Mark 1:16-19

1:16 As he went along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishermen). ¹  1:17 Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people.” ²  1:18 They left their nets immediately and followed him. ³  1:19 Going on a little farther, he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and John his brother in their ⁴  boat mending nets.

Mark 5:37

5:37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James, ⁵  and John, the brother of James.

Mark 9:2

The Transfiguration

9:2 Six days later ⁶  Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John and led them alone up a high mountain privately. And he was transfigured before them, ⁷ 

[1:16]  ¹ sn This is a parenthetical comment by the author.

[1:17]  ² tn The Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpos) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, thus “people.”

[1:18]  ³ sn The expression followed him pictures discipleship, which means that to learn from Jesus is to follow him as the guiding priority of one’s life.

[1:19]  ⁴ tn Or “a boat.” The phrase ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ (en tw ploiw) can either refer to a generic boat, some boat (as it seems to do in Matt 4:21); or it can refer to “their” boat, implying possession. Mark assumes a certain preunderstanding on the part of his readers about the first four disciples and hence the translation “their boat” is justified (cf. also v. 20 in which the “hired men” indicates that Zebedee’s family owned the boats).

[5:37]  ⁵ tn Grk “and James,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[9:2]  ⁶ tn Grk “And after six days.”

[9:2]  ⁷ sn In 1st century Judaism and in the NT, there was the belief that the righteous get new, glorified bodies in order to enter heaven (1 Cor 15:42-49; 2 Cor 5:1-10). This transformation means the righteous will share the glory of God. One recalls the way Moses shared the Lord’s glory after his visit to the mountain in Exod 34. So the disciples saw Jesus transfigured, and they were getting a sneak preview of the great glory that Jesus would have (only his glory is more inherent to him as one who shares in the rule of the kingdom).