Far he was astonished, and all that were with him,.... His brother Andrew, and the servants they had with them to manage the vessel, and cast the nets:

at the draught of the fishes they had taken; being so large and numerous, as the like was never seen, nor known by them before.

He was astonished (θάμβος περιέσχεν αὐτὸν)

Lit., amazement encompassed him. See on 1 Peter 2:6.

The draught (τῇ ἄγρα)

The word is used both of the act of catching and of that which is caught. In Luke 5:4 it has the former sense: "let down your net for catching:" here, the latter, the catch or haul.

For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:

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.