Luke 5:3

“And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, etc.] 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…”

“Which was Simon’s - Simon Peter’s. Prayed him - Asked him. He sat down - This was the common posture of Jewish teachers. They seldom or never spoke to the people “standing.” Compare Matthew 5:1. It may be somewhat difficult to conceive why Jesus should go into a boat and put off from the shore in order to speak to the multitude; but it is probable that this was a small bay or cove, and that when he was “in” the boat, the people on the shore stood round him in the form of an amphitheater. It is not improbable that the lake was still; that scarcely a breeze passed over it; that all was silence on the shore, and that there was nothing to disturb his voice. In such a situation he could be heard…”

“5:3 So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds: By sitting in the boat slightly offshore, Jesus had a platform from which to address the people without being mobbed.”

“which: Mat 4:18; Joh 1:41, Joh 1:42 he sat: Mat 13:1, Mat 13:2; Mar 4:1, Mar 4:2; Joh 8:2 Luke 5:4”