Mark 1:19

τοῦ Ζεβεδαίου. We may infer from Mark 15:40 that the mother’s name was Salome. As James is mentioned first and John is described as “his brother,” we conclude that John was the younger, or that, at the time when this Gospel was written, James was the better known. In Acts 12:2, “James the brother of John” indicates that at that time John was better known than Zebedee. See on Mark 3:16.

καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ. They also in their boat. We were not told that Simon and Andrew were in their boat, but it might be inferred from ἀμφιβάλλοντας, for an ἀμφιβάλλσντας could not be used to much purpose from the shore.

καταρτίζοντας. James and John were not fishing but getting their nets in proper order for the next expedition. Theophylact strangely makes this a sign of poverty; they repaired their nets because they could not afford to get new ones! Hired servants imply that Zebedee was well off. Καταρτίζω in profane writers often means setting a joint or bone. St Paul has it in all of the four great Epistles.