And they beckoned unto their partners,.... Zebedee, and his two sons, James and John; Luk 5:10 who were at some distance from them, probably lay at anchor near the shore, not having put out to sea when the other vessel did, and so were not within call; but they were obliged to make signs to them, and beckon with their hands to come to them: which were in the other ship; mentioned in Luk 5:2 which lay by the shore: that they should come and help them; take up the net, and take the fish out of it: and they came and filled both the ships; with the fishes they took out of the net, as full as they could hold, and which they were not well able to carry: so that they began to sink; or "were almost immersed", as Beza's ancient copy, and another manuscript, with the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions read; the vessels were so heavy laden, with the vast quantity of fish that was taken, that they were just ready to sink with their burden.