And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

and he saw two ships standing by the lake, but the fishermen, having come down from them, were washing their nets.

and he saw two boats standing beside the lake, and the fishers, having gone away from them, were washing the nets,

He, however, saw two fishing-boats drawn up on the beach (for the men had gone away from them and were washing the nets)

And he saw two boats by the edge of the water, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.

And he saw two boats standing beside the lake. But the fishermen had climbed down, and they were washing their nets.

The fishermen had gone away from them and were washing the nets.

Two ships - The ships used on so small a lake were probably no more than fishing-boats without decks, and easily drawn up on the beach. Josephus says there were 230 of them on the lake, attended by four or five men each. That they were small is also clear from the account commonly given of them. A single large draught of fishes endangered them and came near sinking them.
Standing by the lake - Anchored by the lake, or drawn up upon the beach.

Two ships - Δυο πλοια, Two vessels, It is highly improper to term these ships. They appear to have been only such small boats as are used to manage nets on flat smooth beaches: one end of the net is attached to the shore; the fishermen row out, and drop the net as they go, making a kind of semicircle from the shore; they return, and bring the rope attached to the other end with them, and then the net is hauled on shore; and, as it was sunk with weights to the bottom, and floated with corks at the top, all the fish in that compass were included, and drawn to shore.

And saw two ships standing by the lake,.... Or two fishing boats; which were, as the Arabic version renders it, "detained by anchors at the shore of the lake"; the one belonging to Peter and Andrew, and the other to Zebedee, and his two sons, James and John:
but the fishermen were gone out of them; that is, either the above persons, or their servants:
and were washing their nets; on shore; they having gathered a great deal of soil and filthiness, but had caught no fish; and therefore were cleansing their nets, in order to lay them up, finding it to be in vain to make any further attempts with them at present; and which considered, makes the following miracle the more illustrious.

Saw two boats standing. Those of Peter and Andrew, and of James and John. See Matthew 4:18-22, for notes; also Mark 1:16-20.