John 21 (WEB)
Dr. Halvor Ronning is explaining the three types of fish nets used in the Bible, the cast net, the drag net, and the trammel net. Luke 5:1-8; Mark 1:16-20; John 21:6-11
Fishing on the Sea of Galilee has been actually even a doctoral thesis of one of the kibbutz members of the Ein Gev kibbutz on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee.
And that man, Mendel Nun, he points out that in the New Testament there are actually three kinds of nets.
So a generic word "net" doesn't give the fullness of the different kinds of nets that are actually mentioned in the Greek gospel texts.
The net that was cast just now off the boat here on the Sea of Galilee is what's called exactly that, the cast net.
It is about three meters in circumference.
It's a circle, and all around the outside of the circle are the weights.
And one picks up the net in the middle and holds that while carefully arranging the net on one's shoulder.
And then comes the work of holding one edge of the net while swinging it out into a full circle that then descends over the water.
And it's used in shallow water where you see the school of fish, and it goes down over them, and you can collect the stones at the bottom and have the fish inside the net — the cast net.
Another net is the drag net, which is not a net that an individual uses, but you may have even 10 to 20 men involved.
A huge net, maybe 100 meters, 100 yards in length, consisting of a net with floats and then weights at the bottom.
And you take the boat out in a big half circle, leaving one end of the net on the shore and coming way back around to the shore some distance away.
And the weights, of course, will pull the net down to the bottom, but the floats will keep it standing.
So then, as the fish sense a disturbance, they head for the deeper water and they swim right into the net.
And you've got five to ten men on one end of the net and five to ten men on the other end of the net, and they drag this whole half circle back into shore.
And it takes up everything, both good and bad, the Gospel text says.
Bad meaning, in Jewish terms, the non-kosher fish, because you can eat fish with scales, but not fish with skin, like catfish.
The third kind of net is a trammel net, from the word for three, because there's one long net of a hundred yards or more.
And then on either side of that long net, with floats and weights that take it right to the bottom, there are little nets.
In other words, nets that are just as large but with little holes, on either side of the main net with the large holes.
And you string it along parallel to the shore, at some distance away from the shore, and then you go with your boat between the shore and the net and bang the sides of the boat.
It scares the fish so they head for deeper water, and then here they come, and they don't see the net at nighttime.
Nowadays with a nylon net you can get by with it, doing it even in the daytime.
But the cotton net would be invisible at night, so they hit that first net with the little holes and make a U-turn to escape.
But in the meantime they've gone through the big hole and come back again, and they get caught in a little pocket.
And it's a lot of work then to take this net up the next morning and drag it into the boat and disentangle them from these pockets.
So there are your three kinds of net: the cast net, the drag net and the trammel net.
1After these things, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself this way. 2Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3Simon Peter said to them, “I’m going fishing.”
They told him, “We are also coming with you.” They immediately went out and entered into the boat. That night, they caught nothing. 4But when day had already come, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples didn’t know that it was Jesus. 5Jesus therefore said to them, “Children, have you anything to eat?”
They answered him, “No.”
6He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.”
They cast it therefore, and now they weren’t able to draw it in for the multitude of fish. 7That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!”
So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he wrapped his coat around himself (for he was naked), and threw himself into the sea. 8But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from the land, but about two hundred cubits away), dragging the net full of fish. 9So when they got out on the land, they saw a fire of coals there, with fish and bread laid on it. 10Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”
11Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land, full of one hundred fifty-three great fish. Even though there were so many, the net wasn’t torn.
12Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast!”
None of the disciples dared inquire of him, “Who are you?” knowing that it was the Lord.
13Then Jesus came and took the bread, gave it to them, and the fish likewise. 14This is now the third time that Jesus was revealed to his disciples after he had risen from the dead. 15So when they had eaten their breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?”
He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.”
He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me?”
He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have affection for you.”
He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you have affection for me?”
Peter was grieved because he asked him the third time, “Do you have affection for me?” He said to him, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I have affection for you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18Most certainly I tell you, when you were young, you dressed yourself and walked where you wanted to. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you don’t want to go.”
19Now he said this, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. When he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”
20Then Peter, turning around, saw a disciple following. This was the disciple whom Jesus loved, the one who had also leaned on Jesus’ chest at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is going to betray you?” 21Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”
22Jesus said to him, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.” 23This saying therefore went out among the brothers that this disciple wouldn’t die. Yet Jesus didn’t say to him that he wouldn’t die, but, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is that to you?”
24This is the disciple who testifies about these things, and wrote these things. We know that his witness is true. 25There are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they would all be written, I suppose that even the world itself wouldn’t have room for the books that would be written.