Mark 1:16

Call of the first Four Disciples

16. as he walked The Saviour had come down(Luke 4:31; John 4:47; John 4:51) from the high country of Galilee, and now made His permanent abode in the deep retreat of the Sea of Galilee at Capernaum "His own city" (Matthew 4:13; Luke 4:31), whence He could easily communicate, as well by land as by the Lake, with many important towns, and in the event of any threatened persecution retire into a more secure region.

the sea of Galilee called (i) in the Old Testament "the Sea of Chinnereth" or "Cinneroth" (Numbers 34:11; Joshua 12:3) from a town of that name which stood on or near its shore (Joshua 19:35), in the New (ii) "the Sea of Galilee" from the province which bordered on its western side (Matthew 4:18; Mark 7:31), (iii) "the Lake of Gennesaret" (Luke 5:1), (iv) "the Sea of Tiberias" (John 21:1), and sometimes (v) simply "the Sea" (Matthew 4:15).

he saw Simon whom He had already invited to His acquaintance (John 1:40-42); He now calls him to the Apostleship. The recent cure of the son of the officer in Herod's court had roused much interest at Capernaum, and many pressed upon the Saviour to "hear the Word of God" (Luke 5:1). It became clear, therefore, that an opportunity was offered for an active and systematic ministry in Galilee, and four of the number afterwards known as "the Twelve" were now permanently attached to the Saviour's Person, and invested with power to become "fishers of men."

a net The net here spoken of and in Matthew 4:18 was a casting-net, circular in shape, "like the top of a tent," in Latin fundaor jaculum. The net spoken of in Matthew 13:47-48 is the drag-netor hauling-net, the English seineor sean, sometimes half a mile in length; that alluded to in Luke 5:4-9 is the bag-netor basket-net, so constructed and worked as to enclose the fish out in deep water.