The call of James and John (Mt 4:21-4:22)

“As Jesus went from there,

He saw

Two other brothers,

James,

The son of Zebedee,

With his brother,

John.

They were in the boat

With their father,

Zebedee,

Mending their nets.

Jesus called them.

Immediately,

They left the boat.

They left their father.

They followed Jesus.”

 

Καὶ προβὰς ἐκεῖθεν εἶδεν ἄλλους δύο ἀδελφούς, Ἰάκωβον τὸν τοῦ Ζεβεδαίου καὶ Ἰωάνην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ μετὰ Ζεβεδαίου τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν καταρτίζοντας τὰ δίκτυα αὐτῶν· καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτούς.

οἱ δὲ εὐθέως ἀφέντες τὸ πλοῖον καὶ τὸν πατέρα αὐτῶν ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ.

 

Continuing with his dependenance on Mark, chapter 1:19-20, Matthew introduced two new disciples, John and James, the fisherman sons of Zebedee.  Zebedee might have been successful since he was explicitly mentioned, as he seemed to own a boat.  Jesus apparently had just left Simon Peter and Andrew (Καὶ προβὰς ἐκεῖθεν).  Once again, Jesus saw two other fishermen brothers (εἶδεν ἄλλους δύο ἀδελφούς).  These two brothers were James and John with their father Zebedee (Ἰάκωβον τὸν τοῦ Ζεβεδαίου καὶ Ἰωάνην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ).  They were in the boat with their father mending the fishing nets (ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ μετὰ Ζεβεδαίου τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν καταρτίζοντας τὰ δίκτυα αὐτῶν).  Then as he had done with the other two brothers, Jesus called these two brothers (καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτούς).  Just like Simon Peter and Andrew had done, they immediately (οἱ δὲ εὐθέως) left both their boat and their father (ἀφέντες τὸ πλοῖον καὶ τὸν πατέρα αὐτῶν).  Both James and John, the sons of Zebedee, followed Jesus (ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ).  So now, we have four disciples of Jesus, two sets of brothers, according to Matthew and Mark.