Mark 1 (WEB)
Dr. Halvor Ronning teaches on the kinds of nets used in the Sea of Galilee.
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.
1The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2As it is written in the prophets,
“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you:
3the voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make ready the way of the Lord!
Make his paths straight!’”
4John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. 5All the country of Judea and all those of Jerusalem went out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan river, confessing their sins. 6John was clothed with camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist. He ate locusts and wild honey. 7He preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loosen. 8I baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.”
9In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11A voice came out of the sky, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
12Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness. 13He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals; and the angels were serving him.
14Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Good News of God’s Kingdom, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and God’s Kingdom is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.”
16Passing along by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you into fishers for men.”
18Immediately they left their nets, and followed him.
19Going on a little further from there, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. 20Immediately he called them, and they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired servants, and went after him.
21They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught. 22They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes. 23Immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, 24saying, “Ha! What do we have to do with you, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are: the Holy One of God!”
25Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”
26The unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What can this new doctrine be? For with authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him!” 28The report of him went out immediately into all the region of Galilee and its surrounding area.
29Immediately, when they had come out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31He came and took her by the hand and raised her up. The fever left her immediately, and she served them.
32At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick and those who were possessed by demons. 33All the city was gathered together at the door. 34He healed many who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons. He didn’t allow the demons to speak, because they knew him.
35Early in the morning, while it was still dark, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there. 36Simon and those who were with him searched for him. 37They found him and told him, “Everyone is looking for you.”
38He said to them, “Let’s go elsewhere into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because I came out for this reason.” 39He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out demons.
40A leper came to him, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.”
41Being moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand, and touched him, and said to him, “I want to. Be made clean.” 42When he had said this, immediately the leprosy departed from him and he was made clean. 43He strictly warned him and immediately sent him out, 44and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anybody, but go show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing the things which Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.”
45But he went out, and began to proclaim it much, and to spread about the matter, so that Jesus could no more openly enter into a city, but was outside in desert places. People came to him from everywhere.