Singular to relate, the circumstances under which Simon and Andrew, James and John were on the last occasion called to Apostleship (St. Matt. iv. 17-22: St. Mark i. 14-20: St. Luke v. 1-11) have never yet been explained321. The facts were as follows.

It was morning on the Sea of Galilee. Two boats were [pg 212] moored to the shore. The fishermen having “toiled all the night and taken nothing322,‘—’were gone out of them and had washed out (?p?p???a?) their nets (t? d??t?a)323.” But though fishing in deep water had proved a failure, they knew that by wading into the shallows, they might even now employ a casting-net with advantage. Accordingly it was thus that our Saviour, coming by at this very juncture, beheld Simon and Andrew employed (?????ta? ?f???st???)324. Thereupon, entering Simon's boat, “He prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land325.” The rest requires no explanation.

Now, it is plain that the key which unlocks this interesting story is the graphic precision of the compound verb employed, and the well-known usage of the language which gives to the aorist tense on such occasions as the present a pluperfect signification326. The Translators of 1611, not understanding the incident, were content, as Tyndale, following the Vulgate327, had been before them, to render ?p?p???a? t? d??t?a,—“were washing their nets.” Of this rendering, so long as the Greek was let alone, no serious harm could come. The Revisers of 1881, however, by not only retaining the incorrect translation “were washing their nets,” but, by making the Greek tally with the English—by substituting in short ?p????? for ?p?p???a?,—have so effectually darkened the Truth as to make it simply irrecoverable by ordinary students. The only point in the meantime to which the reader's attention is just now invited is this:—that the compound verb in the aorist tense (?p?p???a?) has been retained by the whole body of the Cursives, as transmitted all down the ages: while the [pg 213] barbarous ?p????? is only found at this day in the two corrupt uncials BD328 and a single cursive (Evan. 91)329.