John 21:10

Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(10) Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.—Comp. Note on last verse. It is implied that they did so, and thus furnished part of the meal of which they are about to partake.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

21:1-14 Christ makes himself known to his people, usually in his ordinances; but sometimes by his Spirit he visits them when employed in their business. It is good for the disciples of Christ to be together in common conversation, and common business. The hour for their entering upon action was not come. They would help to maintain themselves, and not be burdensome to any. Christ's time of making himself known to his people, is when they are most at a loss. He knows the temporal wants of his people, and has promised them not only grace sufficient, but food convenient. Divine Providence extends itself to things most minute, and those are happy who acknowledge God in all their ways. Those who are humble, diligent, and patient, though their labours may be crossed, shall be crowned; they sometimes live to see their affairs take a happy turn, after many struggles. And there is nothing lost by observing Christ's orders; it is casting the net on the right side of the ship. Jesus manifests himself to his people by doing that for them which none else can do, and things which they looked not for. He would take care that those who left all for him, should not want any good thing. And latter favours are to bring to mind former favours, that eaten bread may not be forgotten. He whom Jesus loved was the first that said, It is the Lord. John had cleaved most closely to his Master in his sufferings, and knew him soonest. Peter was the most zealous, and reached Christ the first. How variously God dispenses his gifts, and what difference there may be between some believers and others in the way of their honouring Christ, yet they all may be accepted of him! Others continue in the ship, drag the net, and bring the fish to shore, and such persons ought not to be blamed as worldly; for they, in their places, are as truly serving Christ as the others. The Lord Jesus had provision ready for them. We need not be curious in inquiring whence this came; but we may be comforted at Christ's care for his disciples. Although there were so many, and such great fishes, yet they lost none, nor damaged their net. The net of the gospel has enclosed multitudes, yet it is as strong as ever to bring souls to God.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They saw a fire ... - We have no knowledge whence this was produced - whether it was, as Grotius supposes, by a miracle, or whether it was a place occupied by other fishermen, where they also might cook the fish which they had caught. As no miracle is mentioned, however, there is no reason for supposing that any existed in the case.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

10. Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish ye have now caught—Observe the double supply thus provided—His and theirs. The meaning of this will perhaps appear presently.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Ver. 10,11. In this one miracle there is a complication of miracles.

1. That having fished all night and caught nothing, they should at Christ’s command throw out the net on the side of the ship next the shore, and so most unlikely to have plenty of fish, and catch so many.

2. That before their fish could be brought on shore, they should see a fish broiling on coals, and bread lying by.

3. That notwithstanding the multitude of fish, the net should not be broken.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Jesus saith unto them,.... The disciples:

bring of the fish which ye have now caught: for they might have caught some before, though so few and small, as scarcely to be reckoned any; nor were they bid to bring all they had taken, only some of them, to add to these Christ had prepared for them on land; they being both indeed of a miraculous production, and the effects of his divine power. Christ's view in ordering to bring some of them, and put to those that lay upon the coals, was partly that they might have enough to make a meal of for them all; and also, that they might have a more perfect knowledge of the miracle wrought, by seeing the number and largeness of the fishes, and by bringing the net full of them to shore unbroken; and may be an emblem of the bringing of souls to Christ by the ministry of the word, thereby adding to those that are already gathered.

Geneva Study Bible

Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

John 21:10-11. ʼΕνέγκατε, κ.τ.λ.] for the completion, conformably to their needs, of the dish of fish already found upon the fire of coals. That the eating of Jesus and of the disciples was no material, but a spiritual one (the enjoyment which Jesus has from the activity of His apostles), is a fiction of Hengstenberg’s.

According to John 21:11, Peter alone draws the full net to land, which, of course, since it hung on the vessel, which lay on the shore, was easier than to draw it up out of the water into the boat, John 21:6. According to Hengstenberg, he is, indeed, named only as being the chief person, because he was the middle point of the spiritual fishing. The statement of the number of the fishes is as little an apocryphal trait as the statement of the number of those who were miraculously fed, John 6:10, and all the less, since it is not a round number which is named. The μεγάλων heightens the miraculous effect.

καὶ τοσούτων ὄντων, κ.τ.λ.] Regarded by John as incomprehensible, and as effected by Christ; by Strauss, as manifestly legendary, as well as the number of the fishes, which, however, might, notwithstanding, be to the minds of the disciples, in relation to this miraculous experience, important enough, and sufficiently so not to be forgotten. On the allegorical interpretations of the number 153, see note after John 21:14.

Expositor's Greek Testament

John 21:10. But miracle is not gratuitously wrought; indeed, Weiss maintains there is neither miracle nor the appearance of one in this preparation. Accordingly Jesus says, Ἐνέγκατε … νῦν. And in compliance ἀνέβη … δίκτυον. “Simon Peter went on board and drew the net on shore full of large fishes, 153, and though there were so many the net was not torn.” Mysteries have been found in this number. In Hebrew characters Simon Iona is equivalent to 118 + 35, i.e., 153. Some of the Fathers understood that 100 meant the Gentiles, 50 the Jews, 3 the Trinity. Jerome cites the authority of naturalists to prove that there were exactly 153 species of fish, and he concludes that the universality of the Gospel take was thus indicated. Calvin, with his usual robust sense, says: “quantum ad piscium numerum spectat, non est sublime aliquid in eo quaerendum mysterium”. Peter never landed a haul of fish without counting them, and John, fisherman as he was, could never forget the number of his largest takes. The number is given, because it was large, and because they were all surprised that the net stood the strain. The only significance our Lord recognises in the fish is that they were food for hungry men.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

10. fish] The same word as in John 21:9, but in the plural.

caught] See on John 21:3.

Bengel's Gnomen

John 21:10. Ἐνέγκατε, bring) Thus the disciples were able to perceive, that that fish was as real as the rest of the fishes.—ἀπὸ, of) The remainder of the plentiful supply, they were allowed to keep.—ἐπιάσατε, ye have caught) It was by the Lord’s gift that they had caught them: and yet He kindly says, that they had caught them.—νῦν, now) Demonstratively, in order that they might attend. In antithesis to, “that night they caught nothing,” John 21:3.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 10. - Jesus saith to them, Bring of the fish (ὀψάρια) which ye have now taken (see note on ver. 3). It is not exactly said what was done with this fish. The implication is that to the scanty meal already provided, the new supply was added, and that the Lord permitted his disciples to join his repast, and to rejoice with him at the success of their labor. They and he shared in the travail, and were satisfied therewith. The circumstance is highly parabolic of the common joy which would fill his heart and theirs when the fullness of the Gentiles should be brought in, and all Israel be saved. John 21:10

Vincent's Word Studies

Of the fish (τῶν ὀψαρίων)

As in John 21:9. Emphasizing the fish as food.

Ye hate caught (ἐπιάσατε)

See on John 21:3. Bengel says: "By the Lord's gift they had caught them: and yet, He courteously says, that they have caught them."