And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's,
&c.] Simon Peter's, and Andrew his brother's, who were both together at this time, though the last is not here mentioned:
and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land:
as Simon was the owner of the vessel, Christ desired him; he asked the favour of him to put off a little way from shore; though the Arabic and Ethiopic versions render it, "he commanded him", being his Lord and master: To which the Syriac and Persic versions agree; only they make the orders to be given not to Simon singly, but to others, to all in the boat; the former rendering it, and he said, or ordered, that they should carry him a little way from the dry land to the waters; and the latter thus, and said, carry ye the ship from dry land a little into the sea. And which adds, agreeable to the sense enough, though it is not in the text, "when they had executed his command": had done as he entreated, or ordered, and put off the vessel a little way from the shore:
he sat down and taught the people out of the ship;
for the boat was not carried neither out of sight, nor beyond the hearing of the people: this method Christ took at another time, and that for conveniency, as now; see ( Matthew 13:1-3 ) and whereas he sat while he taught, this was according to the then custom of the times with the Jews; (See Gill on Matthew 5:1).