Commentaries:
A large school of fish miraculously appears alongside Peter's boat just when Jesus says, "Let down your nets." Some may not view this by itself as a miracle. Yet, David writes: "You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen—even . . . the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas" (Psalm 8:6-8). As Creator, Jesus knows where the fish are in the Lake of Gennesaret, a power Peter obviously lacks. Christ, as the sovereign Lord of the earth and its seas, could have commanded thousands of fish to leap onto shore, but He directs them into the man's net. The combination of the precise place, time, and mass of fish following Jesus' instructions qualifies this as a genuine miracle, one witnessed by many.
Note that this first miracle of fish (Luke 5:1-11) happens at the beginning of Jesus' ministry, and the second occurs near the end (John 21:3-11). Both miracles take place on the Sea of Galilee after a night of fruitless work.
Martin G. Collins
The Miracles of Jesus Christ: The Great Catch of Fish
Related Topics:
In the account of Jesus' miracle of the great catch of fish (Luke 5:1-11), Luke calls the Sea of Galilee the "Lake of Gennesaret," a more ancient name that derives from the name of a small plain on its western shore. On this occasion, while standing in the boat in which Simon Peter had spent the whole—and very unsuccessful—night fishing, Jesus teaches those who wanted to hear the Word of God. Afterward, He tells Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." The man's reply is typical of an experienced fisherman: "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing." Shortly afterward, however, he changes his tune.
Martin G. Collins
The Miracles of Jesus Christ: The Great Catch of Fish
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Luke 5:1-11
Luke 5:6-9
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