Their net brake - Or their net "began" to break, or was "about" to break. This is all that is implied in the Greek word. If their nets had actually "broken," as our English word seems to suppose, the fish would have escaped; but no more is meant than that there was such a multitude of fishes that their net was "on the point" of being torn asunder.

Their net brake - Or, began to break, διερῥηγνυτο, or, was likely to be broken. Had it broke, as our version states, they could have caught no fish. Grammarians give the following rule concerning words of this kind. Verba completiva inchoative intelligenda. Verbs which signify the accomplishment of a thing, are often to be understood as only signifying the beginning of that accomplishment. Raphelius gives some very pertinent examples of this out of Herodotus.

And when they had done this,.... Had put the ship out further to sea, and had let down their net:

they enclosed a great multitude of fish; in their net, which by the secret divine power of Christ, were gathered together just in that place, where by his order they cast the net:

and their net brake; with the weight and number, of the fishes, yet not so as to let the fish out; the Arabic version reads, "it was within a little that their nets were broke": they were just upon breaking, the draught was so numerous, the struggling so great, and the weight so heavy.

And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

5:6 Their net brake. Tristam ( Land of Israel ) says of the fish in the Sea of Galilee:

The shoals are marvelous, black masses, many hundred yards long, with their black fins projecting out of the water as thick as they could pack. Any net would break at enclosed such a shoal.''

5:6 Their net brake - Began to tear.

6. net brake-rather "was breaking," or "beginning to break," as in Lu 5:7, "beginning to sink."

5:1-11 When Christ had done preaching, he told Peter to apply to the business of his calling. Time spent on week days in public exercises of religion, need be but little hinderance in time, and may be great furtherance to us in temper of mind, as to our worldly business. With what cheerfulness may we go about the duties of our calling, when we have been with God, and thus have our worldly employments sanctified to us by the word and prayer! Though they had taken nothing, yet Christ told them to let down their nets again. We must not abruptly quit our callings because we have not the success in them we desire. We are likely to speed well, when we follow the guidance of Christ's word. The draught of fishes was by a miracle. We must all, like Peter, own ourselves to be sinful men, therefore Jesus Christ might justly depart from us. But we must beseech him that he would not depart; for woe unto us if the Saviour depart from sinners! Rather let us entreat him to come and dwell in our hearts by faith, that he may transform and cleanse them. These fishermen forsook all, and followed Jesus, when their calling prospered. When riches increase, and we are tempted to set our hearts upon them, then to quit them for Christ is thankworthy.