Topical Bible: Fish: Caught: Hooks

◄ Fish: Caught: Hooks ►

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In biblical times, fishing was a common occupation and a vital source of sustenance, particularly in regions surrounding the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea. The method of catching fish using hooks is mentioned in several passages of the Bible, illustrating both the practical aspects of daily life and deeper spiritual lessons.

Biblical References:

1. Job 41:1-2 : "Can you pull in Leviathan with a hook or tie down his tongue with a rope? Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?" This passage, part of God's discourse to Job, uses the imagery of fishing with a hook to emphasize the power and majesty of God's creation, contrasting human limitations with divine omnipotence.

2. Isaiah 19:8 : "Then the fishermen will mourn, all who cast hooks into the Nile will lament, and those who spread nets on the water will pine away." Here, the prophet Isaiah speaks of a time of judgment upon Egypt, where the usual abundance of the Nile will fail, affecting those who rely on fishing with hooks for their livelihood.

3. Habakkuk 1:15 : "The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook; they catch them in their net and gather them in their dragnet. So they rejoice and are glad." In this verse, the prophet Habakkuk uses the metaphor of fishing with hooks and nets to describe the Chaldeans' conquest and capture of nations, highlighting their ruthless and expansive power.

4. Matthew 17:27 : "But so that we may not offend them, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take the first fish you catch. When you open its mouth, you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for My tax and yours." This account from the Gospel of Matthew describes a miraculous provision by Jesus, instructing Peter to catch a fish with a hook to find a coin for the temple tax. This event underscores Jesus' authority over creation and His provision for His followers.

Cultural and Spiritual Significance:

The use of hooks in fishing during biblical times was a straightforward and effective method for individuals or small groups. It required skill and patience, reflecting the fisherman's dependence on God's provision. The imagery of fishing with hooks is often employed in Scripture to convey themes of judgment, provision, and divine intervention.

In the New Testament, Jesus' call to His disciples to become "fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19) transforms the concept of fishing into a metaphor for evangelism and the gathering of souls into the Kingdom of God. The act of fishing with hooks, therefore, not only represents a physical activity but also serves as a symbol of spiritual pursuit and mission.

The biblical references to fishing with hooks provide insight into the daily life of ancient peoples, while also offering rich metaphors for understanding God's interaction with humanity and His call to His followers.

Nave's Topical Index

Isaiah 19:8
The fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets on the waters shall languish.
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Amos 4:2
The Lord GOD has sworn by his holiness, that, see, the days shall come on you, that he will take you away with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks.
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Matthew 17:27
Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go you to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first comes up; and when you have opened his mouth, you shall find a piece of money: that take, and give to them for me and you.
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Library

The Death of Saint Patrick.
... employed to get rid of the serpents. Having caught them, they tied
fish-hooks to their tails. No sooner did the serpents find this ...
/.../kingston/the seven champions of christendom/chapter fifteen the death of.htm

The Two Effects of the Gospel
... caught fish nor even attracted any round their nets. They have been spending all
their life fishing with most elegant silk lines, and gold and silver hooks; ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 1 1855/the two effects of the.htm

The Right Kind of Fear
... They have very clever ways of sucking worms off hooks, and they are going to show
what they can do; and soon they are caught. But happy is the fish that fears ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/sermons on proverbs/the right kind of fear.htm

The Draw-Net.
... should not leap out because star-fish and molluscs are ... purpose: "Many a leviathan
is caught, and although ... sometimes with line and baited hooks, sometimes with ...
//christianbookshelf.org/arnot/the parables of our lord/vii the draw-net.htm

Outward Bound
... or, if one was wanted, found and caught; and it ... its branches a whole family of fish,
crabs, cuttlefish ... may be described as cuttlefish carrying hooks on their ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter i outward bound.htm

The Presentation of the Blessed virgin in the Temple
... the bodice the robe was fastened with buttons or hooks, but showed ... (There was a great
fish market in ... Here they caught up with the herd of their beasts on the ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/iii the presentation of the.htm

Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
... and commandment he also gave for the making of the tables, flesh-hooks, cups, basins ...
As therefore men catch fish with a net, so the apostles caught men by ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/solomons temple spiritualized.htm

A Discourse of the Building, Nature, Excellency, and Government of ...
... Here's tempting apples, here are baited hooks, With turning, twisting ... as a lamb,
mute as a fish, is brave ... When men are caught in immoralities, Nature will start ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a discourse of the building.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... of the victims than they were entitled to, extracting from the caldron the meat
offerings of the faithful after the sacrifice was over by means of flesh-hooks. ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm