea of honour and glory, though here it certainly included it in the case of some who heard the report of Christ’s miracles, whereas others were stirred up to greater hatred on hearing of them.
all Syria. Syria was bounded on the north by Cilicia, on the south by Egypt, on the east by the Euphrates, on the west by the Mediterranean. Damascus was the capital, and the country included Idumea, Palestine, Syro-Phcenicia, Syria of Damascus, Arabia and Perea.
As far as we know, our Lord passed the frontiers of Palestine but once, and then He went into the region of Tyre and Sidon (xv. 21). Soon after the Ascension we find a Christian colony at Damascus ; and St Peter, addressing Cornelius and his kinsmen at Caesarea, assumed that they had heard of Jesus Christ. You know the word which hath been published through all Judea: for it began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached (Acts x. 37).
divers diseases. Chronic diseases and infirmities less painful than torments.
torments. The word in the original is the name of a touchstone found in Lydia and used for testing gold, hence it came to mean an examination by torture or any acute pain.
possessed by devils. Possession by devils is rarely mentioned in the Old Testament, but Satan appears to have been aroused to greater activity by the very presence of Christ, because perhaps he knew that the stronger than he having come, his own power would soon be lessened. Satan’s malice, however, but served to shew forth the power of Christ. The word here translated “ devil ” does not refer to the devil as “ the tempting one ” (ὁ διάβολος), but to demons or evil spirits ( δαιμόνια ) in general. St Matthew carefully distinguishes between those afflicted with “ divers diseases and torments ” and those possessed by devils. There are two distinct classes of evils, but in the case of demoniacs disease was often engendered through diabolical agency, or through the outcast life of those so afflicted.
Additional Notes
It is generally accepted that St Matthew (ch. iv. 18-22) and St Mark (i. 16-20) refer to the same event, but harmonists are not agreed as to whether St Luke (ch. v. 10-11) relates this event, or whether he is referring to another that resembles it in certain features.
Though we cannot with certainty either deny or affirm that the Synoptists all refer to the same incident, yet there is much that leads us to believe that all three relate the same event, and this opinion is more generally received. It is based on the following arguments : —
(1) All three narratives bring out clearly the call of the first four apostles.
(2) It is not probable that Jesus called them twice, and that He twice promised they should become “fishers of men.”
(3) They could not have left all twice.
(4) The fact that the first and second gospels pass over the miraculous draught of fishes is no proof that it did not take place.
(5) The previous intimacy with Jesus, which St Peter must have enjoyed, according to St Luke’s account (v. 5), does not presuppose a previous call to the apostleship, but his call to the faith (see St John i.).
(6) Although St Luke does not mention St Andrew, he refers to others “that were with him” in the boat (verse 9), and these were certainly not the sons of Zebedee, as we see from verse 10. Further, in the next chapter St Andrew is included among the disciples (verse 14), from whom Jesus chose His twelve apostles.
It is interesting to note the steps by which our Lord’s first four disciples were gradually led to give up all and follow Him
(1) They were disciples of St John the Baptist.
(2) They heard St John point out Jesus as the Lamb of God (St John i. 36).
(3) They followed Jesus, saw where He dwelt, and stayed with him that day (St John i. 39).
(4) They were present at the marriage of Cana (St John ii. 2).
(5) After the first miraculous draught of fishes, Jesus called them to follow Him.
(6) They were enrolled, with eight others, as the chosen apostles of Jesus.
23. Jesus went about all Galilee. During the first year of His Public Life, our Lord appears to have made three journeys through Galilee.
1. In the mountain rcgionis, at first alone, and afterwards accompanied by the first four discijples. (See v., viii.)
2. In the cities on the shores of the lake. This time the Twelve were with Jesus. (St Luke viii. 1-3.)
3. In the other cities and towns of Galilee, (ix. 35, etc.) On this occasion Jesus appears to have gone with a few disciples, as the Twelve were absent on their first mission.
23. Healing all manner of sickness. “ He did not preach only, but also shewed forth miracles. And this because on every occasion, whensoever anything is done strange and surprising, and any polity is introduced, God is wont to work miracles, as pledges of His power, which He affords to them that are to receive His laws. Thus, for instance, when He was about to make man, He created a whole world, and then gave him that law which he had in paradise. And when He was to give commands to Noe, He shewed forth anew great miracles, in that He reduced again the whole creation to its elements, and made that fearful sea to prevail for a full year ; and in that, amid so great a tempest. He preserved that righteous man. And in the time of Abraham, too, He vouchsafed many signs ; as his victory in the war, and his deliverance from dangers. And when about to legislate for the Jews, He shewed forth those marvellous and great prodigies, and then gave the Law. Just so in this case also, being about to introduce a certain high polity, and to tell them what they had never heard, by the display of the miracles He confirms what He saith.
Thus, because the kingdom He was preaching appeared not by the things that appear. He makes it, though invisible, manifest” (St John Chrys., Hom., xiv. 4).
24. Possessed by devils. “It may not be out of place to direct the reader’s attention to the distinction made in the gospels between the evil spirits who possess their victims and the infirmity which often accompanies such possession. They may be violent, or dumb, or deaf, or blind, or epileptic ; but in all cases the demons are represented as personal beings. These persons are characterized by their intimate knowledge of the power of Jesus, which surpasses even that of the apostles ; and it is owing to this very knowledge that they do not appear as hostile to Jesus, but commonly implore His mercy. It is true that in the Old Testament the mention of such possession is rare ; still it is not wholly unknown, (cf. Tob. vi. 8, 14, 17). The power of Satan was at that time exercised by means of the idolatrous practices then generally prevalent (cf. Deut. xxxii. 17 ; Ps. cvi. 27). That the fourth gospel does not mention the miraculous exorcisms of Jesus is owing to the peculiar scope of St John. Since he writes against heretics who deny the divinity of Jesus, he must prove this dogma by arguments not open to exceptions ; the exorcisms of Jesus might have been impugned by St John’s readers, because they were performed also by members of the synagogue. (Cf. Matt. xii. 27; Mark ix. 38; Luke ix. 49; Joseph., Antiy., viii. 11. 5 ; Just. c. Tr., 85.) Besides, it is always hard to determine the reality of demoniacal possession in any given case, so that even in our days the Church has reserved to herself the ultimate judgment of this. We may remark here that possession must be distinguished from mere inhabitation, such as is mentioned in St John xiii. 2” (Maas, S.J., Comm, on St Matt., p. 56).
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
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