Bible Strands
Luke 5:2
He saw two boats at the edge of the lake. The fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesus observes two boats at the edge of the lake while a crowd presses in to hear Him teach. The fishermen have left the vessels and are washing their nets nearby.
The words — The Greek εἶδεν (eiden) literally means "He saw," denoting deliberate visual perception. ἑστῶτα (hestōta) describes the boats as "already lying" at the shore, indicating their fixed position before any action is taken.
The thread — This scene parallels the encounter in Mark 1:19 and Matthew 4:21, where Jesus sees James and John in a boat mending their nets. The repeated geographic and occupational markers establish the setting for the subsequent teaching and miracle.
Why it lands — The text records ordinary labor as the immediate backdrop for divine action. It requires the reader to acknowledge that scriptural authority operates within documented historical and physical conditions rather than abstract settings.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
Cross-references
- Mark 1:19 Going on a little farther, He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat, mending their nets.
- Matthew 4:21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them,