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fish, noun and verb; fisherman, noun    Most present day followers of Jesus are aware of the fish as a central metaphor and symbol in their tradition.  Long before the cross became the primary sign of a Christian presence, a simple outline of a fish identified a person or a group with Jesus.

 One reason for the popularity of the fish was that anyone could draw it with one stroke of a pen on paper or one swift motion of a toe in the sand.  Another was that in Greek fish was the acronym for Jesus Christ God’s Son Savior.

        Iesous              Jesus
        Christos          Christ1              If you understand that English-speaking people use the letter H
        Theou              God’s               to express the aspirated U in the Greek for Son, you can see that
        HUios              Son2                 the initials of these words spell ichthus, the Greek word for fish.
        Soter                Savior3

            Perhaps the most important reason for the popularity of the fish symbol was the frequent use of the fish and fisherman metaphors in the life and teaching of Jesus as represented in the gospels.  Each of these figures of speech has its origin in the Hebrew Scriptures.  In Greek, the word for fisherman appears to be unrelated to ichthus.  It is halieus, which comes from hals, or salt, and originally meant anyone who worked at sea, a sailor.  In Hebrew fish is dag and a fisherman is davvag. 

In the metaphors of both languages, the people are the fish and God’s agents are the fishermen.  These figures of speech can represent either rescue or punishment.

          I will bring them back to their own land that I gave to their ancestors.  I am now sending for many fishermen, says the LORD, and they shall catch them.  [Jeremiah 16:15-16]

         The Lord GOD has sworn by his holiness: The time is surely coming upon you, when they shall take you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks.  [Amos 4:2]

        You have made people like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler. The enemy brings all of them up with a hook; he drags them out with his net, he gathers them in his seine; so he rejoices and exults.              [Habakkuk 1:14-15]

         As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea─for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people."  [Mark 1:16-17]

         Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad.  [Matthew 13:47-48] 

In several Bible stories, plentiful fish seem to indicate the abundance of God’s grace.4  Jesus feeding fish to great crowds of people reflects this tradition.  The feeding of  the crowds with fish was so significant that the story is told six times in the gospels, twice each in Mark and in Matthew and once in Luke and once in John.  The feeding of the disciples at the end of John’s gospel features the same food that appeared in the feeding of the crowds, bread5 and fish.

        Wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish, once these waters reach there. It will become fresh; and everything will live where the river goes. People will stand fishing beside the sea from En-gedi to En-eglaim; it will be a place for the spreading of nets; its fish will be of a great many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.            [Ezekiel 47:9-10]

         When he had finished speaking, Jesus said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break.  [Luke 5:4-6]

         Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No."  He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish.  [John 21:5-6]

         Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled; and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish.  [Mark 6:41-43]

         Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.  [John 21:12-13] 

The stories of spectacular individual fish also seem to be expressions of the power and presence of God as do the stories about the availability of a single fish for food at a critical moment. 

         The  LORD provided a large fish to swallow up Jonah; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.  [Jonah 1:17]

         When they reached Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, "Does your teacher not pay the temple tax?"  He said, "Yes, he does." And when he came home, Jesus spoke of it first, asking, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their children or from others?" When Peter said, "From others," Jesus said to him, "Then the children are free. However, so that we do not give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook; take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a coin; take that and give it to them for you and me."  [Matthew 17:24-27]

         Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"    [Luke 11:11-13]

         While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, Jesus said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.  [Luke 24:41-43] 

  For some Christians, these stories about fish tell of miracles6 that are historical events.  When coming across one of these accounts, however, readers can decide for themselves whether to take the story as a description of an event or an extended metaphor that evolved from figurative language used by both Jesus and the people of ancient Israel.

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1. For Christ, see From Literal to Literary, pp. 57-59.
2. For Son of God, see From Literal to Literary, pp. 242-243.
3. For Savior, see From Literal to Literary, pp. 224-225.
4. For grace, see From Literal to Literary, pp. 115-116.
5. For bread, see From Literal to Literary, pp. 52-56.
6. For miracle, see From Literal to Literary, pp. 172-173. 

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 From Literal to Literary: The Essential Reference Book for Biblical Metaphors