King James Bible Dictionary

Called dag by the Hebrews, a word denoting great fecundity (Genesis 9:2; Numbers 11:22; Jonah 2:1, 10). No fish is mentioned by name either in the Old or in the New Testament. Fish abounded in the Mediterranean and in the lakes of the Jordan, so that the Hebrews were no doubt acquainted with many species. Two of the villages on the shores of the Sea of Galilee derived their names from their fisheries, Bethsaida (the "house of fish") on the east and on the west. There is probably no other sheet of water in the world of equal dimensions that contains such a variety and profusion of fish. About thirty-seven different kinds have been found. Some of the fishes are of a European type, such as the roach, the barbel, and the blenny; others are markedly African and tropical, such as the eel-like silurus. There was a regular fish-market apparently in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 33:14; Nehemiah 3:3; 12:39; Zephaniah 1:10), as there was a fish-gate which was probably contiguous to it.

Sidon is the oldest fishing establishment known in history.

Creation of
Genesis 1:20-22

Appointed for food
Genesis 9:2-3

Clean and unclean
Leviticus 11:9-12; Deuteronomy 14:9-10

Taken with:

Nets
Ecclesiastes 9:12; Habakkuk 1:14-17; Matthew 4:21; Luke 5:2-6; John 21:6-8

Hooks
Isaiah 19:8; Amos 4:2; Matthew 17:27

Spears
Job 41:7

Ponds for:

In Heshbon
Song of Solomon 7:4

In Egypt
Isaiah 19:10

Traffic in
Nehemiah 13:16; John 21:13

Broiled
John 21:9-13; Luke 24:42

Miracles connected with:

Jonah swallowed by
Jonah 1:17; Jonah 2:1-10; Matthew 12:40

Of the loaves and fishes
Matthew 14:19; Matthew 15:36; Luke 5:6; Luke 9:3-17

Coin obtained from mouth of
Matthew 17:27

Great draught of
Luke 5:4-7; John 21:6

Furnished to the disciples by Jesus after His resurrection
Luke 24:42; John 21:9-13

Figurative
Ezekiel 47:9-10

The Hebrews recognized fish as one of the great divisions of the animal kingdom, and as such gave them a place in the account of the creation, (Genesis 1:21,28) as well as in other passages where an exhaustive description of living creatures is intended. (Genesis 9:2; Exodus 20:4; 4:18; 1 Kings 4:33) The Mosaic law, (Leviticus 11:9,10) pronounced unclean such fish as were devoid of fins and scales; these were and are regarded as unwholesome in Egypt. Among the Philistines Dagon was represented by a figure half man and half fish. (1 Samuel 5:4) On this account the worship of fish is expressly prohibited. (4:18) In Palestine, the Sea of Galilee was and still is remarkable well stored with fish. (Tristram speaks of fourteen species found there, and thinks the number inhabiting it at least three times as great.) Jerusalem derived its supply chiefly from the Mediterranean. Comp. (Ezekiel 47:10) The existence of a regular fish-market is implied in the notice of the fish-gate, which was probably contiguous to it. (2 Chronicles 33:14; Nehemiah 3:3; 12:39; Zephaniah 1:10) The Orientals are exceedingly fond of fish as an article of diet. Numerous allusions to the art of fishing occur in the Bible. The most usual method of catching fish was by the use of the net, either the casting net, (Ezekiel 26:5,14; 47:10); Habakkuk 1:15 Probably resembling the one used in Egypt, as shown in Wilkinson (iii. 55), or the draw or drag net, (Isaiah 19:8); Habakkuk 1:15 Which was larger, and required the use of a boat. The latter was probably most used on the Sea of Galilee, as the number of boats kept on it was very considerable.

FISH, noun [Latin piscis.]

1. An animal that lives in water. fish is a general name for a class of animals subsisting in water, which were distributed by Linne into six orders. They breathe by means of gills, swim by the aid of fins, and are oviparous. Some of them have the skeleton bony, and others cartilaginous. Most of the former have the opening of the gills closed by a peculiar covering, called the gill-lid; many of the latter have no gill-lid, and are hence said to breathe through apertures. Cetaceous animals, as the whale and dolphin, are, in popular language, called fishes, and have been so classed by some naturalists; but they breathe by lungs, and are viviparous, like quadrupeds. The term fish has been also extended to other aquatic animals, such as shell-fish, lobsters, etc. We use fish in the singular, for fishes in general or the whole race.

2. The flesh of fish used as food. But we usually apply flesh to land animals.

FISH, verb intransitive

1. To attempt to catch fish; to be employed in taking fish by any means, as by angling or drawing nets.

2. To attempt or seek to obtain by artifice, or indirectly to seek to draw forth; as, to fish for compliments.

FISH, verb transitive

1. To search by raking or sweeping; as, to fish the jakes for papers.

2. In seamanship, to strengthen, as a mast or yard, with a piece of timber.

3. To catch; draw out or up; as, to fish up a human body when sunk; to fish an anchor.

FISH, noun

1. In ships, a machine to hoist and draw up the flukes of an anchor, towards the top of the bow.

2. A long piece of timber, used to strengthen a lower mast or a yard, when sprung or damaged.

2 Chronicles 33:14; Nehemiah 3:3; Zephaniah 1:10

Job 41:7

Besides its literal sense (Luke 5:2), this word is also applied by our Lord to his disciples in a figurative sense (Matthew 4:19; Mark 1:17).

FISH'ER, n

1. One who is employed in catching fish.

2. A species of weasel.

FISH'ERBOAT, noun A boat employed in catching fish.

FISH'ERMAN, noun

1. One whose occupation is to catch fish.

2. A ship or vessel employed in the business of taking fish, as in the cod and whale fishery.

Certain apostles
Matthew 4:18-21; Mark 1:16; Mark 1:19; John 21:2-3

Figurative
Jeremiah 16:16; Matthew 4:19

FISH'ERTOWN, noun A town inhabited by fishermen.

FISH'ERY, noun

1. The business of catching fish.

2. A place for catching fish with nets or hooks, as the banks of Newfoundland, the coast of England or Scotland, or on the banks of rivers.

FISH'FUL, adjective Abounding with fish; as a fishful pond.

FISH'GIG,

FISH'HOOK, noun A hook for catching fish.

Amos 4:2

Were used for catching fish (Amos 4:2; comp. Isaiah 37:29; Jeremiah 16:16; Ezekiel 29:4; Job. 41:1, 2; Matthew 17:27).

FISH'ING, participle present tense Attempting to catch fish; searching; seeking to draw forth by artifice or indirectly; adding a piece of timber to a mast or spar to strengthen it.

FISH'ING, noun

1. The art or practice of catching fish.

2. A fishery.

Was prosecuted with great industry in the waters of Palestine. It was from the fishing-nets that Jesus called his disciples (Mark 1:16-20), and it was in a fishing-boat he rebuked the winds and the waves (Matthew 8:26) and delivered that remarkable series of prophecies recorded in Matthew 13. He twice miraculously fed multitudes with fish and bread (Matthew 14:19; 15:36). It was in the mouth of a fish that the tribute-money was found (Matthew 17:27). And he "ate a piece of broiled fish" with his disciples after his resurrection (Luke 24:42, 43; comp. Acts 1:3). At the Sea of Tiberias (John 21:1-14), in obedience to his direction, the disciples cast their net "on the right side of the ship," and enclosed so many that "they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes."

Two kinds of fishing-nets are mentioned in the New Testament-

1. The casting-net (Matthew 4:18; Mark 1:16).

2. The drag-net or seine (Matthew 13:48).

Fish were also caught by the fishing-hook (Matthew 17:27). (See NET.)

FISH'ING-FROG, noun The toad-fish, or Lophius, whose head is larger than the body.

FISH'ING-PLACE, noun A place where fishes are caught with seines; a convenient place for fishing; a fishery.

FISH'KETTLE, noun A kettle made long for boiling fish whole.

FISH'LIKE, adjective Resembling fish.

FISH'MARKET, noun A place where fish are exposed for sale.

FISH'MEAL, noun A meal of fish; diet on fish; abstemious diet.

FISH'MONGER, noun A seller of fish; a dealer in fish.

FISH'POND, noun A pond in which fishes are bred and kept.

Song of Solomon 7:4

(Song of Solomon 7:4) should be simply "pools," as in the Revised Version. The reservoirs near Heshbon (q.v.) were probably stocked with fish (2 Samuel 2:13; 4:12; Isaiah 7:3; 22:9, 11).

FISH'ROOM, noun An apartment in a ship between the after-hold and the spirit room.

FISH'SPEAR, noun A spear for taking fish by stabbing them.

FISH'WIFE, noun A woman that cries fish for sale.

FISH'WOMAN, noun A woman who sells fish.

FISH'Y, adjective

1. Consisting of fish.

2. Inhabited by fish; as the fishy flood.

3. Having the qualities of fish; like fish; as a fishy form; a fishy taste or smell.