Meaning of FISH, FISHING

In Egypt, fishing was done in the Nile and in the various branches it forms before reaching the Mediterranean (Is. 19:8). During their slavery in Egypt, the Israelites could eat fish at will (Num. 11:5).



In Egypt, fishing was done in the Nile and in the various branches it forms before reaching the Mediterranean (Is. 19:8). During their slavery in Egypt, the Israelites could eat fish at will (Num. 11:5).

Along the Mediterranean coast of northern Palestine, fishing was mainly in the hands of the Tyrians and Sidonians (Neh. 13:16), and in the south it was in the hands of the Philistines.

The Sea of Galilee belonged to the Israelites, and was their main fishing area. Tristram enumerates twenty-two species of fish in this sea; A large number descend into the Jordan, but every fish that reaches the Dead Sea finds death in its salty waters.

There was a sale of fish in Jerusalem (2 Chron. 33:14; Neh. 13:16).
Fishing was done using fishing rods, hooks, harpoons, hooks (Jb. 41:1, 7; Is. 19:8; Am. 4:2; Mt. 17:27), nets were also cast (Lk. 5 :4-7).

The great fish, or sea monster, Heb. "Tannin" denotes great fish of the sea (Gen. 1:21; Jb. 7:12). The two Heb. terms. "Dag" and "Dagah" are found in Jon. 2:1, 2. In Ez. 32:2 is translated “dragon in the seas,” following the LXX and the Vulgate, “dragon.” Other versions translate "monster of the seas" or "crocodile in the seas." (See DRAGON, LEVIATHAN.)

The term gr. "kêtos" (Mt. 12:40) designates all types of large marine animals: large fish, or marine mammals, such as dolphins, sperm whales, orcas, whales, etc. In the LXX the term “kêtos mega” was used to translate the two Heb. terms. by Jon. 2:1, meaning "great fish."

The term "whale" does not appear in either the OT or the NT, so no objection can be made to the story of Jonah with arguments about the narrowness of the opening of some type of whale.
Another gr. term. which means fish, "ichthus", was adopted by the persecuted Christians of the first centuries as a symbol of Christ, as an acrostic.

Indeed, it can be formed based on the initials of Iesus Christos Theou Uîos Sõter, "Jesus Christ Son of God, Savior." The image and name of the fish are very frequently found on the walls of Roman catacombs.